The Seaport Town of Odessa

The Seaport Town of Odessa

 

Odessa was founded in 1794 by Catherine the Great. In 1803, Tsar Alexander I appointed the 36 year old French emigrant, the Duke de Richelieu to be the mayor of Odessa. Eighteen months later, in 1805, the Tsar enlarged de Richelieu's authority by appointing him to serve simultaneously as the governor of the three provinces of Ukraine. In the 11 years of his administration, the Duke de Richelieu acquired an extraordinary reputation as a statesmanship, both in Russia and abroad. His statue now points out to the sea, clothed inexplicable in a toga, presumably to indicate the source of Odessa's wealth.

By 1820, Odessa had become an important commercial, industrial and cultural center in the southern part of Russia and the greatest seaport on the Black Sea. Historically, the economy was based on private businesses. Prosperous private businesses made Odessa a dissident in the old feudal Russia. The unique position of (the city) established it as a vital trade link between the West and the East. The growth in importance of Russia's external trade through the Black Sea in the 19th century made way for the establishment of a big trade port center and for the development of Odessa into an advanced European city

The City of Odessa is often referred to as "The Pearl of the Black Sea". Odessa is a beautiful city on the Black Sea coast that holds a special place in the hearts of Russians and Ukrainians. A visit to Odessa is sure to be unlike a visit to any other city. In contrast to other cities of the former Soviet Union, Odessa is rich in Western European culture. Odessa is known throughout the world for its art and culture and has, what is considered to be, the second most beautiful and important opera house in the world. The population of Odessa is about 1.1 million. It is a cosmopolitan city with 150,000 tourists each year from all over the world. In the summer, they relax along the sandy shores of Odessa beaches and experience this eternally young city. The beaches allow tourists to feel like they are in the Mediterranean. All of the coast of Odessa is lined with popular beaches. In the summer they are filled with beautiful girls, music, and visitors sampling tasty food. One of the most popular beaches is Arcadia Beach, which is located about 10 minutes from downtown.
Walking in Odessa you can see its history from classical Italian influences to Soviet era apartment complexes. On Deribasovskaya Street - the central street - there is a variety of restaurants, theatres, concerts and a promenade of people. The port of Odessa has ships from all over the world arriving daily

Odessa has 1185 streets, 62001 buildings, 24 hotels, 34 educational institutions, 88 health care centers, 20 museums. Public transportation in Odessa city includes 21 tram routes, 15 trolley bus routes, 47 bus routes and 35 minibus routes.

Odessa's Beaches
Odessa is very popular because of it's huge relationship with the sea. It situates freely along Ukraine shore and nestles very closely to the ocean. Streets run into the sea like rivers. The Odessa port takes a little space. But the rest are lovely beaches. The popular beaches in order from city center are:
Lanzheron. The nearest to city center beach. About 25 minutes on foot.
Otrada. 10 minutes from the centre
Arcadia. A popular tourist place with a lot of restaurants, bars, discos, night clubs and other entertainments.
Malibu A beach at Luzanovka (20 minutes from city centre). The most upmarket beach on the sea shore offering excelent service, restaurants, comfortable bungalos, night club, pool hall, parking