Mountain districts of Odessa not to brag. There are three high hills, which are located in the region, but those, unfortunately, knows not everyone. But whatever it was, their unusual history, shrouded in ancient mysteries, attracts the attention of archaeologists, locals and visitors alike.
The mix of fantasy, legend, speculation and fact hovers over Ivanovoy mountain. Some think this hill is an enchanted place, giving the favourites the ability of clairvoyance, others speak of it as the place where once were mystical rites. First, however, it is a monument of archeology, which is interesting to visit.
The mountain is located in the North of Odessa, near the village of Bolshevik. This forty-meter earthen embankment with a height which offers wonderful landscapes: on the one hand pour, then the Odessa Liman, a little turn there already Kuyalnik and Khadzhibey estuaries. Especially like the area for those who like walks by the nature, because the view really is something.
Back to the beginning
Namely, in V-IV century BC. In the old days on this plateau lies one of the largest Greek settlements of the Northern black sea, which worshipped the goddess of fertility and agriculture Demeter. Here was her sanctuary, where the early settlers were made of the mysteries (the sacred number of large actions devoted to deities).
The settlers chose a good location and, due to the fact that here was the Bay, was able to establish trade routes to the ports of the Crimea, the Mediterranean and Northern black sea region, or rather of the ancient city of Olbia, which by those standards was one of the largest in ancient Greece.
Until 1789, the mountain was called Dovga Grave. Two decades after the storming of the fortress hadzhibey by Russian troops, the mountain was renamed in honour of the then owner of the land General Javakhishvili (Prince Ivan Zhevakhov). Of course, the details vary, so there is another assumption saying that the area was named in honor of Princess Ekaterina Yeahboy, which could be a relative of the General.
To the mountain looked at the end of the XVIII century, but only in the mid-1820s local archaeologists were able to discover valuable for the history of the artifacts. Opened this place was one of the founders of the Odessa archeology I. A. Stemkovskyy. Then the whole area of the mountains was covered by the Greek ceramics that pushed the scientist to the idea of the ancient settlement.
The place was forgotten for a while, and work on the search for antiquities was resumed only after almost eighty years. So, in 1902, was torn down a huge mound and found dozens of holes, intended for the worship of fertility, agriculture and the worship of the dead. The sacred vessels thrown into the pit, was broken. The belief of the ancient Greeks, amphorae needs to be "killed" to appease the ruler of the Kingdom of the dead Demeter and not to cause her anger.
Here was made a key discovery. On the bottom of a huge pit complex was discovered the omphalos – the mound of a mixture of ash and clay rocks. The omphalos of the ancient Greeks symbolized the center of the universe. The word "omphalos" is literally translated as "navel of the Earth". According to historians, the mysteries were made on Yeahboi grief, as indicated by the dozens of ancient complexes, hundreds of amphorae, vessels for rituals and sacrifices.
Not without a UFO. Local repeatedly said that on this hill I noticed the alien aircraft. Well, ufologists Zhevakhov mountain like it even more. After all, in the depths of the representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations, once visited hadzhibey, decided to bury the remains of the mound with a lighthouse to ever be at leisure, deciding to come to Earth, not to get lost and to get it to the Odessa Bay, offering beautiful landscapes.
The mountain became notorious throughout the district. 2 500 years ago this place was considered a mystic, and a bad reputation it came to our days. It is associated with many dark events that simultaneously attracts and repels people. But we can say one thing: she's really beautiful terrible, and it is no exaggeration what-so mysterious.
The auth or of the article @vpodessa