site.btaOdesa Celebrates 230 Years Since Its Founding

Odesa celebrated its 230th anniversary on Tuesday with an official flag-raising ceremony. Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov emphasized the city’s continued development based on openness, partnership, and public participation, even amid current challenges.

"Despite the war, Odesa continues to develop on principles of openness, partnership, and public participation in making important decisions. Together, we are creating an Odesa that will embody our dreams and hopes," Trukhanov said in his address.

The ceremony was attended by Oleg Kiper, head of the Odesa Province military administration, regional and city officials, and members of the diplomatic corps, including the Consul General of Bulgaria, Svetoslav Ivanov. Flags of various Ukrainian military branches and partner countries supporting Odesa and Ukraine, including Bulgaria, were displayed.

Under the "Multinational Odesa" program, representatives of the nationalities involved in the city’s founding, such as Greeks, Bulgarians, Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, and Moldovans, participated in the event. The Bulgarian community was represented by students from the Bulgarian Sunday School in Odesa, Vasil Aprilov, and the Odesa Law Academy.

On the same day, four new names were added to Odesa's Walk of Fame: artists, writers, and journalists Vitaliy Alikberov, Mykhailo Komarov, Sholem Aleichem, and Alexander Rosenboim.

Odesa has been a significant centre for Bulgarian settlers, particularly during the Bulgarian National Revival. Migration increased in the 1820s and 1830s due to Russia's conflicts with the Ottoman Empire, economic opportunities, and cultural and educational growth.

The city played a key role in the early Bulgarian literary and artistic movement, with figures like Nayden Gerov, Dobri Chintulov, Elena Muteva, and Ivan Bogorov contributing to the Odesa Literary Circle. The Odesa Bulgarian Board of Trustees, founded in 1854, supported Bulgarian education and liberation efforts, offering scholarships and financial assistance.

Other organizations, such as the Saints Cyril and Methodius Slavic Charitable Society, advanced Bulgarian and Slavic education and culture. Several monuments in Odesa commemorate Bulgarian figures like Ivan Vazov, Hristo Botev, Vasil Aprilov, and Aleko Konstantinov, reflecting the city's historical connections with Bulgaria.