On Primorsky Boulevard in Odessa, near the Duke monument, archaeological excavations have resumed. This work involves students from the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after Ushinsky and staff from the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

According to a correspondent from Ukrinform, the rector of the university, Andriy Krasnozhon, stated that georadar studies conducted in 2021 revealed an anomaly at this site, unrelated to modern infrastructure. Follow-up studies carried out in the spring of 2025 confirmed these findings.

“We now know exactly what lies beneath the Duke. Beneath him are cultural layers dating back 2500 years. These are the remnants of the ancient Greek colony of Havan Istrian, founded in the 6th century BC and existing for about 300-400 years. We have confirmed that there are layers from the 5th century BC here,” Krasnozhon explained.

During the excavations, the researchers discovered several household pits and numerous fragments indicating the presence of residential buildings during the ancient Greek period.

No excavations had been conducted in this area previously.

“We found that the ancient Greeks lived near the Vorontsov Palace. In the northern part of Primorsky Boulevard, we did not find a Greek layer, but it suddenly appears strongly near the Duke monument. Most likely, there was a ravine here, serving as a natural barrier for the Greek settlement,” he added.

Archaeologists also uncovered a unique fragment of red-gloss pottery from the Roman period. Krasnozhon emphasized that such a discovery has not been made in decades of research on the Primorsky Boulevard site.

“It was previously believed that there was a Greek settlement at the site of Odessa in antiquity, dating to the 5th-3rd centuries BC. Now we are recording the first signs of possible human presence during the Roman Empire,” the historian noted.

Researchers were also surprised to find a large amount of material from the 14th century, including a distinctive fragment of a bowl with geometric patterns.

“This indicates that there was a trading post here. Imported goods could only have arrived by sea. This was likely the Italian trading post Ginestra. This finding also reinforces that the question of how old Odessa is may not be as important as thought,” Krasnozhon remarked.

The excavations also revealed the remains of a civilian structure made from heavy stone blocks.

“We know that the stone fortress of Khadjibey once stood around here. I can say with high probability that these blocks were moved during the dismantling of the fortress. The stones weigh between 40-60 kg and have shaped edges. One resembles the top of a column, turned upside down. These are materials used for fortification structures. During these excavations, we also discovered red-gloss pottery, and this finding could provide new dating evidence,” he stated.

In a week, the team plans to begin work on new excavations at Primorsky Boulevard.