Culture of Odesa

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The culture of Odesa is a unique blend of Russian, Yiddish, and Ukrainian cultures, and Odesa itself has played a notable role in Russian and Yiddish folklore. [1]

Contents

Dialects

The Russian language as spoken in Odesa is influenced by Yiddish and Ukrainian in grammar, vocabulary, and phraseology. As a result, many phrases sound inherently and uniquely humorous to Russian speakers and constitute a staple of Odesa humour. Also, the Odesa dialect of Yiddish has plenty of Russianisms. [1]

Cultural image of Odesa

To a significant extent the image of Odesa in Russophone culture is influenced by The Odessa Tales of Isaac Babel. Odesa is often referred to by the collocation "Odesa Mama" (Mom Odesa), a term that originated in Russian criminal ( blatnoy ) subculture. [1] The reputation of the city as a criminal center originated in Imperial Russian times and the early Soviet era, and is similar to the reputation of Al Capone era Chicago. [2]

Odesa humor

Odesa humor is a notable part of both Jewish humor and Russian humor. [3]

Since 1972 Odesa has been hosting the annual festival of humor, Humorina. For this and other reasons Odesa was known as the "capital of humor" in the Soviet Union. [4]

Memorable places

Many places in Odesa are memorable not only for their intrinsic cultural value, but also for their place in Odesa folklore.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Robert A. Rothstein, "How It Was Sung in Odessa: At the Intersection of Russian and Yiddish Folk Culture", Slavic Review, vol. 60, no. 4 (2001), pp. 781-801 doi : 10.2307/2697495
  2. Roshanna P. Sylvester, " Tales of Old Odessa: Crime and Civility in a City of Thieves" (2005) ISBN   0-87580-346-6
  3. Humor in Odesa: Traditions and Modern Times
  4. Малая энциклопедия городов. 2001. ISBN   9789666700059.

Further reading