"Odessa" a Odessa Travel Page by Bastardino

Welcome to my hometown - the city of Odessa. The development of Odessa has much in common with that of Petersburg, Russia, which was often referred to as the "Nothern Palmira". Odessa was founded on the Black Sea coast as a "window on Europe", and just like Petersburg, it sprang up in an undeveloped area, far from inhabited lands.

Duke de Richelieu, was nominated governor of Odessa. He had served in the Russian army against the Turks. He did much to promote the integrity and wellness of the city and is considered one of the founding fathers of Odessa. During 1823-1824, the Great Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin, lived and wrote in Odessa. During the Crimean War from 1853-1856, British and French naval forces bombarded Odessa. As trade grew, so did Odessa and she became the largest grain-exporting port for Russia. In 1866, the city was linked by rail with Kiev and Kharkov as well as Jassy, Romania. In 1905, Odessa was the site of a workers' revolution, supported by the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin and Lenin's Iskra. Following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 during World War I, several groups occupied Odessa, including the Central Powers, the French, the Reds and the Whites. Finally, in 1920, the Reds took control of Odessa and united her with the Ukrainian SSR, later becoming part of the USSR. From 1921-1922, Odessites suffered from a great famine that occurred as a result of the War. During the Great Patriotic War (WWII) from 1941-1944, Romanian and German forces occupied Odessa, and she suffered severe casualties. Approximately 280,000 Odessites (mostly Jews) were either massacred or deported. Some 30,000 Odessites defended their city in honour from some 300,000 Fascist troops. The Soviet army finally liberated Odessa in April of 1944. During the 1960's and 1970's the city grew tremendously. In 1991, the city became part of newly independent Ukraine, after the collapse of Communism.

Aside from its rich history Odessa has often been labeled by many as "Evil Party City". Its proximity on the black sea allows easy access for tourists from the Mediterranean region as well as an International airport that is a mere ten minutes away from the city center assures the nightlife and the beaches are at a boiling point during the summer's peak months.