Italians of Odesa
Italians of Odesa
The Italians of Odesa were a group who lived in the Ukrainian city of Odesa on the Black Sea. Their roots go back to the Middle Ages, but they grew especially after the city of Odesa was founded in 1794 by Giuseppe De Ribas.
In 1797 about 800 Italians lived in Odesa, making up roughly 10% of the population. They were mainly traders and sailors from Naples, Genoa, and Livorno, with others joining later as artists, technicians, craftsmen, pharmacists, and teachers.
For more than a century, Italians helped shape Odesa’s culture, art, industry, architecture, politics, and economy. They built famous works like the Potemkin Stairs and the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater. In the early 1800s, Italian became the second official language after Russian, and Italian signs appeared alongside Russian. The first Italian-Russian dictionary was written in Odesa, and Italian was taught in schools.
The Italian community ran bakeries, pasta and biscuit factories, and later started trading houses and other businesses. They opened cafes, restaurants, casinos, and hotels that became social hubs. Notable venues included the Casino del Commerce and the Fanconi café-pastry shop. Italian merchants and shipowners helped Odesa grow as a bustling port.
Many Italians contributed to the arts and architecture. Italian architects designed important buildings, and Italian sculptors, painters, and musicians were active in the city. The Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater hosted Italian actors such as Tommaso Salvini, Ernesto Rossi, and Eleonora Duse, while Italian maestro Luigi Ricci led the orchestra. The Neapolitan song “O Sole Mio” was created in Odesa by Italian writers who were living there, and street music with Italian accordion players was common in markets and courtyards.
Artisans and teachers helped spread the Italian language. Odesa even produced language manuals and study texts that aided Italian learning in Russia. One notable entrepreneur was Arturo Anatra, who started the city’s first aeroclub and built an aircraft factory that produced planes for the Russian army during World War I.
Population trends shifted over time. By 1850, about 3,000 Italians lived in Odesa, and their influence remained strong into the mid-19th century. After the 1870s, growth slowed as Italians gradually mixed with Russians and Ukrainians. The 1900 census recorded only 286 Italians, signaling a continued decline.
The upheavals of 1917 sent many Italians to Italy or other European cities. In Soviet times, only a few dozen remained, and many no longer spoke Italian. They gradually merged with the surrounding population and lost their distinct ethnic identity. By World War II, the Italian community in Odesa had effectively disappeared, with only a few people retaining Italian connections.
Overall, Italians helped shape Odesa’s character—its architecture, language, business life, and cultural scene—leaving a lasting mark on the city’s history.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:08 (CET).