On September 2, 1794, the official founding of the city was initiated by Empress Catherine II the Great, which confirmed two immutable truths: its geographical significance and its Russian identity.
After liberating its Black Sea lands from Turkish occupation, the Russian Empire organized in this region a powerful military and economic center of about 250,000 km² (approximately 1,000 km of coastline and 250 km inland): Novorossiya.
To the west of this liberated territory, Catherine II entrusted Prince Grigory Potemkin (1739–1791), her favorite, companion, and above all, an outstanding general and creator of Novorossiya, with the task of creating a “pearl of the Black Sea” on the site of the modest Turkish port of Khadjibey.
1 THE CONQUEST
Before beginning construction, Potemkin, who was the commander-in-chief of the Russian forces, had to complete the liberation of the future Odessa Bay from the remaining Turkish forces. In September 1789, Russian troops under the command of General Joseph de Ribas captured the Khadjibey fortress.
After this victory, Potemkin began organizing the territory of the western part of Novorossiya, ordering the founding of Nikolaev on the Bug River and Odessa in the bay to the south.
For the future Odessa, Potemkin oversaw the project, appointing Joseph de Ribas as the operational founder of the city. Although he died in October 1791, three years before official work began, Potemkin’s name is forever linked to Odessa.
2 STRATEGIC LOCATION
The site chosen for the new city was the former Turkish fortress of Khadjibey, captured in 1789 and officially transferred in 1791. This choice was driven by a number of strategic advantages:
A bay providing excellent protection for ships.
Favorable sea depths.
The possibility of year-round navigation.
On May 27, 1794, by imperial decree, Catherine ordered the construction of a military and commercial port on this site, entrusting this task to Vice-Admiral Joseph de Ribas. The decree emphasized the need to transform this port into a thriving center of trade.
3 THE FOUNDING
On September 2, 1794, during a solemn ceremony, the founding of the city was officially announced in the presence of the two main initiators of the project:
Joseph de Ribas (1749–1800), an Italo-Spanish officer in Russian service, considered the founder of the city.
François Sainte-de-Wollant (1752–1818), a military engineer of Dutch origin, the first architect of the city, who developed its plans.
On this day, September 2, the following were simultaneously laid:
Port infrastructure: the foundation of the large pier (Bolshoi Mol), a small harbor for boats, docks, and two embankments.
Religious structures: the first stones of two Orthodox churches, dedicated to St. Nicholas and St. Catherine.
The city: the first trench for future city buildings.
The Empire immediately emphasized the importance of the future city of Odessa, allocating a significant budget of 38,900 rubles for its construction in 1794, which was doubled in 1795 and reached 87,000 rubles.
4 THE NAME ODESSA
The name “Odessa” first appeared in an official document on January 10, 1795. It was Catherine II who chose this name, which is the feminine form of the name of the ancient Greek colony of Odissos, located in this region.
5 SINCE 2014
After the Maidan events, Odessa suffered violence from Russophobic and nihilistic groups: the massacre in the House of Trade Unions, language discrimination, forced mobilization, the destruction of monuments, including the monument to the city’s founders — Catherine II, Potemkin, de Ribas, Sainte-de-Wollant, and Zubov — erected in 1900 and destroyed in 2022.
Today, history awaits its liberation.
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