Even if you «move» the sea away from Odessa, tourists will still come to this city. As in Paris, Dresden or Madrid. South Palmyra is famous all over the world for its architecture, and its historical center, the ensemble of Primorsky Boulevard, Potemkin Stairs and the square with Duke de Richelieu, the founding father of the city, is included in the preliminary UNESCO list.
It is curious that one of Odessa’s sights has never stood in line for recognition of its uniqueness, but has already «taken» its prize. It’s the Catherine Hotel, which has the longest balcony in Europe. Look for it at the junction of Ekaterininskaya and Grecheskaya Streets at number 25.
This house was commissioned by Mr. Mavrokorodato, a descendant of the Fanariot princely family. The first Mr. Mavrokorodato was a merchant who moved from the island of Chios to Constantinople. His sons had excellent careers. One became a prince and the Sultan’s envoy in Vienna, the other — the gentleman of Moldavia and Wallachia. The descendants of the latter, unable to cope with Moldavia, fled to Russia.
Catherine II secured a princely title for the Greeks and encouraged them to develop trade in the Black Sea region, granting them her patronage and preferential treatment in commerce.
The princely coat of arms and solid financial base obliged the descendants of the Greek merchant Marokorodato to make only spectacular and exceptionally profitable projects. So the idea about construction of profitable houses has appeared. The architect Y.M. Dmitrenko, who had a reputation of a building aesthete, was invited for the work and plots were bought from H. Mendelevich in a favorable location. First, house No. 21 was built, and then our house No. 25, famous for its balcony.
But even without its famous balcony, the Mavrokorodato house deserves the attention of tourists. It is a snow-white four-storey building, which became the first representative of eclectic style in Odessa. The first and second floor are typical neoclassical, decorated with Doric order columns and small balconies imitating a row of trippifs. The third and fourth floors are the author’s mixture of all architectural styles common in medieval Europe.
The thoughtful viewer will see Gothic apse, Romanesque rosettes, and Moorish motifs in the ajour of the balcony. The balcony divides the second and third floors and stretches along the entire facade of the Mavrocorodato house. That is, if you go out on the balcony above Ekaterinskaya Street, you can easily move to Grecheskaya Street, which is what the first tenants of the house used.
Odessa intelligentsia were the first to move in here. For example, venereologist Goldberg and dentist Isaac Margolin, ophthalmologist Rabinovich and assistant juror Zusman. The first floor housed Luther’s furniture store and Gichman’s kerosene store. The company was supplemented by the New York Insurance Company, Mark Citron’s bookstore, and the Strauss & Co. trading house selling down and feathers. Over time, the owners changed, but their composition always attracted literary writers writing about Odessa.
By the way, coming to holiday in Odessa, you will immediately recognize this house. It «shone in almost all the movies made about the South Palmyra. To visit the Black Sea region and not to see the house of Mavrokorodato, it is the same as leaving Paris without a photo against the Eiffel Tower.