Odesa, what a city! We have survived plagues, wars, and — perhaps the most enduring challenge of all — some truly regrettable choices in urban planning.

For centuries, Moscow has claimed to be the heir of Kyivan Rus' and the guardian of the Slavic world. Yet history, genetics and linguistics tell a different story...

Odesa is a city young by the standards of the world—230 years old as of this writing. But her story stretches far beyond the day Catherine the Great decided to plant a port on these shores.

The incredibly sinking Opera Theater — that's what some had come to call Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Before Odesa was ever more than a thought, the ground beneath it held stories as old as time.

Ladies and gentlemen, gather 'round as we unravel the marvelous tapestry of Odesa—a city where the best of Europe and the Mediterranean has come together in a grand, architectural potpourri.

Think of Odesa as a city of layered tastes: Greeks brought wine centuries ago, but beer — that frothy, convivial drink — is a relatively late, very urban arrival.

Greek Square was born in the dust and heat of a young city, mapped by the hands of Franz de Volán.