First settlers are known to appear in Mariupol in the 16th century. They quickly formed Cossack fortress Kalmius that grew into a city after the Crimean Greeks had migrated to Priazovye at the end of the 18th century.
Mariupol became the first settlement in Donetsk Region to receive the right to be called a city in 1779. A hundred years later, the railway, a new big sea port, and a steel mill appeared to provide jobs for the citizens.
During the Soviet time, the city became a center of industrialization because a large "Azovstal" plant appeared to produce huge amount of steel for the country.
Apart from being an industrial monster, Mariupol is a beautiful sea rezort with nice beaches, parks and very hospitable local people many of whom have Greek ancestors.
