Stories of Bolshoy Fontan
A series about Station 16: the steam tram, the dachas, the smugglers, the metro and the Golden Shore
Five short stories about the place where Fontanska Road meets the sea. Facts and legends are woven together here, and every story ends with a short note on what is true and what is only a tale. Read them in order or start anywhere.
Series 1: Station 16
01Vanka the Big-Head
Why Odesans say “Station” and why Fontan is “not a fountain”
02Dachas Above the Cliff
How a steppe above the sea became a summer suburb
03Night Boats
Smugglers, the free port and a lighthouse with a steam siren
04The Metro That Never Was
Adits under the cliff and a subway that was never built
05Golden Shore
Why the shore is golden when the sand came later than the name
From Station 16 to Proholoda
Tram 18 takes you to Station 16. Proholoda is 350 metres from the sea.
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