The smallest and the most beautiful square in Odessa, where is always a lot of interesting things are going on. Meeting of the New Year, for example, or opening of Humorina, or just some revolts – because the members of the city council are sitting there, and the mayor’s office is located here too.
During it’s history Dumskaya square was the Exhange, and also Commune square. It named Exchange because the building of City Ciuncil was built in 1834 for the merchant Exchange. The architect Franz Boffo designed it in the antique style in the form of an elongated letter “P”; the two wings of the building are connected by a double colonnade, and behind it was the patio. During the later permutation courtyard he became lobby, leaving only the outer row of columns.
Above the columns located a clock and a group of sculptures named “Night and Day.” Two female figures symbolize the inexorable passage of time. Watches losing melody, an official anthem of the city, “Songs about Odessa” from the operetta “White Acacia” written by composer Dunaevskiy. The short piece can be heard every half hour and every hour there is a verse: “And in my heart, you’re with me everywhere, Odessa – my native city!”In the niches on the left and right sides of the entrance are sculptures of Ceres (goddess of fertility) and Mercury (the patron of trade) made by sculptor Luigi Iorini. It’s usual ironic joke in Odessa that the patron of commerce is installed on the building, where the city power located. City Council moved to the building at the end of the XIX century, when it was build the new stick exchange at the corner of Pushkinskaya and Bunina streets. However, now there is also not market – there is located a Philharmonic concert hall.
Pushkinskaya street begins close to the City Hall, and even in front of the building stands the bust of Pushkin himself, turned away from City Hall and looking at the boulevard. The monument was inaugurated in 1889, the funds for its construction were collected by all the residents of Odessa, rich merchants and people of modest income. The great poet, who lived in Odessa, 13 months, left a good memory and enjoyed popular love. The memory of Pushkin’s Odessa ever stayed in “Eugeniy Onegin”: “I lived in Odessa dusty city …”At the front side of the monument written: “Citizens of Odessa to Alexander Pushkin”, and in the back “was built in 1888”. On the four sides of the pedestal jets of water flow from the fabulous fish and fall into the cup. Next to the monument can be seen “Pushkin sycamore.”
Another one attraction of the square – it’s the gun turned towards the sea. By the way, it fired the city. In 1854 when Russian Empire was involved in the Crimean War, Odessa was shelled the Anglo-French squadron. The nuclei whizzing around the city center, flew in the Vorontsov Palace, and one got crazy at the core of the monument to Duke (also, incidentally, a Frenchman). The core which offended Duke can be seen in the pedestal of the monument, it is left there for storage. Odessa citizens managed to repulse the attack, especially excelled in this battery of a young Ensign Shchegolev. One of the British frigate “Tiger” after a month ran aground near Arcadia, and was sunk.Cannon Trophy “Tiger” appeared on the Dumskaya square only 50 years after those events. Recently, after the restoration, the gun fired again – but not the cores, pyrotechnics already. By the way, once there in Odessa was another trophy cannon shot from which to notify the occurrence of the afternoon; however, it was not English, and Turkish, and stood beside the Duke.
Commune Square current Dumskaya began during the Soviet era, since 1920, and there was the Soviets council at the building. Since 1994 the square became Dumskaya again.During the last years Dumskaya square served as the dance school for those who wished, also there were cinema-translations during international festivals, meetings on topical issues to Odessa and the memorial of the Great Patriotic War. The square continues to play an important social role, but getting to it first of all comes to mind is the role of the aesthetic.
The ensemble of the square, the building of a City Council, a monument to Pushkin and Boulevard by itself – are one of the main beauties of South Palmyra. Impression especially reinforces during the melody times – “Odessa, my native city!”
