Thursday
Mar 11th
| Odesa |
| Wednesday, 24 October 2007 | |
| Odesa is a regional city, a seaport, and communication center on the Black Sea with population over 1 million people.The history of the modern city began many centuries ago. It is believed that some centuries B.C. there were the Greek piers and one of them was called Odessos. In the 14 century a fortress was built by Tatar military leader Khadzhi Bei. At the beginning of the 15 century the area was under control of the Rzecz Pospolyta and in 1764 it passed to Turkey. The Turks built near Khadzhibei a fortress and called it Eni Dunia /New World/. Khadzhibei and Eni Dunia were ceded to Russia in 1791. In 1794 the construction of future city under supervision of Field Marshal O.V. Suvorov /1729-1800/ and Admiral O.M. Deribas /1749-1800/ began. In 1795 the new port was named Odesa, though the original Greek pier Odessos was near Varna /Bulgaria/. There is the legend that explains the origin of the name Odesa as used to be read quite to reverse French "assez d'eau" /enough water/. Another expression may be read directly: "Eau deca" /water on this side/. Since 1803 the governor of Odesa Duke Richelieu /1766-1822/ had supervised the construction of the city. In 1817 the Richelieu Lyceum was opened in Odesa. In 1823 the Lyceum students welcomed Alexander Pushkin who was in exile. In 1865 the Lyceum was reorganized into Odesa University. During the 19th century Odesa grew rapidly especially when the railway was built in 1866. Odesa suffered heavy damage during its heroic defence against German and Rumanian forces /August 5-October 16, 1941/. The Odesa defenders contained 18 enemy's divisions and put out of action 160,000 enemy's troopers. In 1965 Odesa was honoured with the title of Hero-City for heroism and courage displayed during the Great Patriotic War. Odesa is major industrial center of Ukraine. The city remains a major Ukrainian port with well-equipped docks and ship-repair yards. A new outport was built at Illichevsk 20 km from Odesa. The city is the base of Ukrainian fishing fleet. Odesa is a popular resort with numerous sanatoriums and holiday camps. Odesa is a major industrial center, producing tools, cranes and plows. Odesa has an oil-refinery plant and a large jute mill. There are many consumer goods and food-processing factories. Odesa is one of the cultural and educational centers of Ukraine. I. Mechnikov Odesa University was opened in 1865 on the initiative of M. Pirogov as a New Russia University on the base of the Richelieu lyceum. In 1933 it became Odesa University. There are many research establishments in Odesa. The V. Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases was founded in 1936. It bears the name of Academician V.P. Filatov /1875-1956/. Odesa boasts of its famous six theatres. The Odesa Theater of Opera and Ballet was established in 1809. The conductors of the theatre were the outstanding musicians P. Chaikovskyi /Tchaikovsky/, M. Rymskyi-Korsakov, A. Rubinshtein, and O. Glazunov. The famous singers sang on its stage, among them great Fedir Shaliapin /Fyodor Chaliapin/, Ukrainian soprano Solomiia. Krushelnytska /1872-1952/, and lyrical tenor Leonid Sobinov /1872-1934/. The famous tenor E. Caruso /1873-1921/, Sara Bernardt /1844-1923/ and Isidora Duncan were on tour in the Odesa Theater of Opera and Ballet. The famous Ukrainian actors M. Kropyvnytskyi/ 1840-1910/, M. Zankovetska /Adasovska/ /1854-1934/, and P. Saksahanskyi /Tobilevych/ /1859-1940/ performed in the theatre in drama plays. Odesa boasts of its architectural monument - the Pototskyi Palace /1810/ now the museum of Arts/, the Vorontsov palace/1826-27/, The Old Stock Exchange /1828-34/, the famous Potiomkin 197 Stairs /1837-41/. The historical monuments of Odesa include the monuments to Duke Richelieu /1823-28/, O. Pushkin /1888/ and M.Vorontsov. The monument to Taras Shevchenko was unveiled in 1966. The Odesa Film Studio was founded in 1919. The Studio produced the film "Taras Shevchenko" /1926/, "Thirst", "The Place of Meeting Can't Be Changed" /1979/, " A War Romance" /1984/. |