Illichivsk - Overview

Overview

Illichivsk as a city was built around the port. Named after Vladimir ILYICH Lenin, the city was designed to become a new home for the Black Sea Shipping Company (the largest passenger and commercial vessel operator in the world; later BLASCO, which declared bankruptcy in early 1990s). Originally a builder's trailer village, Illichivsky has expanded to become Ukraine's most prosperous town (by income per capita). Residents are mostly employed by the port (one of the largest ports of Europe) and the maritime industry. Residents of Odessa have recently begun relocating to lower-cost but higher-income Illichivsk.