Location: Odessa Oblast
Odessa is a city in the south of Ukraine. The
administrative center of Odessa region and the main naval base of
the Naval forces of Ukraine. Hero City
The third most populated city in the country. The population of the
city as of January 1, 2018 was 993,831 permanent residents and
1,011,494 people of the current population. Over 1.2 million people
live within the agglomeration. The national composition of the
population: 61.7% of Ukrainians, 29.0% of Russians, 1.3% of
Bulgarians, 1.2% of Jews (2001). Located on the shore of the Odessa
Gulf of the Black Sea.
The largest seaport of Ukraine. Developed trade, metal processing,
oil refining, mechanical engineering, the production of drugs and
food. Sanatorium-resort treatment and beach vacations, cruise
tourism. Large scientific and educational center.
The historic center is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The
ensemble of Primorsky Boulevard, Duc de Richelieu Square and the
Potemkin Stairs.
From the 5th century BC e. - a group of ancient settlements. On
the territory of Odessa and the Gulf of Odessa, an ancient Greek
colony was once located, the remains of which were discovered right
under the current Seaside Boulevard. The water level was different,
lower, and the coastline ran much further than the Odessa lighthouse
is now. It is not far from the lighthouse and behind it that ancient
Greek artifacts are sometimes still found. Due to the lower water
level, the Tendra Spit continued much further than now, and the
settlement in the lighthouse area actually controlled the exit from
the mouth of the Bug and Dnieper to the Black Sea, and thus had
strategic importance. Archaeological artifacts confirm the existence
of links between the Odessa region and the eastern Mediterranean. In
the Middle Ages, the territory of Odessa was in the possession of
various nomadic tribes (Pechenegs, Polovtsy), the Golden Horde, the
Crimean Khanate, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Ottoman
Empire.
The modern city as a naval port on the Black Sea was founded by the
Russian Empire in 1794 on the site of the Tatar-Turkish settlement
of Hadzhibey (known, according to the hypothesis of A. I. Markevich,
from the 15th century), which went to Russia in 1791; renamed Odessa
(presumably from the ancient city of Odessos) in 1795. By the end of
the 19th century, Odessa turned into the fourth city in terms of
population and the second port in the cargo turnover of the Russian
Empire. Since the 20s of the XX century - one of the largest cities
of the Ukrainian SSR, since 1991 - independent Ukraine.
XVIII - beginning of XX century
Officially, the history of Odessa as a city is counted from 1794,
when on May 27 (June 7), 1794, Empress Catherine II issued a script
about the founding of the city and harbor on the site of Hadzhibey,
and on August 22 (September 2), 1794, after the prayer and
consecration of construction sites, the first piles are driven into
the base of the city. Earlier, Osip de Ribas submitted a report to
Yekaterinoslav and Tauride Governor General Prince Zubov, together
with a request for the construction of a city and port on the site
of Hadzhibey, as well as plans drawn up by colonel engineer of the
Russian army Franz de Wollan. De Ribas finally managed to convince
Catherine, and thus his project for founding a port and a city was
approved. The city was built according to the plan drawn up by de
Vollan.
The new name of the city of Odessa first occurs on January 10, 1795.
There are several versions about the origin of the name of the city,
but the most reliable is the assumption that the city was named
after the ancient Greek colony Odessos, which was located near the
Odessa Gulf.
In 1880, a horse-drawn railway was opened here. Under the mayor of
Richelieu, Odessa turned into the main port of the Russian Empire on
the Black Sea. After the appointment of Richelieu in 1805, the
Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, Odessa became the
administrative center of the Novorossiysk Governor-General. Under
Richelieu, the city budget received 10% of local customs duties.
Under the Governor-General M.S. Vorontsov, Odessa received the
unique status of a free port, port-free, and goods were exported and
imported into the city without any duties. This gave an additional
acceleration to the development of the city and its industry. At the
same time, Odessa was developing so rapidly that in just one century
it turned from a small village into the largest seaport of Russia on
the Black Sea and the fourth largest city of the Russian Empire
after St. Petersburg, Moscow and Warsaw. In 1865, the Odessa-Balta
railway came into operation. In 1891, the first car in the Russian
Empire appeared in Odessa: a Benz brought from France, owned by V.V.
Navrotsky, the publisher of the Odessa Leaflet newspaper, a very
popular city newspaper. On March 11 (24), 1908, the first aeroclub
in Russia was founded in Odessa, and on March 8 (21), 1910, the
first demonstration flights in Russia of the first Russian pilot
M.N. Efimov took place.
After the October Socialist Revolution, on October 27, 1917
(according to the old style), the Council of Soldiers' Deputies (the
Romanian Front, the Black Sea Fleet and Odessa - Rumcherod)
announced the transfer of power to the Revolutionary Council. In
early November 1917, representatives of the old city administration
were invited to the Revolutionary Council. In the early days of
December 1917, battles took place in the city between the Red Guards
and supporters of the Central Rada of the UPR (independent). As a
result of this confrontation, power in the city passed under the
control of the Central Council. December 21, 1917, Odessa was
proclaimed a “free city” until the convocation of the Constituent
Assembly. In mid-January 1918, the Bolsheviks revolted, recaptured
the city from supporters of the Central Council and the Provisional
Government. Soviet power was established in the city, which went
down in history under the name of the Odessa Soviet Republic. On
March 14, 1918 (hereinafter in a new style), as a result of the
agreements of the Central Council with the Central Powers, Austrian
troops entered Odessa. Soviet power was overthrown. Power in the
city formally belonged to the Ukrainian government of Hetman
Skoropadsky. As a result of the defeat in the First World War and
the revolutions in Germany and Austria-Hungary in November 1918, the
Austrian troops left Odessa. On December 2, 1918, various troops of
the Entente countries began to arrive in Odessa - Serbian, French,
Greek. Under the cover of Entente troops, the troops of the
Volunteer Army in mid-December 1918 drove out the troops of
Petliurists from Odessa. In Odessa, the rule of the French military
administration was established. As a result of the general Bolshevik
offensive, the Entente and the Volunteer Army left Odessa on April
6, 1919. Units of the Soviet troops of the ataman Grigoriev entered
the city and Soviet power was established until August 23, 1919,
when the troops of the Volunteer Army returned to the city. But on
February 7, 1920, Soviet power was finally established in Odessa.
On October 11, 1939, by order of the NPO of the USSR No. 0157, the
Odessa Military District was formed with control in Odessa.
Commander of the District Forces Comcor I.V. Boldin.
The Great Patriotic War
On June 22, 1941, the command of the Odessa Military District
assigned the field command of the 9th separate army. On June 24-25,
the 9th separate army became part of the Southern Front.
During World War II, the Odessa defensive area fought with superior
enemy forces for 73 days, from August 5 to October 16, 1941. On
August 8, a state of siege was declared in the city. From August 13,
Odessa was completely blocked from land. Despite the land blockade
and numerical superiority, the enemy failed to break the resistance
of the defenders - the Soviet troops were planned to be evacuated
and deployed to strengthen the 51st separate army defending in the
Crimea.
In 1941-1944 Odessa was occupied by Romanian troops and was part of
Transnistria, G. Punta was appointed governor of the city. In early
1944, due to the advance of the Red Army, German troops were brought
into Odessa, and the Romanian administration was liquidated. During
the occupation of Odessa, the city population actively resisted the
invaders. During the years of occupation, tens of thousands of
civilians in Odessa, mostly Jews, were executed.
As a result of fierce fighting on April 10, 1944, troops of the 3rd
Ukrainian Front, with the assistance of the forces of the Black Sea
Fleet, liberated Odessa. The country praised the feat of its
defenders. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the
USSR of December 22, 1942, the medal "For the Defense of Odessa" was
established, which was awarded to over 30 thousand people. 14
soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 57 -
were awarded the Order of Lenin, over 2100 - with other orders and
medals.
By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief dated May 1, 1945 No. 20 Odessa, Sevastopol, Stalingrad and Leningrad were named hero
cities. May 8, 1965, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR, the city was awarded the Golden Star medal and
the Order of Lenin.
Post-war period
In the second half of the 20th century, the city continued to be
saturated with industry, was actively landscaping, and became a
prominent tourist center.