Ukrainian producers, artisans and food makers will bring a taste of Odessa to Berlin on September 25 and 26, when Odesa Market takes over Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg.
The two-day market will feature Ukrainian wines, food and handmade products, giving Berlin visitors an opportunity to discover Odessa through the people who continue to produce and create despite the war.
For the organisers, the idea goes beyond introducing Ukrainian products to a new audience. The market is intended to give Ukrainian producers — including those displaced by the war — an opportunity to sell their work directly, build new connections and maintain their businesses.
Among the guests will be food writer Maria Kalenska, co-founder of the #BakeForUkraine initiative and author of Cuisines of Odesa. Her book brings together recipes and family stories collected from more than 100 Odessa families, using food to explore the city’s diverse cultural history.
Kalenska will present Cuisines of Odesa in Berlin on Friday, followed by a signing session at Kaffe 9 and Goldhahn & Sampson. Later that evening, she will host a pop-up dinner accompanied by wines from Ukrainian producer Villa Tinta.
The market will also feature handmade Ukrainian crafts, including traditional embroidery and other work by independent makers.
Odesa Market will run from 12:00 to 18:00 on Friday, September 25, and from 10:00 to 18:00 on Saturday, September 26.
Friday’s programme also includes the Cuisines of Odesa presentation and signing from 17:30 to 19:00, followed by the pop-up dinner with Kalenska and Villa Tinta wines from 19:30 to 22:00. Tickets for the dinner cost €66.
The event will take place at Markthalle Neun in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district.
Beyond the food and crafts, Odesa Market offers another way of encountering contemporary Ukrainian culture: not only through the experience of war, but through the businesses, recipes, family traditions and creative work that Ukrainians continue to sustain and bring to new audiences abroad.
