Odessa Oblast

Odessa Oblast (Ukrainian: ??????? ???????, Odes?ka oblast? or ???????, Odeshchyna) is an oblast of south-western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Odessa.

History

Formerly ruled by the Ottoman Empire, the territory of the Odessa oblast passed into Russian and Soviet hands in various stages between the 18th century and 20th century. The Russian Empire's expansion along the Black Sea coast led to the creation of the territory of Novorossiya, which was colonised by a variety of peoples, of whom the Russians were dominant. The Odessa oblast corresponds to the most westerly portion of "New Russia".

Related Topics:
Ottoman Empire - 18th century - 20th century - Russian Empire - Black Sea - Novorossiya

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The oblast was created on February 27, 1932 as part of the Ukrainian SSR. It was expanded further following the annexation in 1940 of the Romanian territory of Budjak, the part of southern Bessarabia that lay north of the Danube River. This was part of the deal reached between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. However, the area in the far south around Izmail was not incorporated into the oblast until 1956.

Related Topics:
February 27 - 1932 - Ukrainian SSR - 1940 - Romania - Budjak - Bessarabia - Danube River - Nazi Germany - Soviet Union - Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - Izmail - 1956

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