Port of Odesa

The port of Odesa has its origins in the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792) and the subsequent Treaty of Jassy. In order to secure the new Russian frontier, it was decided to construct a series of fortifications along the Dniester. Construction began in 1793, being overseen by Alexander Suvorov and his chief engineer François-Paul Sainte de Wollant. When choosing a port suitable for enabling military as well as civilian trade, it was quickly found that the newly established cities of Kherson and Nikolayev would be placed too far away. The search for a suitable port was assigned to Iosif Mikhailovich Deribas, who selected the bay of Khadjibey as a suitable location. Deribas presented a report to Prince Platon Zubov, the representative of the Yekaterinoslav Viceroyalty. This put Deribas in conflict with Nikolay Mordvinov, who favoured the establishment of a port-city near the settlement of Ochakov.

The port is located at the western shores of the Odesa Bay. It consists of several harbors which are divided one from another by a number of jetties, while the port itself is screened off from the open sea by few long breakwaters located in the Odesa Bay. Just around the southern jetty (Karantyny) located a passenger terminal with a multi-story hotel at the Nova jetty. Towards the middle there is a Ship Maintenance Factory "Ukraina". At the northern portion are located grain and main oil terminals, while at the southern there is a smaller oil terminal amid container loading quays.