Odesa Territorial Community

Odesa

Population:

The Odesa urban territorial community is located in the Odesa district, Odesa region.

Total area of the territory: 162 km².

Population: 997,371 people (as of January 01, 2024)

Men: 468,710

Women: 528,661

Children: 159,402

People of retirement age: 228,553

Internally displaced persons (since 2014): 130,959

The community includes the city of Odesa, which is the administrative center of the region and district.

History

The Odesa community has a rich historical heritage, dating back over two centuries. The first settlements in this territory were founded around the 7th century BC – 3rd century AD by ancient Greek colonists. In the 15th century, this area became part of the Ottoman Empire and was named Khadjibey.

The real boom began in 1794, when the city was founded as a port for the development of trade. In 1819-1859, a free port trade regime operated there, which contributed to rapid economic development. Odesa quickly became one of Ukraine’s most important trading centers, attracting merchants from all over the world.

Odesa Sea Port in the early 20th century Source

Today, the Odesa Sea Port is a modern and high-tech facility serving international cargo and passenger lines. It continues to be one of the leaders in trade and logistics in the Black Sea region, playing a key role in the economy of the city and the country. As the main gateway for international trade, it helps attract significant investments to the region. The Odesa Port is also a center for the import and export of various goods, such as grain, metals and other important resources.

The diversity of cultures that coexisted in this territory played a significant role in the history of the community. In the late 19th century, Odesa became an important center of the Jewish, Greek and Italian diasporas, which influenced its cultural and economic development. Important dates were 1866, when Odesa received the status of a city, and 1900, when the first railway line appeared, connecting the city with other regions of Ukraine.

During the 20th century, Odesa experienced numerous changes, marking both development and tragic events, in particular World War II, when the city suffered significant destruction, but then quickly recovered in the post-war period.

The Odesa community is famous for many architectural monuments, among which the most famous are the Opera House and the Potemkin Stairs, which lead to the port and are a symbol of the city.

The old Opera House, built in 1810 by the Italian architect Francesco Frapolli, was completely destroyed by fire, leaving only ashes behind. In its place, a new Opera House was opened, which became one of the most striking examples of Odesa architecture. Designed by Austrian architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Geller, it combines the Renaissance style with Viennese Baroque and is considered one of the most beautiful stages in Europe.

Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, the oldest opera house in Ukraine Source

The Potemkin Stairs: a project to connect the city center and the port was conceived in 1825. It was designed by the Italian architect Francesco Boffo. Construction began in 1837, and the Potemkin Stairs were completed in 1841.

Today, the stairs consist of 192 steps (initially there were exactly two hundred, but when the port was expanded, eight steps were filled in), and their length is 142 meters.

The stairs are built in such a way that the illusion of size is created: from the bottom they look much longer than from the top. This is achieved thanks to a specially planned slope and proportions. The Potemkin Stairs have become a symbol of Odesa and often appear in books, films and photographs, emphasizing the beauty of the city’s architecture.

The arcade, two Quarantine towers, and the remains of the St. Andrew’s Bastion are part of the Odesa Fortress. These architectural monuments remind of bygone times and the courage of the city’s defenders.

Over 2,500 km long and over 60 meters deep, the Odesa Catacombs are the largest system of underground tunnels in the world. They have over 1,000 entrances, and the complete map of the catacombs remains unknown. The first catacombs probably appeared in the 1600s, but they began to take on the form of labyrinths in the early 1800s during the quarrying of limestone, which was used to build the city. The first artificial passages were used by smugglers, and during World War II, partisans hid inside the catacombs for 13 months and carried out attacks on the Nazis. Today, the catacombs have become a popular tourist attraction, and guided tours are available.

In 1894–99, the Philharmonic building was designed by architect A. Bernardazzi and built as a new merchant exchange. To discuss commercial issues and introduce local lending, the exchange had a commercial council branch, similar to foreign ones, from 1829. Every 2 weeks, an auction sale of goods took place. The exchange traded various goods, securities, and currencies, but the main article of trade was bread, which came from the steppe Ukraine, Podillia, and the Lower Silesia and was exported to Western Europe.

Odesa Regional Philharmonic, an architectural monument of national importance Source

The building of the Passage Hotel, an architectural monument of the late 19th and early 20th centuries Source

The ensemble of Prymorskyi Boulevard, included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Source

Economy and Welfare

The city of Odesa is one of the main economic centers of Ukraine, combining industrial, maritime, transport and resort-recreational complexes, as well as financial and social infrastructure. In this context, the Odesa Sea Port plays a crucial role, being one of the largest in Ukraine and an important element of the national transport

Panoramic view of the Odesa Sea Port Source

Located in the heart of the city, the port has a modern passenger terminal capable of handling up to 4 million tourists per year. The port’s technical capabilities are impressive: its capacity is 50 million tons of cargo, including about 6 million tons of exported grain, making it one of the leading hubs for agricultural products.

Grain terminal of the Odesa seaport Source

The port has connections with more than 600 ports in 100 countries around the world, as well as 54 berths with a total length of 8.9 km. Containerization is actively developed, with container terminals designed to handle up to 900 thousand TEU per year.

Container Terminal of the Odesa Sea Port Source

Small and medium-sized businesses in Odesa are developed to such an extent that they account for 99% of the total number of enterprises. The main areas of activity of Odesa enterprises include wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; information and telecommunications; professional, scientific and technical activities; real estate transactions; transport, warehousing, postal and courier activities.

In addition, more than 500 industrial enterprises operate in the city of Odesa. The majority of them engage in processing industry, electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply.

The largest share in the sale of processed industrial products falls on such branches as “production of food products, beverages and tobacco products”, “metallurgical production, production of finished metal products, except machinery and equipment”, “mechanical engineering”, “production of rubber and plastic products, other non-metallic mineral products”.

The Odesa Cognac Factory has the oldest history among Ukraine’s enterprises which produce cognac and brandy. The history of the factory is connected with the Shustov dynasty and begins in 1863. Until 1956, it was the only producer of cognacs in the country. The enterprise is fully equipped with classic French distillation units and modern European equipment, which provides a full cycle of production using cognac technologies, which are over 150 years old. Since 2017, the factory has been equipped with Ukraine’s largest akratophore – a special device for producing sparkling wine by the tank method.

The Odeskabel plant was founded in 1949. As a specialist in the production of telecommunication cables, the Odesa Cable Plant has mastered and produces a wide range of copper and fiber-optic communication cables, radio-frequency, as well as digital or LAN cables, which have been in demand in recent decades and the range of which is the widest in the EU countries. Odeskabel is an active participant in the main associations of cable and wire manufacturers: the Ukrainian Association “Ukrelektrokabel”; the International Cablemakers Federation (ICF).

In total, the educational network of the territorial community includes 807 preschool education institutions, 702 schools, 99 extracurricular education institutions, 27 vocational and technical education institutions, 37 professional pre-university institution and 17 higher education institutions, as well as about 40 libraries.

Illia Mechnikov Odesa University, the first higher education institution in the territorial community, still considered the most prestigious in all of Ukraine Source

Graduates of the National University “Odesa Maritime Academy” Source

There are over 70 healthcare facilities of various types in Odesa, including hospitals, polyclinics, outpatient clinics, and specialized medical facilities.

The Chornomorets Stadium holds the record for the number of Ukrainian Super Cup matches it has hosted. It also serves as a large concert venue, seating over 30,000 spectators.

Community and War

Between 2022 and 2024, Odesa suffered significant destruction due to constant attacks by russians. The city became a target for regular missile and drone attacks which caused serious damage to residential buildings, cultural heritage sites, port infrastructure, and transportation routes.

Destruction of the historic center of Odesa during a missile attack Source

Destroyed Transfiguration Cathedral after a missile attack Source

Destroyed nine-story building after a drone attack Source

Rescue teams freeing people from rubble after a drone attack Source

Despite all the difficulties and numerous attacks, the Odesa community has shown indomitable strength from the first day of the war and ensured the continuous operation of all critical services. In March 2022, the Volunteer Formation “Municipal Guard of Odesa” was founded, which plays a key role in ensuring security and maintaining order during this difficult time.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Odesa community has been the focus of attention and support from partner states, international institutions, and organizations.

A batch of humanitarian aid formed and sent to Kyiv - 20 tons of food Source

Providing humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons Source

In total, over 150,000 people were evacuated through Odesa during the period of hostilities in Ukraine. Most of the evacuees continued on to Western Ukraine. Those who decided to stay in Odesa were provided with accommodation assistance.

The Odesa community handed over three mobile auto repair shops to the Defense Forces Source

The City Humanitarian Volunteer Center for Refugee Assistance has been created. The Center’s branches operate in every district of the city. First of all, the Center provides assistance to vulnerable segments of the population, with priority given to refugees, the elderly, families with children, and people with disabilities.

Humanitarian aid from the sister city of Regensburg (Federal Republic of Germany) Source

Odesa purchased and handed over 61 boats to the military Source

Community People

The community is managed by Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov and First Deputy Mayor Oleksandr Filatov.

Representatives of the Odesa City Council constantly participate in events (exhibitions, conferences, forums, trainings) in Ukraine and abroad, the largest of which include as follows:

The Southern Business Forum – held with the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine, aimed at strengthening the economic stability of Southern Ukraine. During the forum, participants discussed the following urgent topics on four discussion panels: sectoral overview of the state of the economy of Southern Ukraine in wartime; the role of women and social initiatives of women in the Southern region; hospitality and hotel and restaurant business; challenges and opportunities during wartime; grant opportunities to support small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine.

The Rebuild Ukraine Exhibition – (Warsaw, Poland). The main goal of the event is to attract international funding for the reconstruction of Ukrainian communities, to assist Ukrainian energy enterprises in the reconstruction of critical infrastructure facilities damaged as a result of the military aggression, and to attract investment in cities and regions of Ukraine, which today support millions of displaced families and have attractive investment opportunities.

To promote Odesa as a comfortable location for filming, the Odesa Film Office facilitated the filming of a 24-part documentary project by Artemiy Surin, “The Great Circle. Ukraine. What Next?” in Odesa and the region in November 2023. The film is dedicated to the 24 months of the war in Ukraine. The project focuses on the stories of people who influenced the course of the war; disasters and large-scale destruction that changed not only the landscape and ecology, but also the structure of life in a large territory; and the examples of rapid recovery and mutual assistance.

The Odesa Economic Revival Forum held in September 2024 was an important event to discuss the recovery and development of the region after military trials. The event brought together experts, government representatives, business and public figures who exchanged experiences, ideas and projects aimed at restoring infrastructure, the economy and the social sphere.

Odesa, as a modern European city, strives to create comfortable conditions for its residents and tourists. An important aspect of this is the development of cycling infrastructure: currently, the city has more than 100 km of cycle lanes and more than 30 km of cycle paths. This helps reduce dependence on cars, decrease the level of toxic emissions and noise, which improves the environmental situation and brings the city closer to European standards of sustainable development.

At the same time, the Odesa community is actively working on improving the transport and logistics system. For example, a large project to build a new road to the Odesa Sea Port is currently being implemented. The first three pillars of the future overpass, which will become a key element of the new road, have already been installed.

A new terminal and runway have been built at Odesa Airport, which is an integral part of the city’s strategic development plan as a key international transport hub.

Unfortunately, on April 30, 2022, the runway was destroyed during a missile attack from temporarily occupied Crimea.

Development Strategy

The community development strategy is now being prepared. As of today, a working group has been created to prepare a draft Odesa Urban Territorial Community Development Strategy until 2027.

Projects that require investment:

Creation of the Odesa Innovation Park, an industrial park on the filtration fields in the city of Odesa. The industrial park is a form of support for the economic development of territories. The purpose of creating the Odesa Innovation Park is to realize the industrial potential of the Odesa urban territorial community on the basis of sustainable development. The land area of the industrial park is 35 hectares (with the possibility of further expansion). 1.5 hectares are allocated for each enterprise. The planned number of enterprises on the territory of the industrial park is 20 with 30 employees per enterprise. Specialization of enterprises: production of equipment for alternative energy sources; metalworking, mechanical engineering; production of wood products; production of electrical equipment, household appliances; production of plastic products; warehousing, logistics.

A project for the construction of a new multifunctional arena for holding international concerts, sports, exhibition and business events on the territory of the new Palace of Sports. Design capacity: the building has a total area of 9,528.5 m2. Estimated capacity: 3,208 people (spectators: 3,000; athletes: 183; service staff: 25 people). Existing infrastructure: the land plot for construction is located in a green area in the immediate vicinity of Odesa Airport, next to a convenient transport interchange; all necessary communications and engineering networks (electricity, heat, gas, water supply and drainage) will be laid within the construction. As part of the improvement of the territory, it is planned to arrange areas equipped with outdoor exercise and children’s play complexes, parking lots, etc.

Construction of a multifunctional Sports Palace Source

Design and reconstruction of coastal protection structures Source

A project for the construction of anti-slide structures to strengthen slopes and restore the beach from Cape Langeron to Cape Velykyi Fontan – 12.5 km, from Cape Velykyi Fontan to the village of Chornomorka – 5.5 km

The implementation of the project solves environmental issues: preventing landslides and flooding of coastal areas in the event of bad weather or natural disasters; economic issues: preserving and strengthening the city’s infrastructure; security issues: ensuring the safety of residents and property from possible emergencies related to the unsatisfactory condition of coastal protection structures; social issues: improving the aesthetics and comfort of coastal areas for the recreation of residents and tourists.

To implement the strategy and develop the community, the communal institution “Grant Office Odesa 5T” has been operating under the leadership of Tamila Afanasieva for 6 years. The Grant Office not only attracts funding, but also contributes to the transformation of Odesa into a modern, progressive city and ensures effective interaction among investors, grantors and city structures.

The “Grant Office Odesa 5T” team implements projects that change the city for the better. It successfully cooperates with leading organizations such as JICA, GIZ, USAID, and many others, which ensures stability and trust in the team’s initiatives.

Over the past 6 years, the Grant Office has organized over 500 international meetings to attract partners; implemented and supported dozens of projects that improve the lives of Odesa residents and visitors; and created trusting relationships with key international funds and organizations.

Despite constant russia’s attacks, the Odesa community tirelessly moves forward, maintaining courage and determination in its pursuit of development. The city, full of strength and hope, continues to recover and develop, setting new goals for itself despite the difficulties.

List of Sources

If you want to contact an Ukrainian community or have additional questions regarding the project please contact us: [email protected]