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←3.1.Northern Black Sea Region XV-XVIII centuries♦
←3.2.Hocabey-Khodzhabey (Khadzhibey). Period of XV-XVIII centuries↓
←3.3.Khadzhibey-Odessa. Period XVIII century. Northern Black Sea Region XVIII century↓
←2.1.Kotsubey (Kochubiyiv). Period XV century. Eastern Europe II-XV centuries♦
←1.1.Ancient cities in the place of modern Odesa♦
Odessa. Period 1794 – 1803.
1791 – 1917 – Russian Empire
1792 – 1797 роки – Yekaterinoslav Governorate
1797 – 1802 роки – Novorossia Governorate
After the city was captured, the locals scattered and hid in the steppe around Khadjibey, while others fled to the Ottoman Empire. However, over time, the inhabitants of Khadjibey gradually began to return to their native lands. Their numbers were small—by 1793, there were 254 people living in eight settlements. In Khadjibey itself, the population was 28 people in ten households. At the end of July of that year, construction began on a new fortress on the site of the old one to protect the borderlands. The development of the city began on the site of Khadjibey. The construction project for the city, port, and new fortress was entrusted to the Dutch military engineer Franz de Volan, who implemented principles of ancient Roman urban planning. The responsibility for building the new port on the Black Sea and developing the modern city was given to Count José de Ribas and Count Platon Zubov. Zubov, notably, paid much attention to the development of the city at this site, as General-in-Chief Alexander Suvorov was only interested in the fortress and not in the development of the city or the establishment of the port; Rear Admiral Nikolai Mordvinov believed the new port should be built in Ochakov; and the once-famous Grigory Potemkin fought for the development of Kinburn. However, only Platon Zubov supported de Ribas and de Volan, who believed that Khadjibey was the most advantageous location for the port. (In the original language) “…I inform you that the construction of this port has been entrusted to me. Necessary funds and materials are allocated to you for the execution of this plan. You are entrusted with the supervision of fortress works… in Odessa instead of General-in-Chief Suvorov…” – wrote Platon Zubov to José de Ribas.
Additionally, from 1794 to 1797, a detachment of Black Sea Cossacks was stationed in Khadjibey, called the “Black Sea Cossack Team stationed in Khadjibey (Odessa).” As of August 21 (September 1), 1794, this team consisted of 434 Cossacks. They were primarily engaged in the construction of the port, as well as other building works. Alongside the Cossacks, the port was also being built by soldiers from four Russian regiments—the Vitebsk and Nizhny Novgorod Musketeer Regiments and the Nikolaev and Dnieper Grenadier Regiments, as well as the Bug and Yekaterinoslav Cossack Regiments. Every day, around 400 men worked in the bay, enduring terrible conditions and poor food. As a result, about a quarter of the workers died during the construction of the port. The first building under the new administration was constructed by Count Grigory Volkonsky on August 22 (September 2), 1794, at the corner of what are now Lanzheronivska and Rishelyevska Streets. This date is still considered the “Day of the Founding of the City” and is celebrated by the residents of Odessa. On the same day, with the blessing of Metropolitan Gabriel of Yekaterinoslav and Chersonesus-Tauride, the first piles of the house were driven in. The following year, during the first official census, the city had a population of 2,360 people, which was many times more than just a year and a half earlier. Around the same time, Khadjibey was renamed “Odessa.” However, no official documents regarding the renaming have been found to date. It is only known that the name “Odessa” first appeared in a document dated January 10 (22), 1795.
The local administration, under the orders of Count José de Ribas, began issuing “open letters” for lifetime ownership of land plots. De Ribas himself took a plot on what is now Polish Street and developed it himself. Following his example, all the local officials acquired land plots and began to develop them. However, the local population did not show the same enthusiasm as José de Ribas had hoped. Given these circumstances, it was decided to settle part of the city with Italians, Greeks, and Albanians who had participated on the Russian side in the last Russo-Turkish war. In November 1795, a division of 300 soldiers and officers was assembled from Greek and Albanian soldiers and settled in the city. This practice had already been applied to the Cossacks, whom de Ribas had settled in the city. This is how Odessa came to have Velyka Arnautska Street and Mala Arnautska Street, named after the Arvanites, a sub-ethnic group of Albanians; Greek Street and Greek Square; as well as toponyms of Cossack life in Peresyp, such as Chornomorske Kozatstvo Street, Ataman Holovaty Street, and Ataman Chepyha Street.
On November 6 (17), 1796, Russian Empress Catherine II passed away. Subsequently, the throne was taken by Paul I, who, unlike his mother, did not show much interest in her state-building plans. Soon, Platon Zubov was dismissed, and on December 12 (23), Paul I issued a decree prohibiting the unauthorized movement of peasants from one place to another and imposing fines for sheltering fugitives. Odessa was in dire need of population, so this decree significantly worsened the situation in the city. Just 14 days later, on December 26 (January 6), the commission overseeing the construction of the fortress and port was dissolved, and 15 days after that, de Ribas and de Wollant were summoned to St. Petersburg.
The city was not experiencing the best of times, but at the beginning of 1800, it received a state loan for 14 years in the amount of 250 thousand Russian rubles. According to legend, this loan was largely facilitated by the so-called “orange bribe.” That year, the magistrate sent Gregory Raxomati, an NCO from the Greek division, to the capital with three thousand oranges. The legend says that because the emperor was pleased with the fruits, which were unusual for the north, he decided to help the southern city build a large port. During Paul’s reign, the city also received its first coat of arms. The upper golden part of the shield depicted the state’s double-headed eagle, and in the lower part was a silver anchor. Since Odessa’s coat of arms was approved under Paul I, the Russian eagle in the upper half of the shield was of the “Pauline type,” meaning it included the Maltese cross element, which was removed from the city’s coat of arms after the emperor’s death. On March 12 (24), 1801, the emperor was killed in a coup, and his successor was Alexander I..
At the beginning of the 19th century, ships from the largest trading centers in Europe—Marseille, Galați, Naples, Istanbul, Piraeus, Genoa, and others—were already arriving at the local port. As a result, the markets in Odessa were always filled with a variety of products found both on the continent and beyond. The city typically received coffee, fruits, tobacco, and halva, while exporting mainly wheat, fish, meat, wool, and more. In 1796, the Odessa Exchange was established, the second exchange after the one in Saint Petersburg. Notably, it was created at the request of foreign merchants. Meetings were held daily from 10 to 12 o’clock. To maintain order at the exchange, a police officer was present.
It is believed that due to the high demand for European trading ships in Odessa, the young emperor decided to send one of his best servants to the city — Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septemanie de Vignerot du Plessis, duc d’Aiguillon, duc de Fronsac, duc de Richelieu.
Odessa. Period 1803 – 1814.
1791 – 1917 – Russian Empire
1802 – 1873 – Novorossia Governorate-General
1803 – 1917 – Kherson Governorate
1803 – 1838 – Own City Administration
It was Duke de Richelieu, descendant of the famous cardinal Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu (March 9, 1585, Paris – December 4, 1642, Paris) – a French cardinal of the Catholic Church and minister of the Kingdom of France, who helped King Louis XIII make France a powerful state, became the first city governor of Odessa.
Сity governor in the Russian Empire in the 19th to early 20th century was a position of authority with the rights of a governor, overseeing a city and its surrounding territories, designated as a separate administrative unit due to its particular significance or geographical location. Mayors were appointed personally by the emperor or upon recommendation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Regarding cities within their jurisdiction, mayors exercised all the rights of governors, overseeing municipal self-government, managing urban police, supervising trade, postal services, navigation, public affairs, serfdom, and port facilities. City governors presided over special municipal affairs meetings and in gubernatorial executive committees when addressing economic matters in the capital.
As of 1803, the population of the city numbered about nine thousand residents. Duke Emmanuel de Richelieu managed to find common ground with the local population, composed of representatives of various nations: Albanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Jews, Italians, Ukrainians, Russians, French, and others. This included the Nogais, who had lived in these lands since the 14th century and greatly respected the French official because he resolved their resettlement issues. Additionally, with his support, a mosque was built in each settlement along with a house for the mullah and his family. Later, the region saw the establishment of its first wineries. Thanks to increasing trade volumes and capitalization of the city, Odessa’s architecture constantly enriched itself with new beautiful buildings. Interestingly, the mayor personally approved their plans. In the early years of Duke’s administration, the first theater, city hospital, cathedral, Catholic church, and construction of the quarantine began.
Odessa Quarantine were fortifications in Odessa, located in the territory of modern Taras Shevchenko Park. They served for quarantining goods and passengers arriving at the port of Odessa. At the end of the 18th century, a stone arcade was built, along with dividing the territory into zones. Construction of the arcade, according to archival documents, was completed in 1807. In the early 19th century, attention was paid to the need to organize quarantine within the fortress during the city’s expansion. In 1811, the Odessa fortress, which existed on the grounds of the modern Chornomorets Stadium in Taras Shevchenko Park, was reorganized into a Quarantine.
The Сity governor paid great attention to greening the city. In particular, during his tenure, the brother of Admiral Felix de Ribas gifted Odessa his garden.
Emmanuel de Richelieu began his tenure by pursuing a policy of financing the construction and expansion of port facilities, as almost half of the trading vessels sailing the Black Sea stopped in Odessa. This period also marked the beginning of large-scale wheat sales to Europe. In 1804, Odessa merchants earned just over 3.3 million Russian rubles, which was 4.5 times more than two years prior.
Already in 1808, Odessa, as the largest port of the country, opened its first commercial court. The Odessa Commercial Court was the first commercial court in the Russian Empire and the first appellate court in the territory of Ukraine. Unlike other courts of the empire at that time, this court introduced the principle of ‘swift justice’ and applied oral proceedings alongside written procedures, emphasizing efficiency and lack of formalism. In 1805, Odessa merchants initiated the establishment of a commercial court, modeling it after the system of commercial courts in France. By 1808, the Odessa Commercial Court was founded, where cases were heard actively involving agents, brokers, and proxies. The main reason for establishing these specialized courts was the specific nature of trade relations in contemporary Odessa. Therefore, local merchants were most interested in founding this court. It is considered the first appellate court in Ukraine. The first charter of the court was adopted on March 22 (10), 1808, by Russian Emperor Alexander I.
The city gradually developed, and by 1812, the population of the city had reached 20,000 people, which was 100 times more than 20 years ago.
However, that same year in Odessa, as well as throughout the Novorossiysk Governorate, one of the most terrifying diseases of humanity erupted — the plague. The first victims turned out to be the artists of an Italian troupe who were on tour in Odessa. They died at the end of July 1812, but the correct diagnosis was only established a month later by a special commission convened by de Richelieu. The disease spread inexorably, and by November of the same year, about 1,720 people had died in the city, with cases of plague mortality spreading throughout the region from Bessarabia to Kuban. As a result of these events, a general quarantine was imposed in the city: movement was prohibited without special passes, and the city was under special regulations. However, few among the poorest residents adhered to these measures. The city authorities then decided to burn infected houses along with all their contents. The disease particularly persisted in the Quarantine and Military Slopes area. It was only in February 1813 that Odessa rid itself of the plague and was declared a ‘safe city.’ In total, during the epidemic, 2,656 people died, which was one in ten, and only 675 people recovered from the disease. All the deceased were buried in a mass grave called ‘Plague Hill’.
By the end of de Richelieu’s administration in Odessa, the city’s population had grown to 35,000 people, which was five times more than 10 years ago. The number of buildings had increased to 2,600, with new ones constantly being constructed. The total trade turnover of all ports of the Black and Azov Seas at that time amounted to about 45 million Russian rubles per year, 25 million of which were attributed to Odessa alone. Customs duties amounted to approximately 2 million per year, which was a hundred times more than 15 years ago.
In the future, in Odessa, the name of the Duke will be given to Richelieu Street, Richelieu Lyceum, Duke’s Park, which once belonged to Armand Emmanuel de Richelieu, and a monument will be erected in his honor by the residents of Odessa.
Odessa. Period 1814 – 1822.
1791 – 1917 – Russian Empire
1802 – 1873 – Novorossia Governorate-General
1803 – 1917 – Kherson Governorate
1803 – 1838 – Own City Administration
In 1814, the population of Odessa was about twenty thousand people. From September 26 (October 8), 1814, to December 31, 1815 (January 12, 1816), the city governor temporarily appointed was the well-known British Count Thomas Coble in the Russian Empire. In his honor, a village (Kobleve) and a resort in modern Mykolaiv Oblast were later named, as well as a famous Ukrainian wine brand. In Odessa, the British man left a legacy as the head of the city’s nobility and also gave his name to one of the streets (Koblevska).
Starting from January 1 (13), 1816, the position of Odessa city governor was held by Count Louis Alexander Andre de Langeron.
As of the beginning of 1816, exports from Odessa were estimated at 37.7 million Russian rubles, of which 33 million were accounted for by wheat alone. At that time, many merchants became wealthy from selling this commodity. In particular, Dimitrios Inglezis, Grigorios Marazli Sr., Theodore Rodocanachi, and others.
One of Langeron’s greatest achievements is considered to be the establishment (renewal, see page ‘Khadjibey’) of the ‘porto-franco’ regime in the city, which meant abolishing customs duties on imported goods, thereby significantly boosting the economy. Discussions about establishing this regime had been ongoing since 1798, but it was only under Alexander de Langeron that ‘porto-franco’ was established (renewed) on August 15 (27), 1819. In connection with this, two special ditches were dug near the port: the ‘Kherson Customs House’ (on Peresyp) and the ‘Tiraspol Customs House’ (on Moldavanka). Thus, the customs border stretched from Sukhyi Estuary to Kuyalnytskyi. However, due to numerous border violations, it had to be reduced to the area from the port to the present-day Staryi Portofrankivska Street. Later on, the zone was expanded again, adding the areas of Maly Fontan, Moldavanka, and Peresyp. In 1859, the ‘porto-franco’ status was finally abolished. Over 40 years as a free port, Odessa became a world-class exporter of grain. ‘The immense importance of Odessa’s export trade in enhancing the productive forces of the region hardly needs proof, if we recall that in prosperous years more grain products were exported from Odessa than from all ports of the United States combined.‘ — wrote Dorothea Atlas.
In 1818, another significant event occurred in the city. The city governor invited the gardener Karl Desmet to establish a botanical garden. In 1819, the statute of the new Richelieu Lyceum was approved, and the first bank ‘Rodokanaki & Co’ was opened by local entrepreneur and patron Feodor Rodocanachi. The following year, the city’s first newspaper, ‘Messager de la Russie Meridionalle’, was published, and two years later, the artistic journal ‘Troubadour d’Odessa’ was launched.
At that time, Langeron held two positions — the city governor of Odessa and the general-governor of the Novorossiysk governorate. In 1820, he appealed to the emperor to separate these two positions due to considerable fatigue. The emperor granted his request, and on May 22 (June 3), 1820, Mykola Tregubov became the city governor of Odessa. However, this did not mean a complete departure from Langeron’s affairs. The following year, through the efforts of the count, the long-standing connection between Odessa and Istanbul was restored. Around the same time, architect Francois Sainte-Claire received a task to develop the city’s master plan. After its development, the plan was approved first by the general-governor and then by Alexander I. This project envisioned the creation of a place that could become the cultural center of the city. This place became Primorsky Boulevard and its surroundings. The work began in 1821, military barracks and a regimental church located in this area were demolished. Another architect, Charles Michel Potier, was directly involved in the construction.
On July 17 (29), 1822, Langeron resigned from the position of general-governor due to deteriorating health.