Many ports exist in the world. They began to appear many centuries ago, when sea routes were the most convenient way to travel. They were used primarily for trade, and only later - for travel. Of course, such movements were not always safe. But there just might not be any other way. Sea voyages have always been shrouded in romance and various fascinating stories. It would seem that over the years the relevance of shipping is gradually decreasing. However, this is not at all the case. Currently, there are many maritime hubs, among which the port of Odessa stands out in particular. This article will focus on this object, its history and features.
Odessa port: basic information
Now it's worth figuring out what this sea knot is. To begin with, you should give a general description of it and talk about how important it is for the present. So,The Odessa seaport is a large facility, one might even say, a sea gate on the Black Sea coast. It is characterized as one of the largest trading hubs, which has an important international status. It is located, as mentioned above, on the coast, in the Gulf of Odessa. Separately, it should be noted that the port includes one of the largest passenger terminals in all of Europe. And in this part it can compete with the largest maritime knots in the world.
When did he appear?
Many are interested in the question of when the Odessa port was built. The beginning of construction dates back to the end of the 18th century, or rather, to 1794. Of course, the object was not equipped in one year. Approximately in 1905, he acquired a look close to his current appearance. If we turn to the history of the Russian Empire, then the port of Odessa occupied the second place in terms of the turnover of various cargoes. According to these indicators, at that time only the St. Petersburg Maritime Knot was ahead of it.
History
So, we have presented the basic information about what the Odessa seaport is, as well as some details of its functioning. Now it is worth getting acquainted with its history in more detail, since it is really rich in various events. Initially, high hopes were placed on this object. It was planned that the main export of goods from Novorossia and Ukraine to other countries through the Black Sea would be carried out here. It was this goal that was pursued during construction.
As mentioned above, the construction of the object began in 1794. It is no coincidence that by 1801 Odessa became the leader in cargo turnover and the main center of trade. Odessa port by this time took a prominent place. More than 300 thousand rubles have already been spent on its construction, which at that time was considered a huge amount. By its 50th anniversary, the marine knot has already justified all the hopes placed on it and has broken all sorts of records. At that time, more grain was exported from Odessa than from all of America. In terms of cargo turnover, of all Russian ports, it was second only to St. Petersburg.
Participation of the port in the Great Patriotic War
It is worth noting that Odessa took a great part in the Great Patriotic War. In 1941 the city was surrounded. It took incredible heroic efforts to repel the attack of the German invaders. The defense lasted quite a long time - as much as 73 days. The port of Odessa provided invaluable assistance during this difficult time. It made it possible to facilitate many processes, for example, the supply of fighters with various ammunition, weapons and other necessary things.
It was the port that made it possible to evacuate people, wounded soldiers from the city and transport equipment from various enterprises. The existence of this node and the possibility of delivering the necessary things by sea made it possible to carry out a successful and incredibly long defense of the city, which at that moment was surrounded. During this time, the port was significantly destroyed. However, its restoration began in 1944, even before the end of the war.
Interesting facts
Thus, now it became clear how significant the port played in the life of the city and the country throughout its existence. The sea gates of the Black Sea have indeed been and remain an important transport hub. In addition, there are many interesting facts and stories associated with this most important object. One of them is related to the warehouses built here. These are premises used as warehouses.
Here they were built at the beginning of the 20th century and attracted the attention of many famous writers. They got into the city guide as a kind of sights. The writer V. Kataev also mentioned them in his work “Cemetery in Skuliany”. The description of warehouses is also found in another Russian writer - A. Kuprin. In one of his stories called "Gambrinus" you can find an interesting passage. He talks about how the ships were unloaded. Moreover, the writer described this process from nature.
Port today
So, the important strategic importance of the port at all times was considered. Many will probably ask this question: what is its role in our days? Has it lost its relevance? There is no single answer to this question. Nowadays, the port of Odessa also plays a significant role in various cargo transportation. Of course, it should be noted that in the 1990s, like most other objects, it experienced a crisis, since the volume of transported goods decreased markedly. Many workers in such a difficult situation had tolook for work in other ports.
However, since the beginning of the 2000s, the situation began to improve: the cargo turnover gradually increased. To date, there has been a significant update of this object. The berths of the Odessa port have a length of more than 9 kilometers. Many components have been reconstructed. For example, sea station, hotel and others. According to 2009 data, the port's cargo turnover for the year amounted to about 34 million tons of cargo, which is an excellent indicator.
