Odessa city hall building
Trade estate of Odessa sought the organization of the exchange for many times. The so-called exchange meetings have begun to be held every day in the House Dauphine since 30 October 1796. Later meeting «moved» on the Richelieu Street in the house of Baron Reno. The most prestigious professions on the stock exchange were the positions of public notaries and brokers, who received more than 1% of the deal made with their help. A new profession of so-called “lepetushnik” appeared. Lepetushnik was a small broker, who was agreed to perform the variety of tasks for pittance.
In 1834 architect Franz Boffo created the building of a commodity exchange at Nicholas Boulevard. The architect was inspired by the composition of the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoye Selo. Since that time the square of the exchange is called the Exchange squire.
The new building of the merchant stock exchange in Odessa was built in 1899 on a corner of the current Pushkin and Police streets, and now there is the Odessa regional Philharmonic. The project of merchant stock exchange was created by the famous architect Bernardazzi.
As for the old stock exchange, the facade was at that days decorated with two rows of columns with the open yard behind them. The building was reconstructed in 1871-1873 years to expand the space for stock exchange transactions. Instead of the second row of columns there was built a wall with the main entrance, and the courtyard ceased in the White hall. On the site of the outer wall of the building was built of Pink hall. The facade of the new building was decorated with sculptures and moldings.
The building has passed its reconstruction and restoration in 1946-1949 years. Now it has more rooms, and the living layout is completely different. The Pink hall is the most interesting lace here in architectural sense, and it has also been restored, and the White hall has been fully reconstructed as well. The overall composition of the main facade complements the sculpture of Mercury the God of trade and Ceres the goddess of agriculture, as well as sculptural group with the clock. Twelve columns adorn the main facade of the building. The walls are crowned with developed cornice, which ends with a parapet.
The building of Odessa city hall, which played the role of the old stock exchange at one time, now is one of the best examples of classical architecture in Ukraine.
