Church of St. Martyrs Adrian and Natalia, Odessa

The church dedicated to Saints Adrian and Natalia stands quietly on French Boulevard (Frantsuz’kyi Bulvar), an avenue that, among the city’s avenues, feels both stately and accessible. The building dates to 1899, a period when Odessa’s civic and religious architecture was flourishing. Its design is often described as evoking the Byzantine style, adapted in brick and modest scale, which gives it a character distinct from some of Odessa’s larger cathedral-churches.

On arriving at the church, you will note its reddish-brick façade, rounded arches, and a roofline that keeps proportions measured rather than oversized. The interior follows suit with an atmosphere of calm and light rather than grand spectacle: simple columns, modest adornments, and an iconostasis that anchors the eastern wall. Over time, the building has taken on local heritage status: in 1987, it was officially recognised as an architectural monument of local importance.

The choice of Saints Adrian and Natalia is itself worthy of a moment of reflection. These early Christian martyrs—Adrian, a Roman guard, and his wife Natalia—lived and died around the year 306 in Nicomedia (in what is now Turkey). Their story, of change in faith and of mutual devotion, resonated in Orthodox Christian contexts and offers a subtle link between this church and centuries of Christian memory.

Today, the church sits in a part of Odessa where tram-lines rattle past and sea breezes find their way inland, giving it a neighbourhood rhythm that combines everyday city life with sacred space. Visitors often comment on its serene ambiance — a pause in the city that invites a few moments of quiet rather than a formal tour.