Kherson Commercial Seaport is an important port located in the city of Kherson in the southern Ukraine. It is located on the shores of the Dnieper River about 50 kilometers from its mouth on the northwest shores of the Black Sea. The city has grown steadily since the early 19th century due to its busy port, ship-building industry, and other industries.
Today, industries in the Kherson Commercial Seaport include oil refining, engineering, and manufacturing of cotton textiles. In 2001, over 328 thousand people called the Kherson Commercial Seaport home.
Catherine II of Russia (Catherine the Great) founded the town of Kherson in 1778 to protect the Russian Empire's southern borders. The Russian government sought a city in the Dnieper estuary that had a ship-building yard, a merchant class, and a fortress in order to have a base for the country's Black Sea fleet. The town was named after the Green and Byzantine colony of Kersones, justifying Russia's claim to the lands.
A merchant ship-building yard was built in 1806, and it launched as many as 30 merchant vessels each year. It became a center for civil ship-building, an export hub for cereals, cotton, copper, timber, and fish. It was also an import harbor for spices, silk, and other cloths. In 1831, the merchant shipyards were taken over by the state, and almost 190 vessels were built there over the next decade. The town continued to grow steadily. By 1893, Kherson received town status.
When the Dnieper was deepened in 1901, the Kherson Commercial Seaport became an integral part for the export of grain and bread. It was the fourth busiest export center in Russia. After World War I, it acquired several new industries and became an industrial and cultural center as well as an important port. Kherson Commercial Seaport grew into one of Russia's leading Black Sea ports.
Today, Kherson Commercial Seaport is a modern port and a vital part of the Ukraine's transportation networks.
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