Museum of the Society of Friendship in Odessa. Greek history at the heart of the war.

The recent war in Ukraine brings into focus the discussion of the Greek inhabitants of the country who are facing destruction, migration and death. Now the city of Odessa is also under siege. Roadblocks and barricades have been set up in the streets in anticipation of the Russian attack.

Odessa is a place of particular importance for Greek history. In 1816, three Greek merchants, Emmanuel Xanthos, Nikolaos Skoufas and Athanasios Tsakalov, members of the numerous, prosperous and active Greek diaspora, founded the Society of Friends, which took on the role of preparing the Greek Revolution.

The city is home to the General Greek Consulate and the Greek Cultural Foundation, which, among other activities, maintains the Museum of the Society of Friends.The Museum has been housed since 1994 in a historic building at 18 Krasnij Pereulok Street in Odessa. It was the house of the merchant Gregory Marasli, who was the mayor of the city (1878 – 1895). In this building the Friends met and from here the first steps for Greek independence were taken.

Ελληνικό Ίδρυμα Πολιτισμού. Παράρτημα Οδησσού, Ουκρανία. Κτίριο Φιλικής Εταιρείας. The Hellenic Foundation for Culture. Branch of Odessa, Ukraine. The PhilikeEtaireia Museum.

Στην πόλη λειτουργεί το Γενικό Ελληνικό Προξενείο αλλά και το Ελληνικό Ίδρυμα Πολιτισμού, το οποίο, εκτός των άλλων δράσεων διατηρεί και το Μουσείο της Φιλικής Εταιρείας Το Μουσείο στεγάζεται από το 1994 σε ένα ιστορικό κτίριο στην οδό Κρέσνι Περεούλοκ (Krasnij Pereulok) αριθ. 18 στην Οδησσό. Ήταν το σπίτι του εμπόρου Γρηγορίου Μαρασλή ο οποίος μάλιστα διετέλεσε και δήμαρχος της πόλης (1878 – 1895). Σε αυτό το κτίριο συνεδρίασαν οι Φιλικοί και από εδώ έγιναν το πρώτα βήματα για την ελληνική ανεξαρτησία.

Η αποκατάσταση του κτιρίου και η μεταφορά του Μουσεία έγινα δυνατά χάρη στην αρωγή ελληνικών φορέων και ιδιωτών.

The restoration of the building and the relocation of the Museum was made possible thanks to the help of Greek institutions and private individuals.

The Museum hosts a rich scientific library and a number of valuable archives relating to the operation of the Society of Friends. Documents, letters, seals, engravings and original objects that highlight the most critical moments of our modern history.

Unfortunately, along with the rest of the city, the Museum of the Society of Friends is in danger. The Hellenic Foundation for Culture has appealed to the Russian forces to respect the Museum but unfortunately in war such sensitivities are rather far-fetched. Let’s hope that the Museum, along with the city that hosts it, will remain, standing and alive!