The foundation of Park named after T.H. Shevchenko is associated with the arrival of Emperor Alexander II in Odessa in 1875. Then the mayor G.G. Marazli asked permission to name the park Alexander — in honor of the crown prince, and the emperor not only approved this endeavor, but also personally planted an oak tree in it. In 1954 the park was renamed into the park named after T.H.Shevchenko. From the first days of its foundation and to this day this place is the main and the largest park of the city, the favorite park of the residents and an interesting attraction for guests of Odessa.
In the area of the park, overlooking the sea coast, there used to be a Turkish fortress Hajibey built in 1793, which after the conquest was renamed Odessa Fortress. Now the ruins of the fortress are one of the main attractions of the park, the best preserved is the «arcade wall» with a small tower, built by architect F.P. Devolan. Gunpowder was stored in this part of the fortress, and then in 1980-90 there was a museum of the history of the park.
Another interesting attraction of the park is the Langeron Arch. In the first half of the XIX century on the territory of the park there was a dacha of Countess Lanjeron, where famous personalities, the Odessa elite regularly gathered, the crown princes of Europe and Russia repeatedly visited there. Today only a majestic arch with six spans — the Langeron Arch — remains from the summer house built in the 1830s, it is decorated with stucco and has a family inscription.
The history of Shevchenko Park is also interesting because countesses Volkonskaya and Vyazemskaya, writers Dostoevsky, Zhukovsky, Ostrovsky, Gogol, Akhmatova, Chekhov, Jozef Kraszewski and Olimpiada Shishkina once liked to walk here.
This park has always been a center of recreation for guests and residents of the city, at the very beginning of the XIX century on the square, which was located next to the park.
The park has always been a center of recreation for guests and residents of the city, and at the very beginning of the 19th century the square, which was located next to the Khadjibey fortress, was the site of popular festivities on holidays, while the elitist Lanzheron evenings brought together socialites.
Walking in the central park named after T.H. Shevchenko in Odessa you can feel not only the awe of the magnificent landscapes, but also the unique atmosphere of this place, which has always attracted the most prominent personalities. When in the early XIX century there was an artillery battery here, A.S. Pushkin came here to visit his brother Levushka, who served in it, he loved to walk along the coast.
Three alleys of the park are considered to be the most picturesque: from Sabansky (central) gate past the big stadium of the city, from Lanzheron’s arch along the Alexander Column, erected next to the tree planted by the Emperor, and along the coast to Baryatinskiye gate. The park is located on a hill above the coast, here you can see a lot of beautiful plants, take a romantic walk in the shade of dense alleys, admire flower beds.
This park is the largest in Odessa, its length along the coastline is almost a kilometer, and towards the city — 700m. It is located within the limits of Marazlievskaya and Uspenskaya Streets, Lidersovsky Boulevard. It is from here that the first streetcar was launched in the city, and due to the fact that the high society of the city has always loved this place, the residential buildings near the park are characterized by a special elegance of architecture.
In the park you can also see such sights of Odessa as monument to the Unknown Sailor, Alexander II, Afghan warriors, T.G. Shevchenko and the memorial complex «Alley of Glory». The latter contains graves of the participants of the liberation of Odessa from fascist invaders.
From the park you can go to the sea coast to the beach, which bears the name of Countess Langeron and visit the dolphinarium «Nemo». And from the beach starts the Health Route leading all the way to Arcadia, where residents and guests of the city like to walk, rollerblade and ride bicycles.