An archaeologist has identified the date from which people have lived continuously in Odesa

Archaeological research does not currently confirm the continuous existence of a population in Khadzhibey dating back to the 15th century. At the same time, according to available documents, a stable population has been present at the site of modern-day Odesa since at least the 1680s.

Andriy Krasnozhon, Ph.D. in History and archaeologist, spoke about this in an interview with Intent.

According to him, archaeologists have no evidence that people lived permanently in the territory of modern-day central Odesa during the 15th century.

“We cannot speak of the continuity of a settlement here from 1415 to 1789,” Krasnozhon noted.

He explained that archaeological evidence points to economic activity in the 14th century. At the same time, researchers have not yet discovered any cultural layers or even random finds from the 15th century that would confirm the presence of a population.

Separately, the archaeologist drew attention to the account of the Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi. In 1657, he described the Khadzhibey Castle as neglected and desolate: according to him, there was neither a population nor a garrison there.

According to Krasnozhon’s assessment, a more or less stable population in Khadzhibey did not emerge until the 1680s. Since then, he said, the settlement has existed continuously up to the present day.

The archaeologist cites another interesting piece of evidence: a map by Russian military scout Ivan Islenev, who visited Hadjibey in 1766. Islenev referred to the settlement as the town of Khadzhibey, which was “under construction,” and separately marked the ruins of “ancient Kachubey.” According to Krasnozhon, this may indicate the existence of a local tradition in what was then Khadzhibey that passed down memories of ancient Kachubey.

At the same time, the researcher emphasizes the need to distinguish established archaeological facts from working hypotheses. For example, he confidently attributes the fortification structure found on Primorsky Boulevard to the Ottoman period; however, archaeologists have no direct inscription or other immediate indication of its origin.

At the same time, the excavations have already revealed traces of human activity from various eras along Primorsky Boulevard—ranging from an ancient Greek settlement to an Ottoman fortification and later urban layers.

Андрій Колісніченко