Oleksandr Cherkasov
Candidate of Economic Sciences, Police Lieutenant Colonel,
Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police,
Odessa, Ukraine
E-mail: 5_s5s5@ukr.net
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5547-9248
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.54.4
Lidiia Bilichenko
Master of History, graduate of the
Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University,
Mykolaiv, Ukraine
E-mail: bilichenkolidiia@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9204-8295
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.54.4
ITALIAN CONSULATE IN ODESSA (1924-1938)
The purpose of the article is to reconstruct, based on periodicals (newspapers of the 20s-30s of the 20th century) with the involvement of Italian sources, the activities of the Italian Consulate General in Odessa during 1924-1938. The scientific novelty of the work is expressed in the introduction of new sources, rethinking of known facts, application of new methods of analysis and resolution of controversial issues, which expands scientific ideas about the history of the formation of consular institutions in Odessa in the interwar period. In particular, new periodical sources of the specified time and works in Italian by journalists and historians of Italy, which directly touched on the little-studied topic of the activities of Italian consuls in Odessa, were introduced into scientific circulation. Thanks to historiography and periodicals, the authors managed to establish the year of foundation of the Italian consulate in Odessa during the Soviet period, find the names and surnames of now forgotten Italian consuls and conduct a phased chronological analysis of the years of stay in the consular post of Italian diplomats. The methodological basis of the study is the principle of historicism, which requires considering phenomena in the development and context of the era. It includes general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis), special historical methods (historical-genetic, comparative) and interdisciplinary approaches. Conclusions. During the study, it was established that diplomatic relations between the newly created USSR and Italy were established on February 7-11, 1924. On April 20, 1924, the newly appointed Italian consul Vincenzo Galanti arrived in Odessa on the steamer "Adria". During 1924-1938, a number of Italian diplomats held consular posts in Odessa, succeeding each other: Provana de Sabbione, Bova Scotze, Lomberto Tonker, Francesco Meriano, Benedetto d'Acunzio, Tamasi and Carlo Barduzzi. The main tasks of the Italian consuls general in Odessa during 1924-1938 were to study the region, maintain cultural ties between the countries, collect intelligence information, write reports on the situation in the region, provide legal protection to Italian citizens, etc. Officially, the Italian consulate general in Odessa ceased its activities at the end of 1938.
Keywords: consulate, consul, vice-consul, Odesa, Italy, Ukrainian SSR, Vincenzo Galanti, Provana de Sabbione, Bova Scotze, Lomberto Tonker, Francesco Mariano, Benedetto d'Acunzio, Tamasi, Carlo Barduzzi.
Received 2.04.2026.
Revised 16.04.2026.
Accepted 20.04.2026.
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