Odessa Mama. A Mailbox of Memory and Love

2.07.2025

Sometimes one story gives birth to another.

    That's what happened this time — while writing the story “Odessa. A Story Written with Closed Eyes”, I had an idea that, I believe, could become something greater.

    It could become a point of connection — between generations, between the living and those who are gone, between the past and the present.

THE IDEA IS SIMPLE:

    Create a unique mailbox in Odessa called “ODESA MAMA” / “ODESSA MAMA”. It will not just be a mailbox — it will be a symbol, where anyone can send a letter.

    A letter of gratitude, a memory, something connected to this city. A real letter — on paper, from the soul.

HOW IT MIGHT WORK:

    Anyone — a child, an adult, an elderly person, a local or a visitor, from Ukraine or abroad — will be able to send a letter to the physical address “Odessa Mama”. These letters will become part of a living archive of the city — a true chronicle of lives connected to Odessa.

    All letters will be collected and organized (possibly with the help of volunteers) and transferred to the city archive. Letters will be accepted in all languages — because Odessa has always been a city that understood without translation.

    An online page will be created where the letters can be read. And perhaps — a physical space, where they can be felt, touched, read… where one can connect with lines written from the heart.

WHY?

    Because the story of a city is not just buildings and dates. It is emotions. It is the threads that connect us to one another. And too often, these stories disappear along with the people who could have told them.

    This mailbox could be a way to preserve them.

WHAT’S NEXT?

    Yes, perhaps someone is already using this address for a café or shop. But “Odessa Mama” is not a brand — it’s part of the city’s spirit. And in truth, the right to it can belong only to Odessa itself.

    I’ve already started preliminary discussions about this idea with the city. I hope that both residents and local authorities, as well as cultural institutions, will join in.

    And if you want to understand where this idea came from — read my story: “Odessa. A Story Written with Closed Eyes”in the section MY BOOKS.

(c) Anatoliy Kavun