Deribasovskaya Street

Find out the most thrilling stories about the dark past of Odessa city! Fascinating criminal history of Odessa starts from the very day of its foundation. Being a new port city with tempting opportunities to get rich quickly, the city attracted many people with a dubious reputation. Walking through the streets that once were home for the famous gangsters, the criminal past of the 19th-20th centuries Odessa will surprise you with its scale and intensity.

T. Shevchenko Central Park of Culture and Recreation

Explore the most significant places of the criminal Odessa, including the famous Shevchenko Park, where one of the legendary fortress’ walls is still visible, and the customs’ office. Moreover, you will visit such intriguing crime-related places as Myasoedovskaya and Moldavanka Streets, the quarantine harbour and the famous “Chumka”. The Moldavanka district became popular because of Mishka Yaponchuk, the famous chief of Odessa mafia, who was born here. Moreover, the higher robbery academy, preparing “staff” for both the Russian Empire and campaigns abroad, was operating in Moldavanka. Odessa was a home for numerous legendary thieves, pickpockets and tricksters, including well-known Sonka the Golden Hand and others.