Monument to the Unknown Sailor

Construction of the monument began in the monument in 1957.[1] The monument was erected on 9 May 1960 in honour of all Soviet sailors who died during the defence of the city in the Odesa Operation of the Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive. The memorial consists of a 21-meter high obelisk of red granite. At the foot of the obelisk burns an eternal flame, immortalizing the memory of sailors of the Soviet Navy.[2] In the alley are the graves of Heroes of the Soviet Union Mikhail Astashkin and Vitaliy Topolsky.[3]

Presidents of Ukraine such as Petro Poroshenko[4] have visited the memorial to honour the Liberation of Odesa. Navy delegations from countries like Italy[5] and Russia have also visited the memorial as well. An honour guard composed of local cadets stands guard at the memorial mainly on public holidays and on ceremonial occasions.[6] It has been in recent years been the focal point for nationalist and pro-Russian tensions, with a nationalist burning a Ribbon of Saint George at the monument in 2018[7] and in April 2019, a boy being found guilty of damaging the monument by breaking off a part of the bronze soldier.[8]

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  The memorial in May 2006
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  The eternal flame at the memorial in the night time
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  A closeup of the eternal flame
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  Male and female cadets bowing their heads in respect while guarding the monument
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  Victory Day celebrations at the monument in 2014

• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Kyiv)
• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Moscow)
• Memorial of Glory (Tiraspol)
• Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
• Unknown Sailor Monument