ODESA — 2014 · Major Tragedy
The Odesa Trade Unions House Fire
On 2 May 2014, street clashes broke out in Odesa between supporters of Ukrainian unity and pro-Russian demonstrators, and several people were shot dead during the day. In the evening pro-Russian protesters retreated into the Trade Unions House on Kulykove Pole square; both sides threw Molotov cocktails and the building caught fire. In total 48 people died that day, 42 of them inside the building or after jumping from it. The slow response of police and firefighters was heavily criticised. On 13 March 2025 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ukraine had violated the right to life and failed to investigate effectively.
- Date
- 2014
- Place
- Kulykove Pole, Ukraine, Odesa, UA
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 46.4689, 30.7365 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 2 May 2014 (afternoon)Clashes erupted between two groups in central Odesa.
- 2 May 2014 (evening)Fire broke out at the Trade Unions House; 48 died in total.
- 2014-2020sInvestigations progressed slowly and drew criticism.
- 13 March 2025The ECHR found Ukraine had violated the right to life.
Sources
- BBC News — How did Odessa's fire happen? bbc.com ↗
- The Guardian — The truth behind one of Ukraine's deadliest days theguardian.com ↗
- Kyiv Post — What really happened in Odessa kyivpost.com ↗
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Kyiv Post
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.