In the center of Odesa, utility workers accidentally dug into a historic arch

Utility workers excavated a part of Deribasovskaya Street in the center of Odesa during repairs and accidentally discovered part of an old underground structure.

This was reported by businessman Dmytro Kazavchynskyi.

"Judging by the photo, it's not about modern communications. You can see the characteristic arched masonry made of shell rock, a typical engineering solution of the late XIX - early XX century. Such constructions were used for underground galleries, collectors, wine cellars, or utility rooms in old buildings," he noted.

PHOTO: Dmytro Kazavchynsky/Facebook

According to the businessman, the arch may be:

• Part of an old basement or warehouse
• An element of a drainage or sewage system
• A fragment of the underground infrastructure of the historic center

"The key signal is the arch. This is not an accidental pit or a modern type of technical well, but a major engineering structure that was designed for decades. From the city's point of view, this is no longer just a repair, but a potential historical site. And it is important that the process does not follow the standard scenario of "fill it up and forget it," but that at least a basic expert review is involved," the businessman emphasized.

In his turn, Andrii Krasnozhon, rector of the South Ukrainian Pedagogical University named after Ushynskyi, who has repeatedly led excavations in the center of Odesa, told Intent that it is difficult to talk about the importance of a find, because first it must be accurately linked to the area.

In November 2025, a team from the South Ukrainian Pedagogical University named after Ushynsky began regular GPR surveys of the Khadzhibey Castle on Prymorskyi Boulevard in Odesa. In October of that year, they completed the restoration of the pavement at the excavation site in the center of Odesa near the Richelieu monument, where archaeologists found the remains of the wall in the summer of 2025.

Meanwhile, Andrii Krasnazhon expressed doubts that the fortress was built by the Ottomans, because in 1573 the empire sent a representative to Khadjibey to oversee the restoration of the fortress. That is, there was already a fortress here that had fallen into disrepair. In his opinion, Khadjibey could have been built by the Genoese, who actively traded with the Juchi Ulus, better known in national historiography as the Golden Horde. The Genoese built fortresses in the Black Sea and Crimea for trade. This theory is indirectly confirmed by the findings of ceramics from the first half of the 14th century.

At the end of July 2025, archaeologists conducting excavations on Prymorskyi Boulevard in the center of Odesa compared their findings with archival documents and concluded that they had identified the location of the Khadzhybey Castle.

Кирило Бойко