Dear employees, cadets, graduates and friends of National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”! On behalf of the Rector’s Office, let me congratulate all of you on the birthday of our famous educational institution. Let me remind you that the history of the academy began on June 7, 1944 during the Second World War. Today we celebrate 78 years, unfortunately, also during the war, which we could not even allow in our minds.

As a result of the barbaric aggression of the Russian Federation, people have been killed every day for 104 days – military and civilian, children, women and the elderly, cities and villages, infrastructure, blocked seaports of Ukraine – Odessa, Black Sea, South, Mykolaiv, Belgorod-Dniester, Ochakiv . A significant part of the country’s territory was occupied, including the port cities of Mariupol, Kherson, Berdyansk, and Skadovsk.

The war has caused not only great losses for Ukraine, but also global problems of food and energy resources, primarily due to obstacles to global shipping – port stops, restrictions on Ukrainian sailors, international sanctions against ships and companies related to Russia. The United Nations is calling for an urgent solution to the blockade of Ukrainian ports to prevent the threat of famine for 200 million people.

Odessa Maritime Academy has been a well-known institution in the world maritime community for a very long time. The Academy was formed in 1944 and since then it has already changed different names: Odessa Higher Marine School, Odessa Higher Engineering Marine School, Odessa State Maritime Academy, Odessa National Maritime Academy, National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”. Throughout the course of its history, the Academy has provided high professionalism of scientific-pedagogical personnel, standards of education and cadets’ training, which are in compliance with all international and national standards. Thanks to the graduates of the Academy, today Ukraine is among the leaders in the number of officers on ships of the World Merchant Navy. Our graduates worthily represent Ukraine around the world, and today many of them are defending the Motherland with weapons in their hands. First of all, graduates of the Naval Institute, established at the Academy in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

Thanks to the heroism of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Territorial Defense Forces, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service, Russia’s plans were thwarted, the Russian offensive was restrained, and some territories were liberated from the occupiers, but fierce fighting continues.

We call on the graduates of the Academy of all years of graduation, in whatever countries they live or work, to act as a united front in support of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The importance of Ukraine’s international support and assistance to the international community cannot be overstated today. Let’s win together! Glory to Ukrainian heroes, glory to Ukraine!