Odessa catacombs tour
Book your excursion by phone: +380964425437 (Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp).
We invite you to visit one of the world’s unique attractions – Odessa catacombs on Moldavanka. In helmets and with flashlights, you will go to the dungeon, going down to the depth of an 8-storey building. You will see an anti-nuclear bunker, underground lakes, bones of ancient animals and other finds of cavers. You will hear stories about the foundation of quarries, the slave trade, smugglers, as well as the partisan movement during the Second World War. To visit the museum you must have a jacket / windbreaker and comfortable shoes. The temperature in the caves is + 15C. You can order individual excursions. Duration – 2-2,5 hours.
OTHER ODESSA CATACOMBS for visiting:
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- The Kantakuzen Catacomb Museum
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- Caves and labyrinths
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- Wild catacombs
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- Museum of Partisan Glory
The Kantakuzen Catacomb Museum – is opened in the Quarantine Beam Quarry (Karantynna Balka). This is the oldest quarry in Odessa (1811-1814). It is located on the right slope of the Quarantine Beam Quarry and is a monument of national importance. The length of the quarry is 120 m, and its depth reaches up to 15 m. The museum’s expositions will tell about the mining and furnace business, about brick production, about the first buildings in Odessa and about the history of the Kantakuzen catacomb. All exhibits are unique. The age of some surviving objects is 200 years. You can order excursion individually by appointment. Duration: 30 minutes.
Caves and labyrinths – a branch of the museum “Catacombs of Moldavanka”. The tour passes through the underground corridors of the bunker, built back in the 1930s. You will pass through the labyrinths with many passages, where you will see a karst cave above human height, as well as preserved locations equipped for military premises. In addition, you will learn how to navigate the terrain and participate in archaeological excavations. Camping clothes and comfortable shoes are a must. Children under 10-12 are not allowed! It is possible to conduct individual excursions (by appointment). Duration: 2,5-3 hours.
Wild catacombs – a long-distance route through the underground labyrinths of quarries located on Moldavanka. This tour will be interesting for fans of light extreme sports. Having descended to a depth of 20m, first we will go through the museum, where we will see the main expositions, from the birth of the catacombs to the partisan movement. After, we will get into the depths of the dungeons of Odessa, going beyond the usual excursions. Here you will see a bunker for 5 thousand people, a diesel engine, a real partisan parking lot, and other interesting objects. The tour is conducted individually (by appointment). Children under 14 are not allowed! Comfortable clothing and sports shoes are a must. Duration: 3,5-4 hours.
Museum of Partisan Glory – operates since 1969 in the catacombs located in the village of Nerubayskoe (14 km from Odessa). This is a memorial complex dedicated to the partisan movement. During the Second World War, the Nerubayskoe catacombs served as a location of the Molodtsov detachment of 70 soldiers walled up here by Romanian soldiers. Today, among the exhibits in the museum you can see personal belongings of the partisans, wartime household items, staff equipment, weapons, documents and photographs. The museum is open daily; Monday is a day off.
Meditation. At the end of the route you will have an opportunity to feel the spirit of the underworld … in complete silence and darkness … For a few minutes you will plunge into the world of darkness. Guides say that during such sessions, tourists see human shadows. Do not worry, hallucinations in a dark enclosed space are quite possible.
Cave drawings. In the catacombs on the walls you can find different notes, numbers and inscriptions with dates. For example, there are dates of the turn of the XIX-XX and even XXI centuries, most likely left by tourists. Drawings of warships attract special attention. However, they are painted in our time by one of the guides. Among them you will see the Titanic, whereof history is connected with Odessa. You will learn about this during the tour.
The bones of ancient animals. During research work by local cavers, bones were found in one of the karst quarry. Scientists have studied the findings. Despite the relatively young age of Odessa quarries, it turned out that these are the remains of ancient animals, which are 4 thousand years old (!). During the tour you will personally see the bones of the saber-toothed tiger, mammoth and camel.
Bomb shelter. Having descended to a depth of more than 20m, you will find yourself in that part of the catacombs where in Soviet times during the Cold War an anti-nuclear bunker was equipped with all communications for 1,200 people. You can see the preserved checkpoint, rooms for a long stay, generator room, air supply system and other locations.
Partisan movement. The exposition is dedicated to the Second World War, when partisans were hiding in the catacombs to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations. Here you will see household items, photographs, weapons, helmets and a printing press. During the tour you will learn not only about the harsh life of Odessa partisans, but also hear the story of the detachment of V. Molodtsov, information about which has been kept secret for a long time.
Underground lakes. On one of the sections of the dungeon, where water flows and moisture collects, a small lake was formed. The water here is surprisingly clean and clear. If you look closely, you will see the livestock in it – these are small mollusks. In memory of visiting the catacombs, tourists throw coins into the lake.
Gangster Odessa. At the beginning of the XIX century, smuggling of goods began to flourish in the city. Smugglers often used catacombs to store their goods. At the same time, gangs began to appear on Moldavanka and then spread to the outskirts. Well, the dungeons of old quarries served as the most secluded place. They were used to hide from the police, to smuggle the stolen goods, to serve as a gathering spot for the thieves, and even to take lessons of “pick-pocket” business.
Slave trade. In the XIX century. cases of human trafficking were known in Odessa. Merchants used to steal beautiful girls and then to sell them into harems. For some time the girls had to be kept in the catacombs until a Turkish ship arrived at the port.
The foundation of catacombs. The exposition is dedicated to the foundation of quarries. You will learn about the development of mining in Odessa, about the development of the city, about materials used for the construction of buildings and how entire labyrinths of underground passages were formed near Odessa. Among the exhibits you will see masons tools, in particular, old saws, which in the XIX century was used to cut out the shellfish.