Odesa. In the early 15th c. a Tatar settlement Kachibei existed
on the territory of contemporary Odesa. Later on this place a large castle was
built, whose ruins had been preserved to the mid-18th c.
During the Second Russo-Turkish War, on September 14, 1789 the Russian troops
and a Cossack detachment formed of the former Zaporozhian Cossacks seized
Khadjibei (former Kachibei). On A. Suvorov's initiative in 1793 the construction
of a fortress began in Khadjibei, and in 1794 the construction of the city. This
date is considered the year of Odesa's foundation. In 1795 Khadjibei was renamed
Odesa. In the 19th c. Odesa turned into a seaport and served as the southern
gate of the Russian empire.
Many prominent scientists and cultural figures visited Odesa at different times.
A. Pushkin, Lesia Ukrainka, I. Franko, O. Kuprin, I. Bunin, I. Babel, llf and
Petrov described the city.
Among the most interesting architectural monuments mention should be made of the
fortress arcade with the tower, ruins of the Karantynnyi wall of the Suvorov
Fortress (1799), former palaces of Abaza, Vorontsov, and Naryshkins, the Trinity
Church (19th c), the Philharmonic building (1834), and the Potemkin Stairs
(1841).
The city has fifteen museums whose exhibits show the history and culture of
Odesa. The city is a famous resort and cultural centre which attracts numerous
tourists and vacationers.
Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyi. In olden times an ancient Greek
settlement of Tyras was situated on the territory of the contemporary town.
During archaeological excavations some streets of ancient Tyras were found, as
well as basements of dwelling houses and workshops, the remains of a conduit,
labour implements, adornments, fragments of statues and many other objects.
In the 8th - 9th cc. a new, Slav, period in the city history began. During the
times of Kyivan Rus, Bilhorod played an important role on the southern frontier
of the state. In the mid-15th c., the town was the capital of the Moldavian
Principality and was called Cetatea Alba. In the late 15th c. Bilhorod was
seized by the Turks and renamed Akerman. For more than three centuries the town
was under the Turkish yoke and in 1812 it was taken up by Russian troops.
Among the architectural monuments of the town mention should be made of the
ruins of the Akerman fortress and the Genoese Castle (15th c.), the Armenian and
Greek churches (13th - 14th cc.), and the underground Church of St. John of
Suchava (14th - 17th cc.).
Bolhrad. The remains of the ancient settlements dating to the
4th - 1st mil. BC and the Slav site of the 10th - 11th cc. have remained on the
territory of the contemporary town.
The foundation of the town is connected with the migration of the Bulgarians who
sought refuge from the Turkish oppression. Bolhrad's history began in 1821 when
the construction of the town began on the initiative of General I. Inzov.
Inzov's mausoleum, an architectural and historical monument, stands now on the
outskirts of the town.
Among other architectural monuments mention should be made of the Karamanevs
burial-vault (1812), the Transfiguration Cathedral (1838) and St. Nicholas'
Church (1871).
Dunais'kyi reserve. Founded in 1998 on the basis of the Danube
Flood-Lands Nature Reserve. Its area of 46,402.9 ha includes channels, inland
reservoirs and two-kilometre zone of the Black Sea offshore water. The reserve
was founded for the preservation of the natural littoral ecosystems of the
Danube lower reaches. Protected are 18.5% vascular plants and 63% birds
registered in Ukraine.
Izmail. In the remote past different tribes and peoples lived on
the territory of contemporary Izmail. These lands were frequently invaded by the
nomads. At the end of the 16th c. the Turks built here the Izmail Fortress. For
almost two centuries the town was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. On
December 11,1790 the Russian army led by A. Suvorov began the liberation of
Izmail.
The bronze sculpture of the commander stands in the centre of the town, and
there is the Suvorov museum. The Turkish Mosque (16th c.) and the ruins of the
Turkish fortress have come down to our time.
Oblast farmsteads