October 18 left many troubling and memorable pages in the history of Korabelnyi District and Mykolaiv. The Ocean Shipyard risked losing its dry dock, the Port of Oktyabrsk was given a new name, proposals were made to restore Korabelnyi’s city status, and a Russian missile destroyed a residential building. There was good news, too — local athletes won international competitions.
October 18, 2012: The Ocean Shipyard was on the brink of disaster
Mykola Romanchuk, former CEO of the Ocean Shipyard, warned of the danger of the dry dock collapsing. The day before, on October 17, the company had been completely cut off from electricity over unpaid bills. According to Romanchuk, 12 pumps were operating beneath the dock at a depth of 19 meters, pumping out water. If power had not been restored within 3–4 hours, the structure could have collapsed.
October 18, 2016: Oktyabrsk got a new name — Olvia
News emerged in Korabelnyi District that the state enterprise “Specialized Sea Port of Oktyabrsk” had been renamed “Olvia Stevedoring Company.” The relevant order, No. 354, issued by the Ministry of Infrastructure, was dated October 17, 2016. The decision was announced the following day. The renaming applied specifically to the state stevedoring company, not to all port authority institutions at once.
October 18, 2020: A proposal was made to restore Korabelnyi’s city status
Viktoriia Moskalenko, then head of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, raised the question of restoring Korabelnyi District’s status as a separate city and possibly naming it “Vitovsk.” She recalled that the former city of Zhovtneve was incorporated into Mykolaiv in 1973. The proposal was made during an election campaign, but no decision to separate the district was adopted at the time.
October 18, 2022: Russian S-300 missiles destroyed a residential building in Mykolaiv
At around 01:40, Russian forces attacked Mykolaiv with S-300 missiles. A two-story residential building in the Central District was destroyed, and a man was killed beneath the rubble. 6 apartment buildings, 3 private houses, shopping kiosks, and other structures were also damaged. 26 rescuers and 6 pieces of equipment worked at the scene. A dog — a dachshund named Diaka — was rescued from the rubble.
October 18, 2024: A Korabelnyi athlete won two gold medals in Azerbaijan
The Mykolaiv City Council reported on the success of Rustam Kovalenko, an athlete from the “Olymp” Children’s and Youth Sports School in Korabelnyi District, at an international regatta in Mingachevir, Azerbaijan. The rower won 2 gold medals in the 1,000 and 200-meter events, as well as silver in the 500-meter event. His coaches are Olha Tsompel and Maksym Dmytriiev. The competition ran from October 16–19.
October 18, 2024: Contactless payments were introduced on Mykolaiv buses
In Mykolaiv, it was announced that cashless fare payments were being introduced on buses operated by the municipal enterprise Mykolaivpastrans. At the time, payment terminals had been installed on 5 buses. Passengers could pay by bank card or contactless payment, and the company planned to gradually equip its remaining buses with terminals.
October 18, 2025: Plans were underway for automated water treatment for Mykolaiv’s new water pipeline
It became known that a modern automated filtration station was planned for Mykolaiv’s new water pipeline. The system was to assess water quality and determine the necessary treatment chemicals on its own. The station was scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. At the same time, experts stressed that even properly treated water could become contaminated as it passed through the city’s old pipes.
This day in Ukraine and around the world
On October 18, 2017, one of Ukraine’s most high-profile traffic accidents occurred in central Kharkiv. After a Lexus and a Volkswagen collided, the SUV mounted the sidewalk, where pedestrians were walking. 6 people were killed and 5 more were injured. The court later sentenced both drivers to 10 years in prison.
On October 18, 2022, the parliament of Estonia declared Russia’s regime terrorist and Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. The statement was backed by 88 members of parliament. The parliament also condemned Russian aggression and attempts to illegally annex Ukrainian territory.
That was October 18 for Korabelnyi District and Mykolaiv: a struggle for the future of shipbuilding, changes in the life of the city, the tragic consequences of Russian aggression, and victories by local athletes. Each date tells a story of its own in our history.
Previously, we wrote:
- The strike at Ocean, the launch of “SILVES,” and the Vitovka anthem: what made September 28 memorable
- From the founding of the National University of Shipbuilding to Olvia’s future concession: what made September 18 memorable in Mykolaiv
- Mykolaiv prepares to launch new water filtration: the city council transfers treatment facilities to Mykolaivvodokanal
