Quick answerOdesa is a city in Ukraine, with 1,010,537 people inside the city limits in 2022. The wider metropolitan area had about 1.4 million people in 2022. It is best known for the Potemkin Stairs, the Odesa Opera House and the Black Sea port. Its official language is Ukrainian, and its currency is the Ukrainian hryvnia.
Odesa is Ukraine's third-largest city and its main port, with about 1.01 million people in the last pre-war estimate (1,010,537 in 2022). It stands on the north-western shore of the Black Sea.
Key facts
| Country | Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 1,010,537 (2022) |
| Population (metro) | 1,378,490 (2022) · Odesa metropolitan area |
| Elevation | 40 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Europe/Kyiv |
| Language | Ukrainian |
| Currency | Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH, ₴) |
| Coordinates | 46.485722° N, 30.743444° E |
Overview
Odesa is the third-largest city of Ukraine and its main seaport, on the north-western shore of the Black Sea. The city proper had 1,010,537 residents in 2022, the last pre-war estimate, while the metropolitan area held about 1.38 million people, and the city sits 40 metres above sea level. It is the centre of Odesa Oblast and Ukraine's main gateway for seaborne trade.
Odesa was founded in 1794, on the site of an older settlement, and grew rapidly in the 19th century into one of the great ports of the Russian Empire, a free port known for its cosmopolitan mix of Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Greeks and Italians. Its landmarks include the Potemkin Stairs, made famous by the 1925 film Battleship Potemkin, the Odesa Opera House, one of the most beautiful theatres in Europe, and the historic centre, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.
Since February 2022 Odesa has been repeatedly attacked by Russian missiles and drones, and its port has been blockaded and bombed, though it has continued to export grain through the Black Sea corridor. Today it remains Ukraine's main port city, known for its humour, its beaches, its opera house and its mix of cultures, and its historic centre is protected as a World Heritage site.
What Odesa is known for
- Potemkin Stairs
- Odesa Opera House
- Black Sea port
- Historic centre (UNESCO)
- Beaches
- Cosmopolitan history
Landmarks
- Potemkin Stairs
- Odesa Opera House
- Primorsky Boulevard
- Richelieu Monument
- Deribasovskaya Street
- Odesa Catacombs
- Arcadia Beach
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Odesa?
About 1.01 million people lived in Odesa in the last pre-war estimate (1,010,537 in 2022). The wider metropolitan area had about 1.38 million people. The war since 2022 has displaced many residents, so the current population is uncertain.
What is Odesa famous for?
Odesa is famous as Ukraine's main Black Sea port and for the Potemkin Stairs, made famous by the film Battleship Potemkin, and for its opera house. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Where is Odesa located?
Odesa is in south-western Ukraine, on the north-western shore of the Black Sea. It is the centre of Odesa Oblast. Its coordinates are 46.49° N, 30.74° E, and its time zone is Eastern European Time.
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Keep exploring
- Ukraine — the country Odesa is in
- Kyiv — another city in Ukraine
- Kharkiv — another city in Ukraine
- Dnipro — another city in Ukraine
- All cities in Ukraine
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Odesa
- State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Ukrstat), population 2022 (via Wikipedia — Odesa)
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.