Mariupol is one of the well-known cities of Ukraine, actively visited by tourists. The reason for this is mainly the location on the shore of the glorious Sea of Azov, also attract tourists and its attractions and rich history. Today rest in Mariupol is chosen by tourists who want to be by the sea, not falling out of city life.
This is one of the ten largest cities in the country, a city of hard workers, an important commercial, economic and industrial center of southeastern Ukraine. Besides, it is also famous as a famous balneological and climatic resort, the largest in the Azov region, having many health resorts. Considering all this, it is hard to believe that its history is only about two and a half centuries old.
Of course, such a well-located place on the seashore at the mouth of two rivers — Kalmius and Kalchik, could not fail to attract people. In the city itself and its surroundings were found a lot of artifacts dating back to ancient times, starting from the Paleolithic era (40-10 thousand years ago), continuing Mesolithic, Neolithic, Eneolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. Among such evidence of the distant past are sites, burials and tools of ancient people. The most famous of them include the Mariupol burial ground, discovered during the construction of the Azovstal plant and dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Finds from this and many other burial grounds and sites of ancient people today can be seen in Mariupol museums — Ethnographic, Local History and others.
Well, the modern history of Mariupol begins only in the XVI century. It was then that Zaporozhian Cossacks founded a settlement here, naming it Domakhoi in honor of the lake formed as a result of swamping of one of the branches of the river Kalmius. Over time, the settlement grew, soon there was a fortress, in 1611 it became the center of the vast Kalmius district of Zaporizhian Sich. On the basis of the district gradually grows the namesake sloboda, in which in 1754. built a stone St. John’s Church — this year, some historians and consider the date of the founding of the city. However, the generally accepted date of the foundation of Mariupol is still considered to be 1778, when not far from the sloboda, which by that time was abolished (the city was moved Greeks from the Crimea, and Cossacks — exiled), was founded district town Pavlovsk. This name — Pavlovsk, was finally replaced by Mariupol in 1780. Well, the word «Mariupol» translates as «the city of Mary», so it was named in honor of Paul I’s wife Maria Fyodorovna.
Like their predecessors — Cossacks, Greeks — new inhabitants of these places, actively developed them, the city grew and developed rapidly. Already since the end of the XVIII century. Mariupol is considered a major trade center. By the middle of the XIX century there were many tanneries, salotopnye enterprises, tile and brick factories, gun, blacksmith and cooperage workshops, fish factories, mills, and by the end of the century this list was supplemented by a metallurgical plant. As a result, today Mariupol contributes almost one tenth of the income to the country’s budget.
For tourists — it is, first of all, a city by the sea, but most visitors prefer to rest not in the city itself, but in the nearest settlements and health resorts located in them. Well, those who stay still within the city, more often prefer its center, where the pre-revolutionary architecture — interesting sights of Mariupol, along with its many monuments, recreation parks and cozy green squares. If you want to come on vacation to Mariupol, choose summer, when the city blooms and drowns in greenery, in addition, at this time of year it does not feel so much that it is an industrial city, which, unfortunately, in recent years repels many tourists.