The incredibly sinking Opera Theater — that's what some had come to call Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
It was always a gorgeous building, steeped in Old‑World grandeur… but beneath its ornate facades lay a fatal flaw: it was slowly sinking. According to eyewitness engineering reports, the eastern half sagged by as much as 18 centimetres (about 7 inches) within the first three years after opening. Walls began to tilt.
In the 1920s, workers — alarmed by structural instability — installed a massive movable concrete firewall between the orchestra pit and the stage. That firewall weighed 38 metric tons (42 tons), and rather than stabilizing the building, it only worsened the stress: the two stage‑side walls cracked and buckled further. The problem of structural subsidence was described in the magazine Zodchiy (Architect).
Returning to the theater itself, it's important to remember that fires and wars were not the only threats to Odessa's architectural treasure. As early as 1900, the building began to settle unevenly. Over the following decades, the problem grew more severe, prompting a major intervention in 1956.
View of the theater from Richelievskaya. A fence installed during the silicification work under the foundation is visible.
Engineers undertook a comprehensive soil stabilization using a process known as silicification, so-called "liquid glass". A special facility was constructed beside the theater to inject liquid glass under the foundation at high pressure — over 6 million decalitres in total.
Once the mixture hardened, the settlement stopped, preserving the structure for decades to come, but this did not produce the desired effect; the Opera House was still “floating” due to the fact that it was built on sedimentary rocks.
A renovation in 1966–1967 spruced up decorative finishes — redoing floors, restoring plaster, updating ornamentation — but did nothing fundamental about the sagging foundation. In truth, the major structural danger loomed unchanged.
Tourists pose before the reconstruction of the Odesa Opera House, which continued into the early 1960s
The real problem was geological: the theatre was built atop soft, clay-rich soil — a former ravine that had been filled in. Every time it rained, water seeped into concealed gutter systems, ran through sewers, and into the ground beneath — further destabilizing those clay layers. As a result, the outside walls slowly lowered; at one point, they stood 30 centimetres (about 1 foot) lower than the innermost walls. A 300‑ton wall near the stage was judged to be in imminent danger of collapse.
Engineers warned that saving the opera house would require drastic measures: drilling 1,800 holes 15.2 metres (50 ft) deep into stable rock, then filling them with concrete to create pilings that would bear the weight. The foundation would also need to be widened. Meanwhile, the roof, plumbing, wiring, interior walls and heavy firewalls needed complete replacement. Upper floors had to be strapped with metal bands so inner and outer walls would stay together.
Silent Decades and Post‑Soviet Struggle
During the Soviet period and for some years after, the theatre's fate was uncertain. Although a "restoration" in 1966–67 refreshed its appearance, the structural rot continued silently. By the 1990s, after the fall of the USSR, the building's condition was judged catastrophic.
In 1996 the government formally approved a major "capital repair." The plan was ambitious: foundation reinforcement, roof and façade renovation, interior restoration — all necessary to safeguard Europe's historic jewel. But financial instability and political indecision delayed the project. Initial estimates set a four‑year timeline; instead, the work stretched over a decade.
Reports from 2005 show that restoration had stalled: funding dried up, and about 1,000 builders and theatre staff were given extended leaves. At the time, some 1,200 of the 1,800 required foundational piles had already been driven — but a third of the theatre remained unsupported, and settlement continued. The risk of collapse was real.
General view of the theatre after completion of the façade restoration, 2004.
The Restoration: Saving the "Grande Dame" of Odesa
Work finally resumed in earnest in the early 2000s, with renewed focus on structural integrity. The foundation was reinforced with 1,800 piles hammered down 14–18 metres deep into stable ground — the keystone of the project. The roof was replaced, the facade restored, interiors meticulously refurbished — gilded stucco, classical finishes — and all technical systems (electricity, plumbing, fire protection) brought up to modern standards.
On 22 September, 2007, the building celebrated its 120th anniversary. To mark this significant date, the National Bank issued commemorative coins, and the Ukrainian Post issued specially canceled envelopes dedicated to the anniversary — formally reopened — reborn, as if from a near‑death. In the same act, by decree of the government, it was elevated to the status of "National Theatre."
The fully restored ceiling is simply breathtaking (Photo by Nataliia Benet)
A New Era — and a Monument Saved
Today, the Odesa Opera stands renewed and proud. The hall now seats about 1,636 people. Its golden stucco, elegant Rococo‑style auditorium and famed acoustics remain intact. The ghosts of cracking walls, sinking foundations and hidden water damage are gone — replaced with decades of renewed performances and cultural life.
What was once a tragically sinking monument to music and architecture survived the indifference and neglect of decades — only to rise again thanks to determined engineers, devoted artists and a city unwilling to let its great lady collapse.
Visiting the Odesa Opera today is more than attending a show: it's witnessing the triumph of care over decay, of heritage over neglect — a reminder that even the grandest buildings need love, attention, and the will to save them.
The Odesa Opera House awaits you! (Photo by Nataliia Benet)
