The street Griboedov in the city of Odessa has been renamed Jinestrovskaya, marking an important phase in the city’s history.

The decline of ancient Greek settlements in the Northwestern Black Sea region due to the invasion of nomadic tribes around 375 turned these lands into desolate steppes for centuries. Only in the late 13th century did a Genoese trading post named Jinestra emerge at the site of the former Greek harbor Istrian, as confirmed by ancient Italian maritime maps that coincide with the modern historical center of Odessa.

Jinesta was a significant harbor for maritime vessels and a hub for the export of grain and other goods. There are several theories about the origin of the name: it may come from the Italian word ginestra, meaning “broom,” or from the name of the Dniester River.

In the Middle Ages, just like in ancient times, the Khadjibey and Kuyalnik estuaries remained navigable and served as a safe harbor for merchants from Amalfi, Pisa, Venice, Genoa, Ancona, and other Mediterranean republics. This is evidenced by the findings of ancient anchors.

It is believed that the sandbars in the estuaries began to form from the 14th century. Jinestra declined in the mid-15th century after the Ottomans captured Constantinople.

Following the full conquest of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks expelled the Genoese from the shores of the Black Sea. There is also a theory that Jinestra ceased to exist during the catastrophic plague pandemic of 1346-1349.