Mariupol’ or Mariupol /mari'upʌlʲ/ (Ukrainian: Маріуполь; Russian: Мариу́поль; Greek: Μαριούπολις) is a port city in south-eastern Ukraine, situated on the coast of the Azov Sea, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Administratively, it belongs to Donets'ka oblast', historically it is a part of Donbas region.
Mariupol is an important industrial center and Eastern European seaport. Mariupol has two important steel mills (Ilyich Iron and Steel Works and Azovstal), which make up a significant part of Ukraine's total export. The industrial area of Mariupol produces 37.5% of Donetsk oblast’s exports and about 7% of all Ukraine’s exports. From 1948 to 1989 the city was named Zhdanov (Жданов /'ʒdanʌv/) in honor of Andrei Zhdanov.
Mariupol has a high concentration of Greeks. It is also a seasonal resort.
City Image ArchitectureOld Mariupol (an area limited to the south coast of the Sea of Azov, in the east - Kalmius River, in the north -Shevchenko Blvd., in the West – Metallurgov Av.) is built up mainly of few-storey houses and has kept the pre-revolutionary architecture. Only Artyom Str. and Lenin Av. after Great Patriotic War are built up of modern buildings, for example, 2 houses with a spike, a building of Dramatic theatre, DOSAAF (abbr. from Volunteer society of assistance of army, aircraft and to fleet), the Children's World (a modern building of bank PUMB), and the department store “Ukraine”.
The central area of Mariupol (from the Metallurgov Av. up to Stroiteley Av.) is almost entirely administrative and commercial buildings (a city council building, post office, the Lukov cinema, Mariupol Humanitarian University, Priazov State Technical University - PGTU, the Korolenko central city library, large shops (the supermarket 'Moscow', 'One Thousand Trifles ', etc.).
Architecture of other residential areas ('Zapadny', 'Vostochny', 'Kirov', 'Cheremushki', 5-th, 17-th catchment area, etc.) are not especially different or original and are typically 5 and 9-storeyed houses.
Important streetsAvenues (“Prospects”): Lenin /'lʲɛnina/, Metallurgov (“Metallurgists’” /mʲɛta'lufgʌf/), Stroiteley (“Builders’” /strʌ'itʲɛlʲɛj/), Ilyich (/ilʲi'ʧʲa/, after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin), Nakhimov /na'hʲimʌvʌ/, Pobedy (/pʌ'bʲɛdɪ/, “Victory”), Lunin (/'lunina/, after admiral Lunin).
Streets (“Ulitsas”): Artyom (after Soviet revolutionary Artyom Sergeyev), Torgovaya (“Trade”), Apatov, Kuprin, Uritsky, Bahchivandzhi, Gagarin, Karpinsky, Mamin-Sibiryak, Taganrogskaya, Olimpiyskaya, Azovstalskaya, Makar Mazay, Karl Libknekht).
Boulevards: Shevchenko, Komsomolsky, Primorsky.
Squares (“Ploschads”): Administrativnaya, Nezavisimosti, Pobedy (“Victory”), Mashinostroiteley (“Mechanical engineers’”), Leninsky Komsomol, Osvobozhdeniya (“Liberation”).
ParksCity Square ('Theatrical Sq.'), Extreme-park (new attractions near the biggest in city of the Palace of Culture of Metallurgov, the City garden (“Gorsad”, ' A children's park used for recreational purposes'), parks 'Veselka' and 'Azovstal' in Ordzhonikidzevsky borough, 'Petrovsky' (a modern stadium 'Ilyichevets' and constructions for the basketball club 'Azovmash') - in Ilyichevsky one, “Primorsky” - in Primorsky borough.
MonumentsLenin V.I., Kuindzhi Arkhip, Vysotsky V., Shevchenko T.G., Makar Mazay, Gorban G.Yu., Apatov K.P., Balabukha Tolya, to seamen - commandos, pilots Semenishin V.G. and Lavitsky N.E., soldiers of 9-th Aviation Division, victims of political reprisals of 1930-50, etc. During the Soviet system the central square of the city was decorated with a monument to Zhdanov A.A. for whom the city was names after (it was demounted in 1990). Konstantinov V. and Kuzminkov L. artists - sculptors of monuments createed a monument to metropolitan Ignatiy, the founder of Mariupol.
Public HolidaysAs well as nation-wide holidays, in Mariupol they celebrate:
The modern emblem of Mariupol was confirmed in 1989. It is the shield per fess wavy to argent and azure. In the shield is the anchor with a ring as a ladle with poured metal. The number 1778 indicates the year of the city’s foundation. The argent symbolizes steel, azure means sea, anchor means the port, and the ladle is for metallurgy.
Mariupol Government & PoliticsMayor of city (chairman, 'head', cities and chairman of executive committee of city council) - Khotlubey Yury Yuryevich.
Mariupol in Supreme Soviet (Rada) of Ukraine is represented by 4 People's Deputies:
The city traditionally supports the left and pro-Russian political forces. In the presidential elections of 2004 the city voted for Yanukovich V.F. and (91.1%), Yushchenko V.A. (5.93%). Tendencies on parliamentary elections of 2006 can change a little aside reduction of support of the Party of Regions (which leader Yanukovich V.F., that is connected to a position of chairman of board of the Ilyich Mariupol steel and iron works Boyko V.S. and his participation at the future elections under lists of Socialist party of Ukraine.
In City Council fraction 'Ilyichevets' numerically prevails, in second place – fraction is the 'Party of Regions'.
Boroughs and NeighborhoodsMariupol is divided into 4 areas or 'boroughs'. These are:
The Kalmius river separates the Ordzhonekidzevsky borough from the remaining three boroughs. The population is concentrated in the Zhovtnevy and Primorsky boroughs. Ilyichevsky borough houses the large Ilyicha steel mill and the Azovmash manufacturing plant. The Ordzhonekidzevsky (Left Bank) is home to the Azovstal metallurgic combine and the Koksohim factory.
Geography and Climate GeographyMariupol is to the south of the Donetsk area, on the coast of the Azov Sea, in a mouth of the river Kalmius. The city occupies an area of 166.0 km (64 mi) (with suburbs, i.e. the territories subordinated to the Mariupol city council – 244.0 km (94.2 mi)). The down-town area is 106.0 km (40.9 mi), the area of parks and gardens is 80.6 km (31.1 mi). The city is mainly built on land that is made of solonetzic chernozems, with a significant amount of underground subsoil waters that frequently leads to landslides.
ClimateThere is a moderate-continental climate with recurring droughts and dry winds in the summer and thawing weather, fogs - in the winter. Annual precipitation is 400 mm (15.75in) a year. Agro climatic conditions allow the cultivation in suburbs of Mariupol thermophilic agricultural crops with long vegetative periods (sunflower, melons, grapes etc). However water resources in the region are insufficient, and consequently ponds and water basins are used for the needs of the population and industry.
Direction of the wind in the winter is mainly easterly, in the summer it is northerly.
Absolute maximum of temperature of air in the summer is +104F (+40C); a minimum in the winter is -25.6F (-32C).
Demographics PopulationThe population in 2005 is estimated at 481,600, with the subordinated territories (settlement Sartana, settlement Talakovka, settlement Stary Krym, village Gnutovo, and village Lomakino) - 502,800. Annual reduction of the population is 0.35% (one of the smallest in the region). The death rate is 2.2 times higher than the birth rate.
Ethnic StructureUkrainian make less than half of the population of the city, the second greatest nationality of Mariupol is Russian. Other peoples include Greeks, Jews, Tatar, Armenians, Belarusians etc. The City is area of Ukraine with a high population of Greeks ('Greeks of Priazovye'): 21,900, and in 6 nearby rural areas there are 31,400 more, totaling about 70% of the Greek population of the area and 60% for the country.
Ethnic structure in 2002.
There are a large number of Greek-speaking (Pontic Greek) people but the city is predominantly Russian-speaking. From 60% up to 80% Ukrainian-language dwellers communicate on so-called Surzhik, the Greek language is submitted by local variants, so-called Urum, Greek-Tatar and Rumean, Greek-Elian languages of Greeks of Priazovye.
Language structure in 2002
About 59% of the people whose occupation is in a national economy work in the industry, 11% of them in transportation.
The official rate of unemployment is 0.46%, one of the smallest in the country, the actual number is a little more.
FinancesThe GDP of the city in 2004 was 22,769,400 hryvnas ($4,510,400); they listed in the state budget of Ukraine 83,332,000 hryvnas ($16,507,400). The city is one of the largest donors to the state budget of Ukraine (after Kiev and Zaporozhye).
The GPA of the city is 1,262.04 hryvnas (≈US$250.00) a month - one of the highest in the country. The average pension in the city is 423.15 hryvnas ($83.82).
Commercial debts in the city were reduced for 2005 to 1.1% and made 5.1 million hryvnas ($1.01 million).
Income from rendered services for 9 months in 2005 where 860.4 million hryvnas ($107.4 million) and the volume of retail trade for the same term was 838.7 million hryvnas ($166.1 million).
The enterprises of the city for 9 months of 2005 received a positive financial result (profit) of 3.2 billion hryvnas ($634 million), which is 23.6% more than the previous year (2004).
Economy IndustryMariupol is home to major steel mills (including some globally-important) and chemical plants, also an important seaport and a railroad junction. Notable shipyards, fish canneries, metallurgy-related education and science institutions are also present.
Mariupol has 56 industrial enterprises of various patterns of ownership operating in it. The industry of the city is diversified with prevalence for heavy industry. The total amount of industrial production of city for 8 months in 2005 (January - August) was 21,378.2 million hryvnas, i.e. 4.233 billion USD (in 1999 - 6,169.806 million gryvnas, i.e. 1.222 billion USD). Amounts for this parameter in Donetsk oblast are 37.5%.
The leading business is ferrous metallurgy. Its income in city volume of industrial production is 93.5%.
Ilyich Mariupol steel and iron works is the collective property of a society of tenants ('Joint-Stock Company ' Ilyich-steel ''; with about 37,000 workers - shareholders). The head of board of enterprise - the People's Deputy, the hero of Ukraine Boyko Vladimir Semenovich. The enterprise has structural divisions: management of public catering and trade ('УОПТ', a network of 52 enterprises), a chemist's network 'Ilyich-Pharm', more than 50 agro shops (former collective farms of the south of Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas), Komsomol Mines office, the machine-building enterprises (including in the Cherkassy area), airport 'Mariupol', the Mariupol city TV ('MTV') etc. More than 92,000 workers work in enterprise (as of the end of 2005). This totals 6 million tones of iron, 7 million tones of steel, 5.3 million tones of rolled iron, and 13.5 million tones of agglomerate annually.
On a level of gross revenue, Azovstal takes the third place among the metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine, totaling 6 million tones of pig-iron, 7 million tones of steel and 4.5 million tones of rolled iron annually. It is closely connected with Mariupol cokes factory ' Markokhim ' (prevailing the part of production which is consumed by Azovstal)
The free economic zone Azov is located near Mariupol.
BuildingIndustrial construction prevails. Mass building of living quarters in city was terminated in 1980. Mainly more comfortable habitation is now under construction.
The construction organizations of the city for 9 months in 2005 executed a volume of contracted civil and erection works for 304.4 million Hryvnas ($603 million). This represents 22.1% of the city’s income.
TransportationDue to the stable work of the majority of the large enterprises, the city constantly collides with environmental problems. At the end of 1970s, Zhdanov (Mariupol) by quantity of industrial emissions in an atmosphere occupied third place in the USSR (after Novokuznetsk and Magnitogorsk). In 1989 by all enterprises of city it had 5,215 sources of atmospheric pollution producing 752,900 tones of harmful substances a year (about 98% from metallurgical enterprises and 'Markokhim'). Even during some easing activity of the industry in the state (the middle of 1990s) of maximum-permissible concentrations (maximum concentration limit) many pollution limits of the environment have been exceeded:
In the residential areas adjoining industrial giants, concentrations of benzapiren and (cancerogen) changes to within of 6-9 times the maximum concentration limits, fluoric hydrogen, ammonia and formaldehyde - 2-3 to 5 times the maximum concentration limits, dust and oxides of carbon, hydrogen sulphide are 6 to 8 times the maximum concentration limits, and dioxides of nitrogen are 2 to 3 times the maximum concentration limits. It has exceeded the maximum concentration limit on phenol by 17x, and benzapiren till 13 to 14x!
Not absolutely thought over arrangement of platforms for construction of Azovstal and Markokhim (the economy in transport charges was assumed, both during construction in 30th, and during the subsequent operation) has led to that the wind rose basically carries all emissions in the central areas of Mariupol. Intensity of these winds and geographical 'flatness' of a relief that long time pollutions does not allow to accumulate a little saves the situation.
The Sea of Azov near the city is in distress. The catch of fish in the area was reduced by orders of magnitude over the last 30-40 years.
The nature protection activity of leading enterprises in Mariupol cost millions of hrivnas, but it appears to have little effect on the environmental problems built up in the city over the years.
Culture of Mariupol Cultural InstitutionsTheatres:
Cinemas:
Palaces of Culture (Recreation centres):
Museums:
In the environs of city on the shore of sea of Azov the monument of archaeology is opened neolitic burial ground of end of the third millennium AD.
During excavations here it is discovered over 120 skeletons. Near them stone and bone instruments and beads are found, shell-works the shellfishes, teeth of animal.
Art & LiteratureCreative organizations of artists, union of journalists of Mariupol, the literary union Azovye (from a 1924, about 100 members) and others. Works of Mariupol poets and writers: N. Berilov, A. Belous, G. Moroz, A. Shapurmi, A. Savchenko, V. Kior, N. Harakoz, L. Kiryakov, L. Belozerova, P. Bessonov, A. Zaruba are written in the Russian, Ukrainian, Greek languages. Presently 10 members of National Union of writers of Ukraine live in a city.
Social AssociationsPublic Unions
About 300 public unions, including 22 trade-union organizations, representative offices about 40 political parties etc., 16 youth, 4 womanish organizations, 37 unions of veterans and invalids, 134 national and cultural societies.
General consulates of the Republic Greece and Republic Cyprus (from a 2006) in Mariupol.
Religious CommunitiesA city is decorated by the St. Nicol Cathedral (in Zhovtnevy borough) and churches of city:
More than 20 local newspapers work, including:
7 wireless stations, 7 regional televisional companies and channels:
Retransmitting about 15 state channels (Inter, 1+1, STB, NTN, a 5 Channel etc.).
Tourism and RecreationA tourists interest of mainly coast of sea of Azov. Tourist companies work (Azov-voyag-tour, Azovintur and others).
The first sanatoriums are opened in a city in 1926. Along a sea here during 16 the narrow bar of sandy beachs stretches to the one km.
Temperature of water in summer +22 - +24C. Duration of bathing season 120 days.
Professional SportsThe city's steel industry sponsors the FC Metalurg Mariupol' football club, currently playing in the Ukrainian Premier League, the highest division of the Ukrainian national championship.
Water polo team Ilyichevets is the absolute champion of Ukraine. It has won the Ukrainian championship for 9 times. Every year it plays in the European Chempion Cup and Russian championship.
Azovstal' Canoeing Club on the river Kalmius. Vitaly Epishkin - 3rd place in World Cup on 200m K-2.
Azovmash Basket-ball club and 'Ilichevets' Water-polo club are champions of Ukraine. Serious successes were obtained by school of the Mariupol boxing, Greek-Roman fighting, artistic gymnastics and other types of sport
Sport building of city (only 585):
There are 70 medical, medical-health and medical establishments in a city — hospitals, policlinics, the station of blood transfusion, station of urgent medicare, sanatoriums, sanatoriums-preventive clinics regional center of social maintenance of pensionaries and invalids, city centers: gastroenterology, thoracal surgery, bleedings, pankreatic, microsurgury of eye. Central pool-hospital on a water-carriage etc.
EducationA 81 general establishment, including 67 general schools, 1 high school, 3 lyceums, 4 removable night-schools, 3 boarding-schools, 2 private schools, works.
3 higher educational establishments:
