Odessa - Pearl of the South
Russian-language article (translation in progress).
Odessa residents are known to be hospitable, warm-hearted, independent, proud - and to possess a sophisticated sense of humor. The city holds festivals of humor and satire every year on 1 April. And when the festivals are held, local businesses give their employees the day off.
The city has had a colorful history. On Sept. 14, 1789, General Suvorov's detachment of Ukrainian kazaks took a Turkish fortress called Eni-Dunya under the leadership of Anton Golovatiy. Six years later, on June 25, 1795, Russian officials showed their gratitude for the victory. They announced that an area that is today the Peresyp section of Odessa would be given to "kazaks of the Black Sea army" for settlement.
Therefore, the first settlers of the new city on the coast of the Black Sea were Ukrainians, the "Peresypski kazaks". Odessa's current inhabitants get their reputation for being able to face anything from these indomitable warriors of the late 1700s.
Odessa's age - 200 years - makes it a young city for this part of the world. By comparison, Kiev is 1,500 years old Kiev and Lvov even older.
The late 18th and early 19th centuries were a "golden age" for Odessa, the peak of its development and richness. These times are connected with the name of one of the founders of the city, France's Duke de Richelieu. The founders were an enlightened bunch and did a good job of guiding the city. They included Field Marshal Suvorov, Count Potyomkin-Tavriyskiy and a number of notable Russians, including De Ribas, Devolan and Lanzheron.
They did such a good job of laying the foundation for the port city that it has become known throughout the world as a gate to a large inland empire.
Odessa was lucky enough to enjoy a great deal of freedom under Russian rule. The central government kept its thumb on the vast majority of its vast empire.
Odessa was allowed to breathe politically because of its advantageous geographical location, convenient sheltered inlet, fertile black soil and eclectic mix of population.
Russian Emperor Alexander I felt the newly won lands in the south needed a progressive administrator.
He chose Duke Arman de Richelieu as governor in 1803.
Though a foreigner, Richelieu became a zealous Odessa booster. He went all out to create favorable conditions in the city for development and trade.
That included convincing the government to cut tariffs to only a quarter of what they were at other ports. A fifth of the revenue from the money saved on the lower tariffs went toward developing the new city.
The prosperity trickled down to all levels of society, giving Odessa residents a good standard of living.
Count Lanzheron, who took over as governor from Duke de Richelieu in 1815, bolstered Odessa's prosperity by convincing the Russian government to establish a duty-free international trade zone in the city. The good times in the city during that era led to Odessa gaining a reputation as a European city.