How old is the mother? From there went to the land of the Odessa
South Palmyra lives in his time
September 2, Odessa celebrates the city Day. Someone jokes that it is also a day of liberation of Odessa. From the tourists. It is only now, with the end of the holiday season, residents of Odessa can take a deep breath, count moneys, which they were able to capitalize on the “incremental population”, I can finally feel themselves masters in their hometown and get away.
But there is in this city, curious and assertive people who by their unnecessary questions seek to undermine the citizens of the occasion. They offer not to mention 2 September, or at least not to celebrate 223 anniversary of Odessa, 602 anniversary. Like, what’s the difference, but actually founded and the question of the age of the city have a clear ideological underpinning.
Usually people do not hurry to grow old. Officially or unofficially they are not averse to throw in a couple of years. With the cities the situation is different, because the authority of the city stresses its age. However, in the case Odessa this rule does not work. Like a capricious beauty, South Palmyra yet rejects all attempts of historians to ascribe the extra 400 years. The fact that today the lion’s share of Odessa is sure that their city was founded in 1794 with the filing of the Russian Empress, but certainly not in 1415 with the filing of the Lithuanian Grand Duke (or even earlier by Greek colonists). And all the arguments of these historians, the old Odessa react with humor: “What kind of Kozuba-hacibey? Still say that she is 2 thousands, and Jesus Christ was Ukrainian! September 2, 1794, a decree of Empress Catherine II, all know about it”.
“Kiev and Moscow were destroyed and burned more than once, but their population is scattered in all directions, but in terms of the age of these cities are the facts no one ever bothered”
The issue of age of Odessa surfaced in connection with the Russian military and informational aggression and certainly is a reaction to all the historical myths that have hit over the years for our country. Some historians suddenly remembered that there are many reasons different keep calendar of Odessa. After all, in her place was a Turkish fortress hadzhibey, and even earlier — Lithuanian Kochubeev. Worked port, trade was conducted was the salt pans. In fairness I must say that Odessa city, in the form in which it exists today really originated by the Russian Empire. To deny this is simply unreasonable. But that’s why we by inertia have to believe that this place was bare steppe, ran wild Cossacks, and over the stockade huddled some shacks, personally I don’t understand.
Why in the world the chronology even of the conquered cities and fortresses do not start from scratch? Take the Madrid (Magerit), which was founded by the Arabs in the X century and later conquered by the Spaniards. For some reason they were not forcibly “rejuvenate” then this little fortress. Or think about another European capital, Paris. Any Frenchman today will tell you that Paris, more than 2 thousand years, although in the III century BC it emerged as a small fortification on the island in Seine called Lutetia. And it was established by the Gauls, who are not exactly like the French, but rather the ancestors of the French.
Oh yeah, Kochubeev and hadzhibey was not the cities. Then why were they marked on many mediaeval maps of Europe at that time? And anyway, what is a city? I give the reference: in the world of legal practice there is no single criteria of the city. In the scientific community there are two basic principles to determine the age of the city. First — the first written mention, the second — on the date the first archaeological finds in the settlement. Also signs of the city can be considered a city wall enclosing the settlement (actually, hence the Russian word for “city”); artisans ‘ workshops; signs of trade; administrative management (seals); garrison; estates of urban development. And if you are even slightly curious history of the fortresses of the Northern black sea, likely find mentions about these signs. Further, there is still a population.
A conditional criterion, because until now in different countries the city recognize the settlement with a very different population from a few hundred to a few tens of thousands. And finally, another criterion, which is often appealing, the continuity of residence. In fact, he is quite contradictory. How can we now define this continuity? Kiev and Moscow were destroyed and burned more than once, but their population is scattered in all directions, but in terms of the age of these cities are the facts no one ever bothered. It turns out that in practice, the main factor to determine the age of the city is the prevailing view of the citizens, which, however, is quite easily influenced by ideology. It is the citizens themselves should decide who actually founded their city and how much he actually years. Apparently, in this sense, Catherine II and 223 year Odessites quite satisfied. Well, then let’s not disappoint them. And 2 September surrender just idle fun.