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As part of the project «Incredible Port»

Every port has its own legendary figures. Odesa has a lot. And among them, in the first row, two names shine especially brightly: Zoya Ulyanova and Ella Koshelyova. These were women who, at a time when production units were considered exclusively “men’s territory,” confidently claimed their place among the most effective mid-level managers. Their professional biographies are stories of strength, expertise, and remarkable humanity.

Stories about Zoya Ulyanova, head of the port fleet, became legendary even during her lifetime. Born into a diplomat’s family, Zoya Stepanivna spent her childhood abroad - her father worked at the Soviet embassy in Turkey. There she received her education and learned several languages.

In 1935, the family returned to Odesa, and later, in 1951, after graduating from the Water Transport Institute, Zoya joined the Odesa Port. It was here that she became the first and only woman in the maritime transport sector to head a fleet division. And not for a month or a year, but for sixteen full years! At the time, the port fleet comprised up to 150 various vessels and a workforce of 1,500 sailors (!).

In the 1970s, the port fleet operated at the limits of its capacity: 25-30 towage and bunkering operations daily, over 100 vessels in service, and active passenger and cargo transport operations.

Managing such a complex system was not a task for the fainthearted. But Ulyanova handled it. “A firm, commanding hand,” port workers used to say about her. Order, discipline, responsibility — her methods worked. But behind this firmness stood a profound love for the work.

The passenger fleet of OSCP (Odesa Sea Commercial Port) was one of Ulyanova’s top priorities. Under her leadership, the “sea trams” became a full-fledged mode of public transport in the coastal city with a population of over one million. The passenger boats maintained connections between the port harbor and a whole network of coastal terminals along Odesa’s shoreline — from Luzanivka to Chornomorka. Service was provided year-round, with varying intensity. Even in winter: when the bay froze, the boats sailed under tug escort.

Under Zoya Ulyanova’s leadership, large-scale fleet renewal programs were implemented, and stable operation was established for the line responsible for extracting and delivering marine sand needed for the city’s construction.

Zoya Ulyanova wasn’t just the port’s chief – she stood as a symbol of strength and women’s leadership.

Another remarkable figure was Ella Petrovna Koshelyova, head of the Repair and Construction Department. Her journey in the port began in the RBU of OSCP in 1957. The young specialist quickly earned respect: site foreman, senior foreman — and then only upward.

But Ella Petrovna’s true greatness revealed itself not only in her professional achievements.

An article from the Odesa Port Worker newspaper from 1962 preserved a story that still inspires admiration and profound respect today.

Ella and her husband, a crane truck operator, were building their own apartment using the “Gorky method” – contributing their own labor. Ella had already imagined where the sofa would stand and where the wardrobe would be. But one day, at a trade union meeting, she learned that her colleague, a young woman and electric forklift operator, Olha Donska, was pregnant and had no place to live.

After a brief conversation at home, Ella and her husband made a decision that seems unbelievable: they gave their future apartment to Olha.

— But what about you? — the union committee members asked in astonishment.
— We will build another one… — Ella replied calmly.

This act remained in the port’s history forever.

Another incredible fact: Ella Koshelyova took part in underwater operations! In the early 1960s, the port’s chief engineer urgently called her — the ninth berth needed to be inspected underwater. Ella agreed without hesitation. Together with her diver friends, she went down, examined the structures, and prepared reports. She personally accepted all the divers’ work – underwater, with a scuba tank on her back.

Competent. Brave. Just. Humane. This is how port workers remember Ella Petrovna.

Zoya Ulyanova and Ella Koshelyova lived at different tempos and worked in different divisions, yet they were united by one thing – their boundless dedication to the port and its people. They broke stereotypes long before it became a trend. They led, they took responsibility, they shaped the future of their home enterprise. And today, their names sound especially proudly — as proof that the Odesa Port has always been a place where incredible stories are born and incredible people work.