History of Odessa

Centuries and centuries ago the Odessa area was inhabited by people. The first ones appeared on this territory about 600, 000 years ago. On the west coats of Kuyalnik estuary the remains of late Paleolithic settlement were found. In the Odessa Archeological Museum one can see the material evidence of the history of the peoples of the Northern Black Sea region from period to period

This land has always welcomed those who finally found Odessa bay after long wanders in the steppe. At the start of the first century BC the mysterious Cimmerian nomads appeared in this area and stayed there for long time. The fist mention of the people is found in Homer's "Odyssey" in which this territory is described as miserable foggy land. Later Cimmerians were displaced by Scythians, another nomadic people. At the same time as the Scythians appeared north of the Black Sea, the ancient Greeks came to this area.

From the 5th to the 3rd centuries BC Greek settlements appeared on the shores of Odessa bay and founded trading station at the place of modern Odessa sea port. The Scythians were replaced by Sarmatians around the first century AD. After that this area was a Roman province, survived the attacks of Huns who destroyed all traces of ancient culture, was inhabited by different Slav tribes.

In the13th century, there was the time of Golden Horde. The sea maps of that period call Odessa Dzhinestra. From the end of the14th century and the begging of the 15th Odessa was the part of "Great Lithuanian Principality". It when it acquired name Kachubey (Kachubeev, Khadzhibei). Odessa belonged to Ottoman empire since 1475 and the Turks started to call it Adzhibei. In 1764 the fortress "Eni-Duenya" ("New World") was built there to strengthen Turkish fortification on the Black Sea northern coast. It was defeated by the troops of Major-General de Ribas on 14 September 1789 during the second Russian-Turkish war.

Future Odessa city amazed general de Ribas and he decided that there had to be the major city-port on the Black sea. Together with Frantz de Volan they composed the project of the future city and submitted it to Catherine II (Catherine the Great). 27 May 1794 was the date when Catherine II approved the project and signed the prescript that allowed building the sea port and the city. This date is considered to be Odessa birthday.

Admiral de Ribas, the first governor and benefactor of Odessa city greatly contributed into the city development and flourishing. The most famous city street, Deribasovskaya Street was named after this outstanding person. Another meaningful figure in the history of Odessa was Duke de Richelieu, who was the city Governor since 1803. Richelieu's intelligence and energy gave rise to a miracle. The period he was at power was called a "Golden Age" for Odessa and the city was called the "Southern Wonder", which indicated the city's equal standing with St. Petersburg, traditionally called "The Northern Wonder".

Odessa was soon recognized as the 3rd city of the Russian Empire. It was an island of freedom as peasant refugees from other parts of the empire were given their freedom; traders were given support to set their business and foreign immigrants received tax concessions and loans to build homes. All of this gave rise to wonderful variety of cultures, religions and lifestyles that became interwoven in the fabric of the city. The city thrived and was able to take its place in the world stage in the fields of science, economics and politics.

Richelieu's successor, Duke Langeron won the free trade ("free port") right for Odessa sea port. The customs duty for the goods imported to Odessa was equal to only one fifth of their value. And the money taken was spent on the city accomplishment. Alexander Fedorovich Langeron initiated laying out the first Botanical garden, publishing the first Odessa newspaper and establishing its first college.

Next governors of Odessa - Count M. Vorontsov (1823-1854), Count P. Kotsebu (1862-1874), and Major G. Marazli (1878-1894) contributed a lot into the city development. For instance Vorontsov and his wife attracted rich people to the city, which led to prosperity of the city stores, restaurants and theaters. He turned Odessa into the main commercial port of the south of Russia and managed to prologue "free port" privilege for the next 10 years. Count P. Kotsebu paid his main attention to Odessa accomplishment and city conveniences. Streets paving took place then, the city knew what running water was and he railway road was being built. He founded the city first university and college for women.

During the governing of Marazli the first in Russia bacteriological station and first chemical laboratories were opened, first public library, art museum, children's and eye hospitals were founded; Electric lighting appeared.

However Odessa was not spared by war. On 30th of April 1854, the English frigate "The Tiger", manned by Anglo-French crew was bombarding the city and port when it run aground in the fog. The crew surrendered and the ship was lost, but one of its cannons remained in Odessa and now serves as a monument to the Crimean war.

During the revolution in 1905 the legendary battleship "Prince Potemkin Tavrichesky" entered the port flying the red flag of the communists. The city has a powerful partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War and Odessa heroism in the fight against Nazi deserved it the name of the "Hero City".

Today Odessa is Ukraine's main sea port. This is the city of one million people with a vivid history, unique architecture and a most original culture.