Ilyichevsk as a city was built around the port. Named after Vladimir ILLICH Lenin the city was designed to become a new home for the Black Sea Shipping Company (the largest passenger and commercial vessel operator in the world; later BLASCO, which declared bankruptcy in early 1990s). Originally a builder's trailer village, Ilyichevsky has expanded to become Ukraine's most prosperous town (by income per capita). Residents are mostly employed by the port (one of the largest ports of Europe) and the maritime industry. Residents of Odessa have recently begun relocating to lower-cost but higher-income Ilyichevsk. The city remains a major port in Ukraine, with well-equipped docks and ship-repair yards. After 1857 a new out port was built at Ilichevsk, 12 miles (20 km) to the south. Odessa is the base of a fishing fleet. The city's rail communications are good to all parts of Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania. Odessa is also a large industrial centre, with a wide range of engineering industries; products have... Ilyichevsk is situated at the Black Sea seaside, 30 kilometers away south-west from Odessa. Different healthful natural factors of this area, mild climate, warm Black Sea with velvet beaches, generous south sun, clean semi-sea and semi-steppe air, attract tourists of many different countries every season. Presence of sea and lemans weaken summer heat. The warm period starts in April and ends in October. Monthly temperature of July about 25-30 degrees above zero, sometimes exceed 36 degrees of warmth. But even with this temperature there is no exhausting heat, because of the constantly changing sea and leman breeze. Atmosphere pressure ranges in the limits about 755-762 millimeters of mercury. Relative humidity of the air is about 40-75% and this corresponds with the comfort zone. Illichevsk is the city of fountains+ Big and small, in the different corners of the town, with every year their quantity just grows+ To enjoy the light play, to listen to the sounds of the water - all these things are possible near the fountains "Big" and "Little Mermaid" that are situated near the seamen hotel; and at the Labor Square, you will see the light fountain with waterfalls. Numerous small fountains can be found in all the corners of the town
Illichevsk is the city of parks and avenues. Some time ago, it was well known around the country with its pink flowerbeds+ Now parks are renovated, the alleys are pawed with tile; flowerbeds are covered with flower patterns+ The Primorsky park is the favorite resting place of all the citizens. And right in the middle of the town there is "Molodezhny Park", with the sculpture of the seamen protector - Saint Ilia the Prophet+ Ilyichevsk is the place of electric lights+ The night town shines with the lightened crowns of different trees and park fir-trees. Odessa, one of the most famous cities of Ukraine, is situated very close to the Illichevsk. And it's a good idea to catch a cab and to spend a few days in this wonderful city. Today Odessa meets its guests not with just architectural masterpieces of the pass ages, but also with modern monuments. Recreation area - The Big Fountain - these are modern sanatoriums and board outs, sandy beaches and warm sea. When you come to Odessa, you feel like you are a sea child, you feel its warmth and can hear its whisper. The Black Sea is like alive creature. It talks to you and lives with its own life. Odessa is really a wonderful place if you want to fall in love. It's like Ukrainian Paris, or small Venice+ Anyway, small and beautiful old back streets are so romantic to take a walk+ Parks, museums, restaurants, seaside - everything is covered with some special romanticism. Small and big restaurants right at the seaside, some of them work even in winter. There you will be able to spend a wonderful time and taste all those delicious dishes of the national Odessa's cuisine. Odessa is a very special place, a place where love should be born

Numerous small fountains can be found in all the corners of the town… Illichevsk is the city of parks and avenues. Some time ago, it was well known around the country with its pink flowerbeds… Now parks are renovated, the alleys are pawed with tile; flowerbeds are covered with flower patterns… The Primorsky park is the favorite resting place of all the citizens.
And right in the middle of the town there is “Molodezhny Park”, with the sculpture of the seamen protector – Saint Ilia the Prophet… Illichevsk is the place of electric lights… The night town shines with the lightened crowns of different trees and park fir-trees.

Industries

Ilyichevsk local economy is largely oriented to the sea. The biggest employer is a State Enterprise: "Ilyichevsk Maritime Trade Port". The headquarters and manufacturing facilities of "Antarctica" (Ukraine's largest fishing company) are also located in Ilyichevsk. Other major maritime shipping companies have also chosen to open their offices in Ilyichevsk. The city's healthy economy continues to attract new businesses and residents. Illichevsk merchant sea port, one of the largest in Ukraine, is situated on the coast of Sukhoy Liman (estuary), 12 miles southwest of Odessa. It was founded in 1958 as a branch, cargo handling area for the Port of Odessa.
The port can admit vessels of up to 13 m draft and lifting capacity more than 100,000 t. Port Illichevsk is a component of the European Community's 9th International Transport Corridor, and also a component of the Baltic Sea - Black Sea Corridor. Railway ferry crossings connect the port with Bulgaria and Georgia. Port Illichevsk is a modern and highly mechanized, international seaport on the Black Sea coast. The port's throughput capacity is 24 million tons a year. The port features specialized cargo facilities: railway ferry terminal; liquid cargoes terminal for handling liquid fertilizers, liquid caustic soda and vegetable oils; sheltered terminal for storage and transfer of bulk mineral fertilizers; container terminal; grain cargoes transfer terminal. Port offers specialized facilities for handling heavy lifts (max. 300 t).
The port has 28 berths, and the berthing line runs a total of 5.5 km. Its berthing depths range from 9.6 to 13 m. The characteristic feature of the port is that its facilities are located on different levels of its seacoast territory. This territory consists of several sites separated by embankments or unused areas. On the upper level, there is a railwagon depot, container repair workshop, empty containers depot, and warehouses used mainly for liquid cargo, etc. All port berths are equipped with railway access lines, up to 10 rail sidings deep away from the waterfront, that have enabled the port to reach a turnover capacity of up to 700 wagons a day. The port is divided into three cargo terminal complexes all of which have various transfer and storage facilities.

Geography and features

Ilyichevsk is only 30 km from Odessa is about 30 and 20 minutes away by car. In Odessa a huge number of interesting places and sights that can and should be sure to see

Attractions

• Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater
• Tolstoy Palace
• Vorontsov Palace
• Novikov Palace (Local Lore)
• Potocki Palace (Fine Arts museum)
• Gagarin Palace(Literary museum)
• Catacombs and Museum of Partisan Glory
• Roerich museum
• Odessa Numismatics Museum
• Jewish Heritage museum
• Uspensky (Assumption) Cathedral

Odessa catacombs

Further information: Odessa Catacombs
Most of the city's 19th century houses were built of limestone mined nearby. Abandoned mines were later used and broadened by local smugglers. This created a gigantic complicated labyrinth of underground tunnels beneath Odessa, known as "catacombs". They are a now a great attraction for extreme tourists. Such tours, however, are not officially sanctioned and are dangerous because the layout of the catacombs has not been fully mapped and the tunnels themselves are unsafe. The tunnels are a primary reason why a subway system was never built in Odessa.