Criminal Odesa Tour

Meet your guide at the reception of your hotel and get ready to the acquaintance with the dark past of Odessa. The criminal history of Odessa begins with the foundation of the city. After Russian troops and Ukrainian Cossacks had seized the Turkish fortress of Hadjibay, it was decided to build a city and a port here. Therefore, Odessa was soon swarmed with shadowy figures with doubtful past and even present.

During this tour, you will visit the customs office, the Shevchenko Park (where the fortress wall is still visible) and the quarantine haven, “Chumka”, the famous Moldavanka block and Myasoedovskaya Street.

Moldavanka was the street where the well-known chief of Odessa mafia, Mishka Yaponchik was born. All who read “Odessa Tales” by Isaac Babel know him under the name of Benya Krik. The higher robbery academy was active here in Moldavanka, which was training “staff” not only for the Russian Empire, but also for export abroad.

Odessa was the arena of legendary robbers, thieves and swindlers, such as Sonka the Golden Hand, the insuperable pick-pocket, or Leva Zadov, the chief of Makhno intelligence, or Nyuma Kotov and many other personalities.

Following the tracks of famous gangsters, you will get a complete picture of the criminal life of Odessa in the XIX-XX century. Your guide will tell you many interesting facts that will amuse and astonish you at the same time! Be sure to take this fascinating tour during your stay in Odessa. Travet to odessa and visit other interesting places