Catacombs of Odessa

Odessa catacombs - perhaps one of the most mysterious places of the Ukrainian city. This is a ramified network of tunnels and labyrinths under the city, which were formed after work on the extraction of stone. Although the researchers claim that some catacombs - huge interconnected cavities - may be much older than Odessa itself.
The Odessa catacombs in many respects surpass their European counterparts. Their length reaches almost three thousand kilometers. For comparison: the Roman stretched only 300 kilometers, the Paris ones - by 500.

The first manmade labyrinth dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The exact date is very difficult to establish - in those days there were slums where the inhabitants of the city were hiding from the plague epidemic. During the Great Patriotic War, partisans hid in the catacombs. However, for them, who did not know the peculiarities of the labyrinths, catacombs often became traps. Many detachments stayed here forever, and could not find a way out.

But this story is a big exception to the rules. In darkness and dampness, the perception of space and time is sharply disturbed. Here you can easily go insane, and did not wait for salvation. Rescue operations in the catacombs are held a couple of times a year and, thank God, always end successfully.

But these dangers still do not stop the inquisitive romantics, who are attracted by the atmosphere of mystery, mysticism and magic. Catacombs are filled with legends of ghosts, restless souls, wandering in the darkness figures of people who can not find a way out. These stories excite the imagination and attract tourists.

For Odessa catacombs are very useful - there are cellars for storing cognac, warehouses, points of contact. Studies of tunnels are continuing. They say that Odessa has two stories - on the ground and underground. And the second is sometimes much more interesting and mysterious than the first.