CONTENTS Vorwort Oskar WAWRA 9 Introduction Melanie SULLY ...

INTRODUCTION
Melanie SULLY and Petr DIAKOV
The city of Odessa in southern Ukraine is a multicultural, cosmopolitan centre
intrinsically connected to European history. This book looks at the identity of the city,
predominantly Russian-speaking in a modern, democratic and independent Ukraine.
This is a portrait of the city but also the region looking at the Jewish cultural heritage
with such famous artists as David Oistrakh and Isaac Babel. Occupation under
Romanian forces and Odessa’s contribution as a Soviet “hero city” is also covered. The
paper analyses the geo-political, strategic importance of the city today on the Black Sea,
a gateway to the Caucasus, Turkey and Central Asia as well as a port with severe social
problems.
Contributions are in German and English from British, Austrian, Polish, German,
Romanian, Russian, Belorussian and Ukrainian authors from different disciplines and
universities and public life. Target readers are students, academics, journalists,
diplomats and those interested in international relations and politics.
Research and translations were supported by the City of Vienna, Cultural Department –
Science and Research, Österreichischer Städtebund, the Austro-Romanian Society,
Modern Politics Politische Akademie der ÖVP.
Political Scientist, Professor Sully was born in Bristol U.K and has written extensively
on Austrian and British politics as well as international organisations in Vienna,
sully@da-vienna.ac.at
The publication is sponsored by the City of Vienna- International Department and the
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Ukraine.
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