Mariupol is a city of oblast significance in southeastern Ukraine, situated on the north coast of the Sea of Azov at the mouth of the Kalmius river. It is the tenth-largest city in Ukraine and the second largest in the Donetsk Oblast. The population is at 462,000.
Mariupol was founded on the site of a former Cossack encampment named Kalmius. It was granted city rights in 1778. Mariupol has been a centre for the grain trade, metallurgy, and heavy engineering. The Ilyich Steel & Iron Works and Azovstal propelled Mariupol onto the European stage in the 20th century as one of the largest and most productive plants. Mariupol played a key role in the industrialization of Ukraine. Between 1948-1989 the city was known as Zhdanov due to the Soviet authorities frequently renaming cities after communist leaders. Today, Mariupol remains a centre for industry, as well as higher education and business, a legal centre, and the economic engine of Pryazovia.
Old Mariupol, which is an area defined by the coast of the Sea of Azov to the south, by the Kalmius River to the east, to the north by Shevchenko Boulevard, and to the west by Metalurhiv Avenue, is built up mainly of a few storey houses and has kept its pre-revolutionary architecture. Only Artem Street and Lenin Avenue were built after the Great Patriotic War and are considered modern buildings. The central area of Mariupol (from Metalurhiv Avenue up to Budivelnykiv Avenue) is made up almost entirely of administrative and commercial buildings, including a city council building, post office, the Lukov cinema, Mariupol Humanitarian University, Priazov State Technical University, the Korolenko central city library, and many large shops.
The architecture of other residential areas (“Zakhidny”, “Skhidny”, “Kirov”, “Cheremushky”, 5th, 17th catchment area, etc.) is not particularly distinct or original and consists of typical 5- or 9-storey houses. The term “Cheremushki” carries a special meaning in Russian culture and now also in Ukrainian; it usually refers to the newly settled parts of a city. The city’s residential area comprises 9.82 million square meters.
