The Cats of Odessa
In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.
Terry Pratchett
Cats are worshipped, or at least revered, in the beautiful Black Sea city of Odessa in Ukraine.
Cats really are the embodiment of class and cool- they are entirely self-obsessed, utterly aloof and invariably gorgeous.
As we wandered through the cobblestone streets, market places and boulevards of Odessa, we came across a feline fiefdom which is fully endorsed, encouraged and indulged by Odessan humans.
The cats of Odessa were merely an observation by me- however on closer internet research discovered that the worship of cats is a conscious thing in Odessa, as chronicled by the tourist office who have published a walking guide of the cat monuments around the city.
Please forgive me for not editing the photos- the cats are my focus but the surrounds in Odessa are just so quirky I couldn’t resist soaking up the whole experience- from the clothes the vendors wore (and the ubiquitous bumbag to store the cash float) to the gently undulating/downright dangerous footpaths and paved walkways.
This majestic ginger presided over a rather eclectic array of wares; it looks like this lady cleared out her dressing table and dining buffet to sell on this warm morning. This is how the Starokonka Market in the Moldavanka district operates- streets of wares displayed on trestle tables with canopies, or simply displayed on a sheet or blanket on the ground.
This is perhaps my favourite memory of Odessa- the beautiful mural of the cat and then the serendipitous tabby in the corner foreground, nonchalantly having a toe bath. My friend Alex tells me the writing says ‘You are forever responsible for those you have tamed.’
I don’t want these cats to be tamed, I love that they can roam the city, and belong to everyone.
The cat on the left is called ‘Sofa’ and is outside the Cafe de Paris on Ekaterininskaya Square near the Potemkin Steps. On Bastille Day she apparantly wears a little beret and stripy top. I cannot vouch for this, but I can certainly believe it. The sculpture on the right is somewhere near the Opera House and probably on the way to an al fresco beer bar.
The Odessa Journal is an online periodical in English and has some really beautiful articles about the city’s culture and history as well as the zeitgeist. There is a researched article ‘Art project: Odessa cats’ which gives a more in-depth explanation of the special love Odessans have for free spirited felines.
Adam Jaromir
August 23, 2022 at 10:36 pmDear Jetlegjane,
as a German-Polish author of children’s books I’m currently working on a picture book about Ukrainian animal owners and their pets in times of war. After having seen your fotograph of the cat mural in Odessa I would like it to become somehow part of my book project. It is a 100 % non-profit project. All the revenues from this picture book are supposed to be donated to an organization helping homeless animals in the Ukraine. Either it will be Deutscher Tierschutzbund e. V. or it will be Four Paws International. It not decided yet. The book will exclusively contain drawings/illustrations made by Magda Wolna, a Polish illustrator. I just wanted to include your photograph as the only one exception. It would be very thankful if you were willing to participate in our book. I hope this project will be of interest to you.
Kindest regards, Adam Jaromir
P.S. You as the author of the photograph would be mentioned by name (in the acknowledgement section) and of course get a copy of the book. Here is my bio from the International Youth Literature Festival in Berlin:
https://literaturfestival.com/en/authors/adam-jaromir/
admin
August 27, 2022 at 9:30 amOf course you can! I support you. Good luck with your project. Best wishes.