Residents of Nikolaev in the XIX century: a selection of photos

The city of Nikolaev was founded in 1789 by Prince Grigory Potemkin on the peninsula at the confluence of Ingul and Bug as a naval and ship city. The first citizen of the city became businessman, military leader and builder Mikhail Faleev. It was order No. 1065 dated September 9, 1789 that for him was the first documentary mention of the modern name of the city.

The city was named in honor of the patron saint of navigators St. Nicholas. It was built according to a plan specially drawn up by Ivan Starov - with straight streets and regular-form blocks.

The life of Nikolaev was completely subordinated to shipbuilding and the fleet. Almost a hundred years here was the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet. Under A.Greig's governorship in the first third of the 19th century, an attempt was first made in Nikolaev to build a water supply system, the laying of stone pavements and the landscaping of streets began.

Already at the end of the 19th century, the port of Nikolayev took the third place after Petersburg and Odessa in terms of trade with foreign countries, and in grain exports, the main suppliers of which were the steppe provinces, the first place in the Russian Empire.