Odesa Pre-trial Detention Centre

The history of the Odesa Pre-trial Detention Centre dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when the rapid development of Odesa as a major trade and port centre of the Russian Empire necessitated the creation of a separate prison for holding persons who were under investigation or had been convicted by courts.

In 1816, the Governor-General of Novorossiysk, Alexandre de Langeron, applied to the Ministry of Police with a justification for the necessity of building a special prison facility in Odesa. After prolonged coordination and the allocation of state funding, the construction of the first city prison began in 1824 and was completed in 1826. The first Odesa prison was located in the area of the modern Railway Station Square.

By the end of the 19th century, the old prison no longer met the needs of the city. Due to a significant excess of the projected capacity, the government decided to build a new prison complex. In 1891, the foundation of the new Odesa Prison Castle was laid on Lustdorf Road, designed by the renowned architect Antoni Tomishko. Construction was completed in 1894.

The new complex was considered one of the most modern penitentiary facilities in the Russian Empire. The central building was constructed in the shape of a cross with a surveillance tower in the centre, which adhered to the advanced principles of penitentiary architecture of the time. It housed a hospital, a church, workshops, utility rooms, exercise courtyards, and an advanced ventilation and heating system. In 1895, at the International Prison Congress in Paris, the Odesa Prison Castle was recognised as one of the best penitentiary facilities in the Russian Empire.

Throughout its history, the prison held many famous political figures, revolutionaries, participants in national liberation movements, and criminal offenders. At various times, participants in the revolutionary movement of the early 20th century, figures of the Ukrainian liberation movement, and the famous chieftain Hryhorii Kotovskyi were held here.

During the years of the First World War, the revolutionary events of 1917, the Civil War, and the Second World War, the institution continued to function, passing under the control of various state regimes. After the liberation of Odesa in 1944, a large-scale restoration and development of the complex began. An inter-regional hospital, production workshops, and new security blocks were created on the institution's territory. In the 1970s, a comprehensive reconstruction was carried out, and the engineering networks, cell fund, and utility facilities were modernised.

After Ukraine gained independence, the Odesa Pre-trial Detention Centre became part of the structure of the State Department of Ukraine for the Execution of Sentences, and subsequently, the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

Today, the State Institution “Odesa Pre-trial Detention Centre” is the largest pre-trial detention centre in the south of Ukraine and performs the functions of holding persons taken into custody, as well as specific categories of convicted persons in accordance with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation. The institution remains an important element of the state's justice and penitentiary system.

Over the years, the institution has been headed by I. I. Konvenskyi, I. A. Shaforuk, P. O. Pereleshyn, A. F. Poliakov, V. O. Hordovskyi, O. S. Hrabko, H. S. Kulahin, S. I. Batan, and other leaders.

Currently, the head of the institution is Serhiy Oleksiyovych NIKITIN.

Contact Information

State Institution “Odesa Pre-trial Detention Centre”

65059, Odesa region, Odesa, Lustdorf Road, 11

Telephone: (048) 765-73-93

E-mail: kantselyariya [email protected]

Head of the institution: Serhiy Oleksiyovych NIKITIN.