World Odesa News

Today there is no continent where issues of the newspaper Worldwide Odesa News do not find their way. In 1990, when the first issue was published, the words “a revived publication” could have been placed in the newspaper’s masthead: more than eighty years earlier, after serving the city faithfully for a third of a century, Odesa News had ceased to exist. But not worldwide, you might object. Well, that depends! That newspaper had correspondents everywhere. In 1903, for example, Odesa News sent Korney Chukovsky to London as its special correspondent, while Vladimir Jabotinsky wrote for the paper from Italy.

Worldwide Odesa News does not turn its back on this legacy. But let us be frank: we launched an entirely new newspaper. A different time calls for different tasks. It is no longer enough simply to inform readers about events around the world (many publications do that) — it is important to unite them around a noble idea that is close to everyone. And such an idea was found: the revival of Odesa. Worldwide Odesa News became a real instrument for achieving this goal — the publication of the Worldwide Club of Odesites.

Let us remember that Odesa, founded in 1794 on the site of a destroyed Turkish fortress, emerged as a multinational city where Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, French, Bulgarians, Armenians and representatives of many other nationalities created a unique community, developing not only a distinctive way of life but also a special Odesa language. Even the most difficult years could not destroy this sense of community, and today Odesa, fortunately, remains an island in a sea of interethnic conflicts. That is why it is so important to preserve the spirit of Odesa.

Odesites have always remained patriots of their city, wherever they may be. In Chișinău and Jerusalem, in New York and Melbourne, they established Odesa communities. There were many different reasons why the residents of Odesa left for near or distant countries at different times. But wherever Odesites found themselves, they always wanted to know how their native city was doing and what was new in Odesa. And Worldwide Odesa News helps former fellow citizens receive complete and reliable information about the life of the city — its economy, science and culture. It introduces readers to the work of Odesa writers, artists and musicians. It tells readers “there” about opportunities to invest in the city’s economy and infrastructure, while telling readers “here” about the life of the Odesa diaspora. Serving as a postal bridge across continents, it publishes articles, stories, poems, readers’ letters and advertisements.

Worldwide Odesa News also reminds us that our city is in a difficult condition. Just as Atlantis sank beneath the water, Odesa, unfortunately, could disappear from the face of the earth. Only the determination of Odesites to help their native city, the city of their ancestors, can prevent this. I am convinced that Odesa will be revived — provided, of course, that no one actively stands in its way.

Everyone knows that Odesites are unimaginable without humor. I am convinced that the newspaper, too, should possess this ferment of vitality. Here is just one example. When the newspaper was born, fellow journalists began to frighten us, saying that Worldwide Odesa News would be referred to by its initials as “VON” — a Russian abbreviation that can also mean “there.” And we thought: so be it. There is still so much that needs to be driven out of our society — corruption, rudeness and ignorance. What should remain are kindness and sophistication, philanthropy and love for our native city.

Worldwide Odesa News serves no political party. It seeks to embody the slogan once coined by playwright Georgiy Golubenko: “Odesites of all countries, unite!”

Yevhen Holubovskyi
Permanent Editor-in-Chief of “Worldwide Odesa News”,
Permanent Vice President of the WCO