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‘Life doesn’t stop, it just changes’: Entrepreneurs flourish in Odesa

Sandbags still shield monuments and buildings across Odesa. Corkboards seal windows along the main boulevards. But with winter and blackouts behind it, the city’s business community is now abuzz with weekend product launches and networking events for those bold enough to stay and start new ventures.

While Russia’s war on Ukraine has forced thousands of businesses to close or relocate, about 15% of businesses have grown in 2022 despite the challenges.

Why We Wrote This

After a hard winter, optimism is returning to Odesa’s businesspeople. Small and medium enterprises are coming to life, expanding and launching new products despite the war.

“Our life doesn’t stop, it just changes,” says Olena Pidopryhora, a local business leader. Nearly 20% of Odesa’s businesses have relocated either to western Ukraine or Europe, while another 20% closed, she estimates. The remaining 60% survive in different forms, and some are even operating quite successfully.

Many in the city are banking on a bright summer. They count on a decent flow of short-term domestic – if not international – tourists. Construction workers embellish coastal night clubs expecting a return of business even if curfews have shifted the social clock forward.

“More and more venues will be open,” predicts Ivan Liptuga, president of the Odesa Tourism Association. “We have a dilemma: What to do? Continue waiting for the victory and die of hunger? Or slowly start to recover your business to save jobs?”

Dozens of women in fancy attire show up for a perfume launch in the center of Ukraine’s third-largest city. Alex Radyan picked Odesa to present two new fragrances with floral undertones named after a patriotic song, Chervona Kalyna.

“I know what it is to lose, and that gives me strength to start again,” says Mr. Radyan, CEO of Jan Niche Concept, which sold foreign perfumes before Russia waged full-scale war on Ukraine. The determination to save jobs in a teetering economy motivated Mr. Radyan to try his hand at local production.

He knows the risks. Russia’s shelling of the city of Kharkiv last March destroyed one of Mr. Radyan’s stores. The footage of shattered interiors on his phone serves as a vivid reminder of vulnerability. Shifting front lines are another danger. Previously, when Russia annexed territories in eastern Ukraine in 2014, he lost another store, one he dreams of reopening soon.

Why We Wrote This

After a hard winter, optimism is returning to Odesa’s businesspeople. Small and medium enterprises are coming to life, expanding and launching new products despite the war.

“It’s waiting for me,” he says with a smile, showing his confidence in the Ukrainian army.

Despite the fancy soirees like these – with drinks and appetizer trays fit for a Paris vernissage – sandbags still shield monuments and buildings across the city. Corkboards seal windows along the main boulevards. Antitank obstacles abound.

Dominique Soguel

The beaches of Odesa, once packed with tourists, stand empty on March 3, 2023. Swimming in the Black Sea was forbidden last summer due to concerns over sea mines.

But with winter and blackouts behind it and spring spreading warmth and optimism, Odesa’s business community is now abuzz with weekend product launches and networking events for those bold enough to stay and start new ventures.

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