MARIUPOL

formerly (194889) Zhdanov, city, Donetsk oblast (province), Ukraine. It lies along the estuary of the Kalmius and Kalchik rivers, 6 miles (10 km) from the Sea of Azov. The original 18th-century settlement of Pavlovsk was renamed Mariupol by Greek settlers in 1779. In 1882 it was connected by rail to the Donets Coal Basin and developed as a major port for the basin, a role it maintains. The town was renamed Zhdanov in 1948 for Andrey Zhdanov, a native who died that year, though the city's earlier name was restored in 1989. Modern Mariupol exports coal, steel, machinery, and grain. It is the base of a fishing fleet, and a dredged channel leads to the open sea. Mariupol also has large and important iron and steel works and associated coke-chemical and machine-building works; other industries include ship repairing, fish canning, and flour milling. The city also has a metallurgical institute. Pop. (1991 est.) 521,800.