Ilichevsk Commercial Seaport

a large Soviet port located in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, 26 km from Odessa. Construction of the new port near Odessa on the Sukhoi estuary was begun in 1957 in connection with the sharp rise in the freight turnover at the Odessa Commercial Port, exceeding its capacity.

The Il’ichevsk Commercial Seaport has good natural conditions, convenient moorages within the roadstead, and railroad connections. Its operation is coordinated with that of the Odessa port. Its facilities and highly efficient equipment enable it to handle modern oceangoing ships carrying exported and imported cargo. The port dispatches industrial and transportation equipment, products of the chemical industry, vegetable oil, coal, and iron ore; it receives general (piece) cargo, wine, and other goods. A large ship-repair plant has been constructed in the port, making possible the repair of modern cargo ships. Construction of a fishing port for handling fish products and servicing the fishing fleet is under way in the Sukhoi estuary. The port occupies a leading position in the basin in terms of freight turnover. Several hundred Soviet and foreign ships call at the port each year.