Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is a major seaport and transport hub located in the southwest of Ukraine on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center for both the Odesa Raion and the Odesa Oblast. As of January 2021, the city had a population of approximately 1,010,537, making it the third-most populous municipality in the country.
The city is recognized as a multiethnic cultural center known for its 19th-century urban planning. On January 25, 2023, Odesa's historic city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. This designation was made in recognition of the area's multiculturality and the damage caused to buildings across the city during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.