The pogrom began on Palm Sunday (March 28).

The Jews were maltreated, and their houses and shops were sacked and looted.

Having started in the immediate vicinity of the church, the riot spread to the neighboring streets and finally engulfed the whole city.

For three days hordes of Greeks and Russians gave free vent to their mob instincts, demolishing, burning, and robbing Jewish property, desecrating synagogues and beating Jews to senselessness in all parts of the city, undisturbed by the presence of police and troops who did nothing to stop the atrocities.

The appeal of representative Odessa Jews to Governor-General Kotzebue was met by the retort that the Jews themselves were to blame, "having started first," and that the necessary measures for restoring order had been adopted.