Access to the sea is important for any country, because the waterway is a great trade, economic and political opportunity. Mariupol Commercial Sea Port in Mariupol is a significant state object of Ukraine. Its history and development are of public interest. We will talk about how the port was created and what its features are today.
Geographic location
The city and port of Mariupol are located on the shores of the Sea of Azov, in the northwestern part of the Taganrog Bay. The port is located 14 km from the entrance to the bay, administratively it belongs to the Donetsk region of Ukraine and is one of the four largest sea harbors of the state. The coast of Mariupol rises 68 meters above sea level, the relief of the territory is predominantly flat. The total area of the city is 166 sq. km, and 0.67 sq. km occupies the Mariupol port.
Climate
Mariupol, the port is located in the temperate continental climate zone. local weathergreatly softens the proximity of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Winters are warm, wet and short, while summers are long, hot and dry. In the warm season, clear, sunny days predominate, the sun shines for 2340 hours a year. Precipitation in the region is not very much (420 mm), this is due to the fact that there is little rain here in summer. This climate provides an opportunity to grow various heat-loving vegetables and fruits. But the city and suburbs are poorly provided with water resources. The volumes of the Kalmius River are not enough to cover the existing needs for fresh water, therefore, several artificial reservoirs have been created in the area of the settlement. The average annual temperature in Mariupol is plus 13.5 degrees. In winter, the thermometer drops to minus 1-2 degrees. Ingoda there are frosts up to 10-15 degrees. In summer, the average temperature is around 23 degrees Celsius, but the thermometer can rise up to +35. The sea in the Mariupol region in summer warms up to 24-26 degrees Celsius on average. In winter, especially in January-February, the waters cool down greatly, sometimes an ice crust forms on the surface.
History of the city
The area where the seaport of Mariupol is located today has long been inhabited by people. The convenient location near the river and the sea made this place profitable for life. Many ancient tribes lived here, since the 10th century the lands were under the control of Kievan Rus. In 1223, the well-known Battle of Kalka took place here between the Russians and the Polovtsy and the Mongol-Tatar army. As a result, the Russians suffereddefeat, and the lands fell under the rule of the Tatars for a long time, and the Crimean Khanate was subsequently formed here. The original inhabitants, the peasants who fled from the invaders, became the founders of the Cossacks. In the 16-18 centuries, Zaporizhzhya Cossacks settled here, who built fortifications to protect against the attacks of the Crimean Tatars. However, the city of Mariupol itself traces its history back to the second half of the 18th century (1778), when the Church of St. Nicholas was built in the fortress and a settlement was founded nearby, which at first bore the name Pavlovsk.
In 1779, by order of Empress Catherine II, the city of Mariupol was created here, where it was ordered to resettle the Orthodox Greeks, who were taken from the territory of the Crimean Khanate. Settlers were granted special rights to land and benefits. In 1780, the city officially received the name Mariupol. The Greeks began active construction. And the city began to grow rapidly. When Crimea became part of the Russian Empire, some of the former settlers returned to their homeland, and their lands were distributed to newly arrived residents. So the German diaspora was created, many free Cossacks arrived, baptized Jews were resettled. The city became more and more multiethnic. Each nation found its own business niche, and this contributed to the rapid economic development of the region. A powerful impetus for the growth of the city was given by the construction of the port. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, a railway, the largest metallurgical plant were built in Mariupol, the port was expanding. In Soviet times, the city continues to grow, although it did not manage to avoid tragic losses during the war years. After the collapse of the USSRMariupol has become one of the most important port cities in Ukraine and today continues its labor activity for the benefit of the country and residents.
Port History
In 1886, the construction of the port of Mariupol began, which was a natural continuation of the policy of the Russian government to develop the south of the country and create new opportunities for trade. For three years, workers deepened the harbor for the passage of heavy ships, built an embankment, piers, breakwaters. In 1889, the grand opening of the port took place. And regular transportation of coal from Donetsk mines began. Then foreign ships began to arrive at the port to conduct trade. Over the following years, it was modernized and expanded, turning into a large modern harbor.
Characteristics of the port of Mariupol
In the competition between ports, those that can serve ships of any type win - and such is Mariupol. The port is able to receive vessels of almost any carrying capacity all year round, and this is its undoubted advantage over many harbors of the Sea of Azov. Mariupol is equipped with special systems that provide ice assistance to ships using an icebreaker. This allows ships to be serviced all year round. The port has all types of communication with crews, including satellite. Its conditions are such that ships with a draft of up to 8 meters and a maximum length of 240 meters can enter it. Almost 12,000sq. m of covered warehouses and 240 thousand sq. m of open spaces. Mariupol is connected to more than 150 ports on all continents.
Port Specialization
The port of Mariupol is capable of receiving ships with a carrying capacity of up to 10 thousand tons, container ships, dry cargo ships for transporting coal. It mainly interacts with the harbors of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, the Volga-Don system, East Africa and the Persian Gulf. The port of Mariupol specializes in receiving grain, general cargo, ore, coke, coal, construction cargo, rolled metal products, pipes, food containers, oil products, heavy and oversized equipment.
Current state of the port
Today, the port of Mariupol is one of the largest sea gates in Ukraine. More than 17 million tons of various cargoes pass through it every year, and this figure is increasing every year. The port is the most important enterprise of the city of Mariupol and gives the country a constant decent inflow of currency. Part of the profit is constantly directed to the modernization and improvement of the enterprise. The port is provided with the most modern equipment. This allows him to take ships in all weather conditions. The sea report of the port of Mariupol can be continuously tracked online, the pilot service provides reliable escort of ships, and unloading and logistics services allow you to quickly and reliably deliver cargo to the required address or storage warehouses.
Port Museum
During the long years of the existence of the portaccumulated a lot of documents and interesting artifacts. To systematize and store this valuable information, the Museum of the Mariupol Commercial Sea Port (Mariupol) was created. In 2012, he moved into a new, modern building. In two halls of the museum, visitors can get acquainted with the history of the creation and development of the port. Also here you can see photos of the harbor staff, a layout of its territory, maps of the routes of received ships.
Feedback from residents and partners
The port receives a large number of ships every year, and their staff always speaks with gratitude for the work of their employees. Residents of the city are true patriots of their port. They are always ready to talk about what kind of ships come to the shores of the city and tell urban legends about this enterprise. A large number of residents of the city are employees of the port, and they speak of their place of work with nothing but pride.
