This marvelous city by the sea has been called by many names — South Palmyra, Black Sea Babylon, Little Paris, Capital of the South. Yes, you are absolutely right, its name is Odessa. It is an amazing city, which has almost everything, where the incommunicable connects, where the Ukrainian steppe meets the Black Sea, where the air is clean and fresh, where cheerful and witty people live. Odessa’s sights are truly mesmerizing with their unique beauty.
By historical standards, the hero city Odessa is still quite young, but its history is rich in many significant events that have left their imprints both on the architectural appearance, as evidenced by the main attractions of Odessa, and on the character of the inhabitants and their attitude to their homeland — the most colorful southern city.
History of Odessa from the moment of its inception is associated with the struggle for the liberation of the northern Black Sea coast from the Ottoman conquerors. But even earlier, in the XIII century during the Golden Horde, in place of today’s Odessa was the settlement of Dzhinestra. At the end of the XIV century and the beginning of the XV century Djinestra was a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and it was called Kachibey, Gadzhibey or Kotsyubey. Since 1475, Kachibey belonged to the Ottoman Empire, and the Turks call it — Hajibey or Ajibey. 
In 1764 the fortress of Yeni-Dunya was built here, which during the second Russian-Turkish war was captured on September 14, 1789 by the detachment of Joseph de Ribas — major-general of the Russian army, the commander of which was A. V. Suvorov
.Suvorov
The four-year war ended with the Yassky Peace Treaty, concluded in 1791, according to which Russia again ceded Crimea and the lands between the rivers of the Dniester and Southern Bug.
May 22, 1794 Catherine the Great issued a decree on the construction of a military harbor in place of Hajibey. Under the leadership of Joseph de Ribas and engineer-colonel Franz de Vollan began work on a plan for the construction of the city.
September 2, 1794 with the blessing of Metropolitan of Ekaterinoslav and Tauris Gabriel were driven the first piles in the foundation of the city of Odessa, which got its name from the Greek village of Odessos or Odissos, which was located 45 versts east of Hadjibey on the tip of the left bank of the Tiligul estuary.
The prosperity of this beautiful Ukrainian city was promoted by prominent city leaders — Admiral de Ribas, Duke Duke de Richelieu, Count Vorontsov and Langeron. Each of them did many glorious deeds for the benefit of Odessa and its inhabitants. At the time of these talented people and were built the main attractions of Odessa, without which you can not imagine the history of Odessa and the entire northern Black Sea coast.
Odessa is geographically well located, which allowed it to quickly turn from a small settlement into a commercial, industrial and scientific center of European importance.
By the 100th anniversary of its founding Odessa ranked 4th in the Russian Empire in terms of population and economic development after St. Petersburg, Moscow and Warsaw. During the 1st and 2nd World Wars, the hero-city experienced devastation, and many residents were shot by German and Romanian invaders. Despite the historical upheavals, Odessa’s population has tripled over the last century.
Today the city is developing as a major industrial and resort center of Ukraine. Mild climate, many sandy beaches and warm sea create all conditions for unforgettable vacation in Odessa and attract millions of tourists to the city, which bears the title of «Southern Palmyra». Odessa should not only be seen, but also heard, inhaled, tasted. Odessa is not a railway station or an airport, and not even such famous sights as Deribasovskaya Street, Potemkin Stairs, Primorsky Boulevard and Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater, not only them. Odessa is incredible Odessa stories, ingrained phrases, hooligan songs, ingenious poems, original humor, funny anecdotes and much, much more.
Odessa is a city with a rich historical heritage, and it is also a great place for recreation. Everyone who has been to Odessa at least once takes a piece of it in his heart, hoping to return to the shore of the world’s bluest Black Sea someday.