GENERAL INFORMATION
Nikolaev is situated on the left bank of the Bugsky Liman /estuary/ of the Black Sea where the Yuzhny Bug and Ingul Rivers join together. The city of Nikolaev sprang up as a fortification. Russia needed a strong navy for the strengthening of its southern frontiers, and that is why a shipyard was built here in 1788. The first ship built in it was the 44-cannon frigate 'Saint Nikolay'. Under G.A.Potemkin's order in 1789 shipyard to name Nikolaev. In the days of the USSR, Nikolaev was one of the biggest industrial centers of south Ukraine, as well as a marine center including the navy shipbuilding. Nowadays, it is a shipbuilding center of independent Ukraine. Its three biggest shipyards are: the state enterprise '61 COMMUNARDS' Shipyard; open joint-stock company 'DAMEN SHIPYARDS OKEAN'; and a state joint-stock holding company, 'CHERNOMORSKIY' Shipyard. Besides these there are: three machine-building plants; largest in Europe aluminium factory; design offices; scientific research organizations; and Ukrainian State Marine Technical University, the only one of its kind in Ukraine. Nikolaev is a junction for railway lines connecting Odessa, Kherson. Snigirevka, and Dolinskaya; and also has a bus station, an airport, and a river station. A population is over 500,000 people. Nikolaev merchant sea port was founded in 1862. Before World War I began in l914, it ranked third in Russia /after St. Petersburg and Odessa/ in terms of export trade volume. Today it is an important transport junction of south Ukraine. Both sea port and river port are within Nikolaev limits. The Port of Oktyabrsk and Dnepro-Bugsky Port, built for receiving imported bauxites, are also situated not far from the city.
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