The idea of creating a zoo in Odessa came in 1889 when he was made a drawing and plan for the Police Menagerie street near the cliff, but to realize this plan failed. The next step is to create the zoo was taken in 1914- Created the project it was built in the Botanical Garden , approved by the City Council , but the outbreak of the 1st world , and then civil war prevented these plans. Only in 1922 , construction began in Odessa Zoo on the Promenade , near the lower garden Vorontsov Palace .The main merit in organizing the first zoo in Odessa, belongs to one of the leaders of society Yugoklimat Henry Vladimirovich Beizert . Despite the hard work . It's like a lack of funding, and virtually unusable area to satisfactorily accommodate the animals.City authorities decided to close the zoo .
In December 1927, was declared the All-Union competition to design a zoo in Odessa. Immediately , three projects have been adopted as the basis for building the future of the zoo. Construction of the Zoo on the Arcadia Road was begun in 1929City officials plan to put a part of the zoo in operation during the 1930 Society Yugoklimat has already collected a collection of animals for the future of the zoo. But this project was not implemented. About him like just keep the name of the adjacent streets - zoo . Despite all the difficulties , GV Beizert tirelessly continued to operate.In 1933, he entrusted management department of the 4th goszverintsa on Privoz . The institution itself belonged to the State Circus , who a few years are a menagerie of gorsadu , and then in Privoz .
At this time in Odessa to address the city's I- th dissolved Christian cemetery .In the late 30s in the former cemetery appeared Illich Park and Zoo. However, the only archival document confirming the opening of the zoo in a new place on the street. Novoschepnoy number 25 was the report of the zoo director G.Beizert on the executive committee of District Council Illichivsk workers March 16, 1945 , in which he wrote that Odessa Zoo was established in Illichivsk Park in 1937 , with no budget , and worked on self-financing .
In 1992, in accordance with the Act zoo received the status of protected area of national importance and became a part of nature reserve fund of Ukraine.
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