Odesa

Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative centre of the Odesa Raion and Odesa Oblast, as well as a multiethnic cultural centre. As of January 2021, Odesa's population was approximately 1,010,537. On 25 January 2023, its historic city centre was declared a World Heritage Site and added to the List of World Heritage in Danger by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in recognition of its multiculturality and 19th-century urban planning. The declaration was made in response to the bombing of Odesa during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has damaged or destroyed buildings across the city. In classical antiquity a large Greek settlement existed at its location no later than the middle of the 6th century BC. It has been researched as a possible site of the ancient Greek settlement of Histria. The first chronicle mention of the Slavic settlement-port of Kotsiubijiv, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, dates back to 1415, when a ship was sent from here to Constantinople by sea. After the Grand Duchy lost control, the port and its surroundings became part of the domain of the Ottoman Empire in 1529, under the name Hacibey, and remained in it until the Ottomans' defeat in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). In 1794, a decree of the Russian empress Catherine II was issued to establish a navy harbor and trading place in Khadjibey, which was named Odessa soon after. From 1819 to 1858, Odesa was a free port. During the Soviet period, it was an important trading port and a naval base. During the 19th century, Odesa was the fourth largest city of the Russian Empire, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Warsaw. Its historical architecture is more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Some buildings are built in a mixture of different styles, including Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Classicist. Odesa is a warm-water port. The city of Odesa hosts both the Port of Odesa and Port Pivdennyi, a significant oil terminal situated in the city's suburbs. Another notable port, Chornomorsk, is located in the same oblast, to the south-west of Odesa. Together they represent a major transport hub integrating with railways. Odesa's oil and chemical processing facilities are connected to the Russian and other European networks by strategic pipelines. In 2000, the Quarantine Pier at Odesa Commercial Sea Port was declared a free port and free economic zone for a period of 25 years.

Infobox

Country

Ukraine

Oblast

Odesa Oblast

Raion

Odesa Raion

Hromada

Odesa urban hromada

First mentioned

19 May 1415

• Head of the Odesa city military administration

Serhiy Lysak

• City

1,010,537

• Metro

1,378,490

Elevation

40 m (130 ft)

Highest elevation

65 m (213 ft)

Lowest elevation

−4.2 m (−14 ft)

• Rank

3rd in Ukraine

• Density

6,221.8/km2 (16,114/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

English: Odesan, Odesite, Odessan, OdessiteUkrainian: одесит, одеситкаRussian: одессит, одесситка

Time zone

UTC 2 (EET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC 3 (EEST)

Postal codes

65000–65480

Area code

380 48

Website

omr.gov.ua

Official name

The Historic Centre of Odesa

Type

Cultural

Criteria

ii, iv

Designated

2023 (18th extraordinary World Heritage Committee session)

Reference no.

1703

UNESCO region

Europe

Endangered

2023–