apr 24, 1859 - 2nd Russian Jewish Pogrom Odessa 1859

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Both of the pogroms of 1859 and 1871 were started by Greeks. This included Greek merchants as well as Greek employees.

As the size and economy of Odessa continued at a rapid rate, many Jews from within the Russian "Pale of Settlement", which included the region of Odessa, moved there from not only withing the Pale, but from elsewhere in Russia as persecution grew and Jews were not allowed to conduct businesses and were being openly attacked with no governmental protection.
Also, on hearing of the news from Odessa, Jews from throughout Europe were making their minds up about emigrating to either North America or Palestine. Odessa was not only closer, but also offered tangible reward compared with the unknows of alternate destinations.

As Jewish influence and population grew in Odessa, many turned to businesses and commerce to make a living. One of the more obvious choices was the shipping of grain from the deep-water port. Over a period of time, Jewish merchants controlled approximately 50% of the outward movement of grain and they controlled companies which gave employment to Jews as well as operating at lower profit margins.

This started to eclipse the Greek traditional enterprises and forced many of them to either very lean times or to close their businesses altogether. This, of course, gave further opportunity for Jews to fill this vacuum.
The Greeks were particularly angered by these 'incursions', as they saw it, and the now unemployed Greek merchants, sailors and dockworkers sought a justification to launch a new pogrom on the Jews.

Anti-Semitism was growing again and were easily fanned by more false accusation of Jewish ritual murder.
The pogrom occurred on a Christian Easter; and the local press, attempted to transform it into an accidental fight, to draw attention away from the Greek colony, who were, at that time, also dominant in the administration of Odessa.

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