Журнал Viche 2012 №17

№17, 2012

Why Navy museum was turned into “Titanic”

This year Odessa navy museum celebrates 72-nd birthday. Till the present day it has been considered that the most difficult challenge for this museum was the Nazi occupation, during which most of the prewar exhibits were stolen and taken out from Odessa. However, the period of the contemporary history turned out not less dangerous: today more than 100 000 exhibits have faced with the threat of destruction. It is all because of bureaucratic indifference and certain private interest...

Without exaggeration it can be said that during the Soviet times this museum had no equal among marine “sworn brothers” throughout the whole territory of the former Soviet Union. Besides numerous documents, photographs and models of ships, here you can see even the sea anchor, which is more than 900 years old. The building itself is located in the 6, Lanzheronivska Str., and is considered an architectural monument of the national importance. It is a so-called “English Club” (the architect Torricelli, 1842).

Valentyn KOVALSKIY