Odessa Opera Theatre was founded in 1810, so it may be quite rightly considered the oldest theatre in the Ukraine. The audience space has a wonderful acoustics and such a beautiful rococo decoration that it amazes both the spectators and actors.
The first building of the Odessa Opera Theatre was destroyed during the fire in the middle of the 19 century and had to be restored. The theatre that you can see today was designed in the style of Viennese baroque by the architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner between 1884 and 1887. In the second half of the 19 century these architects also designed about 50 theatres in many countries of Europe, but the Odessa Opera Theatre is certainly one of the most beautiful ones.
The audience hall of the Odessa Opera Theatre is richly decorated by the moulding and gilding. There is a crystal chandelier surrounded by the plafonds with the scenes from the plays of Shakespeare on the ceiling: «Midsummer Night`s Dream», «The Winter`s Tale», «Hamlet» and «As You Like It».
The Odessa Opera Theatre is in the center of the Old Town. From it you can come to the Deribasovskaya Street. Near the theatre are the Museum of the Navy and the Archaeological Museum. A bit further, at the monument of Pushkin, the Primorsky Boulevard begins.
