Visiting Odessa is going to be an experience that lasts for longer. The administrative center of the Odessa Oblast province, Odessa is a principal port on the Black Sea. Because of its location and willingness to accept people of different backgrounds, Odessa is described as a city with spirit of freedom and ironic humor. The writer Isaac Babel was born in Odessa, which also is the home of several renowned musicians, including the violinists Nathan Milstein, Mischa Elman, and the pianists Benno Moiseiwitsch, Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels.
The city also beckons tourists with many places of interest. The Tolstoy, Vorontsov, and Potocki families owned palaces in Odessa are an architectural marvel. Other key places of interest include: the monument to Duke De Richelieu, the builder of the city; a monument in honor of Alexandr Pushkin, a well-known poet; and monuments to WWII soldiers. The Museum of Eastern and Western Art showcases an eclectic collection of artwork by well-known artists.