Illichivsk (Ukrainian: Іллічівськ, translit. Illichivs’k) is a port city in the Odessa Oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine. The city is designated as its own separate raion (district) within the oblast, and is located at around 46°19′50″N 30°38′25″E.
Illichivsk as a city was built around the port. Named after Volodymyr ILLICH 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.
Illichivsk was connected by freight train ferry line (426 km) to Varna in Bulgaria in 1978. Four train ferries two Soviet and two Bulgarian ones, named "Hero from Odessa", "Hero from Sevastopol" and "Hero from Schipka", "Hero from Pleven" which could take in three decks a total of 108 two bogie (four axle) Soviet freight cars. In the first ten year period 1978 - 1988 these train ferries had transported 1.000.000 freight cars between Illichivsk and Varna. This train ferry service took 17 hours in both directions. The Bulgarians built gauge changing apparatus at Varna which made it possible to change bogies of 24 freight cars in one hour thirty minutes.
llichivsk local economy is largely oriented to the sea. The biggest employer is a State Enterprise: "Illichivsk Maritime Trade Port". The headquarters and manufacturing facilities of "Antarktyka" (Ukraine's largest fishing company) are also located in Illichivsk. Other major maritime shipping companies have also chosen to open their offices in Illichivsk. The city's healthy economy continues to attract new businesses and residents.
Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, transliterated: Ukrayina) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev (Kyiv) is both the capital and the largest city of Ukraine.
