Odessa Catacombs. Sight of Odessa Ukraine

There is a huge system of catacombs in Odessa Ukraine. The Odessa catacombs are mostly well known in the world not only by the artful design of labyrinths, but also by size, which reaches 3000 kilometers. For comparison: The length of the Roman catacombs is 300 meters, catacombs of Paris - 500 kilometers. Even the approximate topography of the Odessa underground labyrinth is unknown.

Odessa is the most beautiful southern city, which is constructed on the abrupt sea coast combined at the basis 12-16-meter by thickness sandstone. In this sandstone catacombs are developed.

Let’s come in the far geological past of Northern Black Sea coast to understand how sandstone appeared. Thousand years ago the territory of modern Odessa was a sea-bottom. To the sea, sea adjournment it is obliged by the formation and stone of pale yellow color widely known in the south - a shell rock. Strong, easy, not demanding greater efforts at processing, it is long since used in construction. All old Odessa was constructed of a shell rock. And even now builders use stones, made of shell rock. Odessa builders took a shell rock from the catacombs to build the city. The result of it is appearance for huge underground labyrinth.

Odessa catacombs are artificial underground emptiness. We shall add, that they happen a double origin. One of them represent former stone quarries, others - courses from cellars of houses (in Odessa such courses named mines more often). Usually mines have been directed for limits of buildings and, passing under streets, the areas, quite often incorporated to the general labyrinth of catacombs.

The history of Odessa catacombs begins approximately from 1830. Fast development of Odessa required a cheap and accessible building material. Extraction of stone began to be carried by a mine method by means of the saws, originally delivered from England. By 1860 existence under city of tunnels made a problem for city: it was ideal place for criminals and ideal place to hide smuggle. Robbers created stocks there.

During the Second World war mines were the place where partisans and deserters were hidden. Thousand people had been living for months under the ground, adapting mines under accommodation.

Full plans of catacombs are not presented. Temperature under the ground the year round is +14 C. The maximum depth in investigated part of catacombs reaches 100 meters. Catacombs are still not investigated. It’s impossible to live in these labyrinths. The person left there without light, is doomed to destruction. Today catacombs continue to serve Odessa. They are used as warehouses, mushrooms farmers, manufacturing of alcohol etc.

dp odessa apartments provides our customers with excursion to odessa catacombs and offer extra services.

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