Potemkin Stairs | Odesa

The Potemkin Stairs (also known as the Potemkin Steps) are one of the most iconic landmarks in Odesa, Ukraine. Often described as the formal entrance into the city from the sea, these grand stairs have become a powerful symbol of Odesa’s history, urban design, and cinematic legacy.

Historical Background

Construction:
Built between 1837 and 1841, the staircase was designed by Italian architect Francesco Boffo in collaboration with engineers Avraam I. Melnikov and Pot’e. It was commissioned to create a monumental entrance to the city from the port and to link the seafront with the central part of Odesa.

Original Name:
The staircase was initially called the Primorsky Stairs (Seaside Steps). The name "Potemkin" was adopted in 1955, commemorating the Battleship Potemkin uprising of 1905, a key event in Russian revolutionary history.

Architectural Features

Visual Illusion:
The steps are a famous example of optical perspective. Although the stairs appear longer and steeper when viewed from below, the illusion is carefully designed:

Top width: 12.5 meters

Bottom width: 21.7 meters

Length: 142 meters

Height: 27 meters

Number of steps: Originally 200, now 192 due to the port's expansion at the base

Material:
Originally made from greenish-gray sandstone imported from Trieste (modern-day Italy), the steps were later reconstructed with granite and iron railings.

Design Purpose:
When viewed from the bottom, only the steps are visible, enhancing the sense of vertical rise. When viewed from the top, only the landings are visible, making it appear flatter and broader.

Cultural Significance

Battleship Potemkin Film (1925):
The stairs became world-famous through Sergei Eisenstein’s silent film Battleship Potemkin, specifically the intense scene depicting civilians being massacred by tsarist troops on the steps. This cinematic sequence is one of the most celebrated and studied in film history.

Symbol of Resistance:
The stairs have become a symbol of social uprising and collective memory, thanks to their association with both real and dramatized historical events.

Tourist Landmark:
Today, the stairs are a major attraction for both domestic and international tourists, often visited alongside the nearby Odesa Port, Primorsky Boulevard, and the statue of Duke de Richelieu.

Location and Accessibility

Location:
The stairs connect Primorsky Boulevard at the top with Odesa’s seaport at the bottom. They are directly in front of the Duke de Richelieu monument, who was the city’s first governor.

Transport:
Visitors can walk down the stairs or use the nearby funicular railway, which runs parallel and provides an easy ride between the top and bottom of the slope.

Best Viewing Time:
Early morning or late afternoon offers the best lighting for photos, especially with the view of the Black Sea and the Odesa port below.

Why Visit?

Panoramic Views:
From the top, visitors enjoy expansive views of the Odesa harbor and the Black Sea.

Cinematic Legacy:
A must-see for film enthusiasts and students of early cinema history.

Architectural Ingenuity:
The use of optical illusion and symmetry makes this staircase one of the most interesting examples of 19th-century urban design.

The Potemkin Stairs are not just a functional passage or a cinematic icon—they represent the grandeur, ambition, and layered history of Odesa itself.