February 25 fierce 2021 р. at 16:00, the Branch of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture will host an online lecture “The Greek first settlers and the first 30 years of Odessa” by Mrs. Elizaveta Kuzminska-Polіchronіdі, the head of the NGO “Greeks of Odessa”.

“The history of the first 30 years of Odessa’s existence was inextricably linked with the Greek settlers, who played a significant role in the formation of the young city, in its construction and management.  The names of most of them are lost in human memory, but nonetheless, the great contribution of the Greek first settlers to Odessa is undeniable, though forgotten.  The merits of the Greeks in the young Odessa that included their addresses to the Russian Government to assign the coat of arms to the city, to grant the city the status of ‘porto franco’, and to establish the Magistrate and the City Council remain largely unappreciated.  Equally, we know very little about their participation in saving Odessa from the plague, in conducting the first city census, and in improving the city’s water supply.  The well-known story of the witty adventure with oranges highlights the special role that the Greeks played in saving Odessa from the disfavor of Emperor Paul I after the death of Catherine II, which gave the opportunity to complete the harbor and revive the dying city.  The construction of many buildings in the classical style added a special charm to the architectural appearance of Odessa.  Large-scale international trade operations conducted by wealthy Greeks in Odessa resulted in the establishment of trading houses with a huge turnover of capital during the first 30 years of the city’s existence. These increased the fame and power of young Odessa, which quickly came to the forefront of the Russian Empire.  The strong and cohesive Greek community of Odessa managed to complete the construction of the Greek Church of the Holy Trinity, opened schools, a Greek commercial college with teachers from Europe, and showed Odessa excellent examples of patronage.  It was Odessa that saw the birth of the Greek patriotic society Filiki Eteria, which raised enslaved Greece to fight for independence.  Today, few people in Odessa remember these glorious names, but they are worthy of it”.

E. Kuzminska

The lecture will be held on the Zoom platform
You can join the conference (lecture) at the following the link: https://zoom.us/j/91014699150?pwd=dlhyMnYvcnpoWWlPVGRJaTR3cGJqUT09
Conference ID: 910 1469 9150
Access code: 617330