Potemkin Stairs - Odessa, Ukraine

Background info from Wiki for those who are interested.

 

The Potemkin Stairs is a giant stairway in Odessa, Ukraine. The stairs

are considered a formal entrance into the city from the direction of the

sea and are the best known symbol of Odessa.

 

The top step is 12.5 meters (41 ft) wide, and the lowest step is 21.7

meters (70.8 ft) wide. The staircase is 27 meters high, and extends for

142 meters, but it gives the illusion of greater length.

 

The stairs were designed to create an optical illusion. A person looking

down the stairs sees only the landings, and the steps are invisible, but

a person looking up sees only steps, and the landings are invisible. A

secondary illusion creates false perspective since the stairs are wider at

the bottom than at the top. Looking up the stairs makes them seem

longer than they are and looking down the stairs makes them seem not

so long.

 

On the day I took this photo, there was a four story stage for a rock

concert being constructed across the street from the base of the stairs.

The construction crew allowed me to go onto the elevated stage. Thus, I

was able to capture the landings and the stairs for the first three levels.

Wonderful photo of a very interesting construction. Makes my feet hurt just looking at it. Thanks for the history. All the best.