Odessa celebrates its 224th anniversary. Official events kicked off with a solemn flag raising on the Duma Square near the City Hall building.

On September 2, more than 40 foreign delegations came to Odessa, including Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of different countries, reported in Unian.

The solemn speech was made by the Mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavel Klimkin.

"Odessa is entering a qualitatively new level, which is reflected in all spheres of our life. Today we are united and united. We have common goals and plans for the future, "said Gennady Trukhanov.

"Odessa is a beautiful and atmospheric city. It's good that Odessa is managed by a person who loves it, "said Pavel Klimkin.

Also on the square, the mayor handed keys to 14 apartments to orphans.

A bright event was another gift to the city from the Greek Diaspora - the opening of the first stage of the Greek Park on the slopes of Primorsky Boulevard. The main symbol of the park is the unique fountain "The Beginning of the Beginning", authored by the Odessa sculptor Mikhail Reva.

According to the annual tradition, 7 new stars replenished the famous avenue of Odessa Stars on Lanzheronovskaya Street.

The nominees are given to the actress of the silent cinema Vera Kholodnaya, the diocesan architect Yuri Dmitrenko, the theatrical figure Vasil Vasilko, the violinist and conductor David Oistrakh, the artist Valentina Khrushchu, the opera singer Antonina Nezhdanova and the jazz pianist, composer Yuri Kuznetsov.

"These are people who celebrated Odessa for the whole world with their deeds. People whose names are forever inscribed in the history of Odessa, "- said Gennady Trukhanov.