"Odessa" Odessa by seagoingJLW

Odessa Travel Guide: 597 reviews and 1,047 photos

When we went to Odessa in 1995, the stores were full of empty shelves. People were obviously lacking in the niceties of life.

Odessa is on the Black Sea in the Bay of Odessa. It has an area of 160sq km and a population of 1,060,000.

Odessa has a short mild winter and a long hot summer.

History

Odessa, a major seaport,lies close to the estuaries of the great Bug, Dnieper, and Dniester river system.

In the 14th century It was sacked by Tartar hordes and subsequently occupied by Lithuanians and Poles. In 1764 it was occupied by Turkey, but at the end of the third Russo-Turkish War the Treaty of Yasi gave the area to Russia. Catherine the Great ordered the foundation of a modern city.

From 1801-1815, Armand Jean de Plessis Duc de Richelieu (French) became mayor of Odessa. Numerous western architects and designers worked on the new town.

After 1814, Odessa became a free port, mainly for grain. In 1854, the city was bombarded during the Crimean War against England and France. In 1905, in response to revolutionary activity in the city, Cossacks massacre civilians on the Potemkin steps overlooking the harbor.

The city changed hands frequently during the Revolutionary Wars of 1917-1920, During World War II, the city endured a 69 day siege against the Germans. The city was liberated in 1944

Last visit to Odessa: Sep 1995
Intro Updated Apr 7, 2004
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Reviews (6)

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Written May 11, 2003

17 photos

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Comments (6)

ZiOOlek Dec 7, 2005 at 2:51 AM Report Abuse

Thanks for some tips on Odessa. I am heading for Odessa for New Year's Eve and hope to enjoy myself.:) Good luck.
globetrott Nov 29, 2003 at 8:31 PM Report Abuse

a lovely page ! In Odessa the beauty of town was still visible at many places, no matter what was done by the Communists...
IngaA Nov 12, 2002 at 3:52 AM Report Abuse

Nice page. Odesa is charming :)
evliyasems Aug 13, 2002 at 6:55 AM Report Abuse

very nice
javarach Aug 12, 2002 at 11:31 AM Report Abuse

Great. You can imagine the empty shelves in 1980.
DanielF May 1, 2002 at 10:26 AM Report Abuse

A place with charm