“I am not a cow and I don’t have a field.” - Isaiah Berlin

We are launching a program of month-long residencies in Odessa for artists, writers, scientists, and scholars. Each resident receives housing, travel, and a living stipend, and in return hosts a weekly salon around our kitchen table—whether a lecture, a masterclass, a poetry reading, a discussion of a book in progress, or a show of new work. With two residents in the flat at a time, this means up to eight public or semi-public gatherings each month, creating a vibrant hub of exchange at very low cost.
We believe that the most effective way to connect Odessa to the wider world—and the world to Odessa—is to bring people here. 
For centuries, our city has lived on the edges of empires, in a quiet rebellion: the most anti-imperial city of the Russian Empire, the most anti-Soviet city of the Soviet Union, now at the forefront of Ukraine’s struggle against Russia’s bloodthirsty imperialism. Odessa has long defined itself against its rulers, holding fast to a fierce local identity, a big-headed independence, and a famously cosmopolitan spirit. Yet despite its gifts, Odessa has often found itself at the margins of political and cultural life. Our task is to bring it back to the centre stage of trans-cultural exchange, to reclaim its role as a place where Europe and the wider world meet.
Odessa needs the world, and the world needs Odessa. Residencies are our chief way of satisfying this need. Everyone who comes to Odessa senses its unique spirit within days. Visitors fall in love with its sea air, its humour, its irreverent ease, and its stubborn freedom. They also understand its significance—as a city that has always modelled coexistence, curiosity, and resilience in dark times. The best bridge between Odessa and the world is built not by conferences or fleeting encounters, but by living together, eating together, and working side by side.
We are therefore developing a program of residencies at Cosmopolis. At its core will be a shared apartment in the historic city, a living and working space designed for artists, scholars, writers, musicians, photographers, and scientists. Here, under one roof, they will not only pursue their own projects but contribute something to the life of Odessa: a masterclass, an exhibition, a public talk, a seminar in a school, or a performance by the sea. Each residency will be an exchange—between guest and city, between local life and global thought.
The heart of the residency will be the kitchen table. In the old Odessa tradition of the “kvartirnik”—the underground gatherings that once hosted dissident concerts, exhibitions, and discussions—our residents will meet over food, wine, and conversation. Around that table, historians will mix with photographers, physicists with poets, anthropologists with musicians. The kitchen will be our salon, our common ground, and our school of civic freedom.
The residencies embody our principle of enlightened holism: that creativity and knowledge cannot be confined to professional commercialised silos, but belong to a shared human project. By hosting cross-field residents, we seek to nurture the kind of culture Odessa has always stood for—open, irreverent, witty, and profoundly European.
Residencies are not an accessory to our mission; they are its beating heart. They will ensure that Cosmopolis is not just a stage for events but a living, breathing community, where Odessa meets the world and the world discovers Odessa.

“Bring a thinker or artist to Odessa!” button, leading to a page:
We are seeking sponsors for our month-long Kitchen Residencies in Odessa. Each residency costs €1,000, covering housing, travel, and a stipend. Residencies may be named after their sponsors, and we welcome you to indicate which field—arts, sciences, or humanities—you would like to support.
Visiting thinkers and creators will be chosen through an open call, with applications reviewed by an expert jury drawing on the full strength of the Cosmopolis team. This ensures a transparent, competitive process and brings to Odessa some of the most inspiring minds working today.
If you are interested in supporting a residency, please write to us at [email] or call +380634877013