Sept. 27, 2025, 12:58 p.m.
(PHOTO COLLAGE: Intent)
The Odesa City Council has planned to restore six architectural monuments in the city, one of which will be transformed into a UNESCO Heritage Management Center, which will become a coordination and resource center for preserving the city's cultural heritage.
This was reported by the Odesa City Hall during a visit to the city by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Carlo Formosa.
In particular, it concerns the buildings of the Odesa National Art Museum, Odesa Philharmonic, Odesa Literary Museum, the Wedding Palace, and the Zontag House. The Center will be located in the latter building. The money for this restoration is planned to be taken from the Italians, with whom a grant agreement was signed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome. This agreement stipulates that the Italian government will provide Ukraine with 32.5 million euros in non-refundable aid.
Zontag's house, located on Primorsky Boulevard, was built in 1826-1827 by architect Giovanni Frapolli. The house belonged to the captain of the Odesa port, a native of Philadelphia, George Zontag. It was rebuilt in 1850 by engineer Horzewski. The simple facade is decorated with two large balconies with openwork fencing. It is an architectural monument of national importance.
A working group with experts from the Roman Superintendency was also set up in Odesa. In addition, the Italian delegation arrived in Odesa to congratulate the winners of the First International Opera Singing Competition RECITAR CANTANDO ("To Act with Singing"), which was supported by the Embassy of Italy in Ukraine. The gala concert took place on September 27 at the Odesa National Opera House.
In July, the governments of Ukraine and Italy signed a grant agreement in Rome to implement the program "Restoration and Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of the Odesa Region".
Earlier, Italy promised to finance three large-scale projects in the Odesa region totaling more than 63 million euros. These are restoration projects related to cultural heritage, healthcare, and agricultural infrastructure.
The first agreement provided a grant of €27.5 million for the restoration of architectural monuments in Odesa. The funds will be used to restore the Odesa Philharmonic (the former New Exchange building), the Potocki Palace, the Abaza Palace (which now houses the Museum of Western and Eastern Art), and the Literary Museum. The project is aimed not only at preserving cultural heritage but also at creating modern public spaces that will promote tourism.
Кирило Бойко