Foreign Consuls in Odesa and their International Presence (Late Eighteenth - Early Twentieth Century)
Liliia Bilousova
Dr Phil., Researcher, University of Basel
Between the late 18th and the early 20th centuries, Odesa was the main port and the most important city of the Black Sea Region. Its favourable geographical location and huge grain exports made it incredibly attractive to foreigners and the location of international missions: during 1794-1917, 56 states marked their presence by opening their consulates general, consulates, vice-consulates, and trade agencies. This article examines which countries created consular posts in Odesa and why, and how their network developed depending on political and economic changes. The appointment procedure and responsibilities of consuls, their characteristics and areas of activity, participation in commercial and social life, and connections with local ethnic communities are illuminated. The consular corps consisted not only of foreign professionals but also of the local trade and business elites, invited by foreign governments to represent their interests in Odesa. Examples of the consuls’ contributions to foreign trade promotion, to cultural exchange, and to personal contacts between nations and peoples contribute to the picture of this major Ukrainian Black Sea port-city being oriented towards Europe during this period when the Black Sea region constituted a part of the Russian Empire.
Κeywords: Odesa; foreign consuls; consulates; the Black Sea Region; Ukraine
