Director of the Odesa Archaeological Museum Spoke about the Jewish Heritage of the City

A meeting with the director of the Odesa Archaeological Museum, Ihor Pistruil, was held in Odesa to discuss the history and current activities of the institution.

Natalia Dovbysh, a journalist from the socio-political publication Intent, captured the event in photographs, showing the audience and the atmosphere of the event.

The museum, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2025, is one of the oldest in Ukraine and the only one specializing exclusively in archaeology.

During the meeting, the attendees heard about the first archaeologists, unique finds, military evacuations, and the development of the museum along with the city. They also discussed the connection between the Odesa Archaeological Museum and the Jewish history of the city.

The museum's anniversary was celebrated with a number of events: immersive evening tours in the atmosphere of the nineteenth century, the presentation of a commemorative postage stamp together with Ukrposhta, an international scientific conference, and active work on 3D models of exhibits for digital access. Despite the full-scale war, the museum continues to digitize and preserve its cultural fund, moving valuable collections, including ancient Egyptian artifacts, gold, and mummies, to safe places.

The Odesa Archaeological Museum was founded in August 1825 to collect and preserve the antiquities of the Northern Black Sea region, and it quickly became a powerful research center that brought together collectors and leading researchers.

In 1839, the Odesa Society of History and Antiquities was established on the basis of the museum, under whose care the institution was for decades. The museum received its own building in 1883. Located in the center of Odesa near the Opera House, Deribasivska and Prymorskyi Boulevards, the building was constructed at the expense of philanthropist Hryhorii Marazli and designed by architect F. Gonsirovskyi.

In addition to the monuments of the Northwestern Black Sea region - Tira, Koshar, Zmeinyi Island, Lighthouses, and others - the museum houses collections of ancient objects from Egypt, Greece, Italy, and Cyprus. According to the Odesa Archaeological Museum, its collections include more than 170,000 exhibits.

Анна Бальчінос