Imigede Yamathuna Yase-Odessa—Inxakanxaka Engaphansi Komhlaba
KUBA nomfantu omude odongeni lwendlu esanda kupulasitelwa kabusha. Umnikazi uyakhononda, “Yile migede yamathuna ebangela isakhiwo sethu sitsheke.”
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi inkinga ingase ibe yini—ukuqhuma kwepayipi lamanzi noma ukushona phansi komgwaqo—kuhlale kusolwa imihubhe engaphansi kwedolobha elihle lase-Ukraine i-Odessa elisoLwandle Olumnyama. Le mihubhe, okucatshangwa ukuthi inamaphasishi angamakhilomitha angu-2 500 angaphansi komhlaba, ingase ibe imigede yamathuna emikhulu kunayo yonke emhlabeni.
Sazibuza, ‘Le migede yaba khona kanjani? Inayiphi indima ekuphileni kwabantu abaphila phezu kwayo?’ Ukuvakasha kwethu kule ndawo kwayiphendula imibuzo yethu.
Uhambo Oluya Ngaphansi Komhlaba
Ibhasi esasihamba ngalo lasuka esiteshini sesitimela sase-Odessa neqembu elijabule lezivakashi nabafundi. Phakathi nohambo lwethu lokuya emigedeni yamathuna, owayesiqondisa wasitshela ngomlando wayo.
Sathola ukuthi kubonakala sengathi ukumbiwa kwale migede yamathuna kwaqala ngawo-1830, lapho idolobha lalidinga izinto zokwakha ezingabizi futhi nezazitholakala endaweni. Endaweni engajulile ngaphansi kwedolobha kwakunezingqimba zetshe eliphuzi elilula futhi eliqinile okwenziwa ngalo usimende (limestone). Ngakho ukusikwa kwamatshe kwaba ibhizinisi elichumayo kuleli dolobha elalisathuthuka. Njengoba izisebenzi zasezimayini zaziqhubeka nokumba, kwaqala kwakheka imigede yamathuna.
Le nxakanxaka yasabalala ngokushesha ngaphansi kwedolobha futhi yayingahlelekile. Kwambiwa imihubhe engamamitha angaphezu kuka-35 ngaphansi komhlaba. Ngezinye izikhathi yayiphambana kwezinye izindawo. Imigodi yayisala kanjalo uma leli tshe elenza usimende seliphelile bese kumbiwa emisha. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, le nxakanxaka yemigodi yenabela nasemaphandleni.
Ngokushesha, ibhasi lethu lafika eNerubaiske, idolobhana elisenyakatho ye-Odessa. Ngokushesha sase simi eduze kodonga olwakhiwe nge-limestone elalinesango elikhulu lensimbi elalivala umhubhe ongena emigedeni yamathuna. Umqondisi wethu wathi: “Manje sesizongena endaweni eyayikade ihlala abashokobezi baseSoviet phakathi neMpi Yezwe II. Nizokwazi ukuba nombono wokuthi ukuphila kwabo kwakunjani ngaleso sikhathi.” Ngokuka-Andriy Krasnozhon, ongungoti wemigede yamathuna, kuneqembu labashokobezi elahlala ngaphansi komhlaba izinyanga ezingu-13.
Umqondisi wethu wanezela, “Nikhumbule ukuthi baningi abanye abake bahlala ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zale migede. Laba babehlanganisa izigebengu, abaphangi bemikhumbi nababaleki bezombangazwe. Cishe bonke babhekana nezimo ezifanayo.”
Sangena emhubheni owawuya uba mnyama. Umqondisi wethu wathi: “Kubashokobezi, le migede yayingeyona indawo yokucasha nje kuphela kodwa yayenziwe ngendlela eyayibenza banethezeke. Egumbini lokungcebeleka, amadoda ayedlala i-checkers, i-chess noma ama-domino ekhanyise amakhandlela. Amagumbi abesilisa nabesifazane ayembiwa edwaleni lomhubhe omkhulu. Egumbini ngalinye kwakwenziwa ishalofu bese limbozwa ngotshani. Lalisetshenziswa njengeshalofu lokulala. Ingxenye enesibhedlela yayinemibhede yangempela nekamelo lokuhlinzela. Abesifazane babepheka ngesitofu esasibaswa ngezinkuni esasenziwe nge-limestone, futhi umusi wawuphumela emhubheni ongaphezulu.”
Uphahla lomhubhe lwalufana nesiponji esingokwemvelo esikhulu, umehluko nje ukuthi lona lwaluqinile uma uluthinta. Ezindongeni kwakunezimpawu zamazenga esaha, lapho kwakusikwe khona amatshe. Uma uzithinta izindonga zihwaya njengephepha lokukhuhla. Umqondisi wethu wachaza ukuthi, “Uma abashokobezi bephumela ngaphandle kwemigede, babeshintsha izingubo zokugqoka ukuze amaJalimane angababambi ngephunga labo. Umswakama osemigedeni wawenza izingubo zibe nephunga elihlukile.”
Lo mqondisi wethu wathi, “Kwakunezinye izinto ezazihlukile ngokuphila kwangaphansi komhlaba, ezifana nokuphila ebumnyameni.” Wacima ugesi okwenza kwaba mnyama bhuqe. Waphawula, “Babengakwazi ukuhlala bekhanyise amalambu abo.” Njengoba sasiphumputha odongeni, wanezela, “Amatshe ayawubamba umsindo, ngakho uma ulahleka, akekho oyokuzwa uma umemeza.” Ngomusa, wabuye wakhanyisa futhi!
Waqhubeka nokuchaza: “Onogada babengena amashifu amahora amabili kuphela, ngoba ngemva kokuhlala isikhathi eside ebumnyameni futhi kuthule cwaka, umuntu wayeqala ukuzwa izinto ezingekho.” Imbobo eyayiphezulu yasenza sabona umhubhe ongaphezulu owawuxhumana nalo esasikuwo. Ngazibuza, ‘Uqhamuka kuphi? Uyaphi?’ Ngazizwa nginelukuluku. Umqondisi wethu waphawula ukuthi: “Kunebalazwe lemigede engaba ngamakhilomitha angu-1 700 kuphela, ngakho usemningi umsebenzi okumelwe wenziwe.”
Muva nje abahloli bamazwe bathole imigede emisha. Ngaphakathi bathola amaphephandaba aneminyaka eyikhulu ekhona, amalambu kaphalafini amadala, nemali yangenkathi yokubusa kwamakhosi eRussia. Lezi zinto—osekungamakhulu eminyaka zingathintwa—ezabantu bakudala ababehlala emigedeni ejulile, emide nemnyama yase-Odessa.—Inikelwe.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 25]
IZAKHIWO EZIYIGUGU
Kusenezakhiwo ezinhle ezisenkabeni yedolobha lase-Odessa ezakhiwa nge-limestone ephuzi eyayimbiwa kule ndawo. Kwezinye zazo, emagumbini angaphansi kuneminyango engena ngokuqondile kule migede. Kusenezakhiwo ezintsha ezisakhiwa ngaleli tshe.
[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]
lmibhede yasesibhedlela eyayisetshenziswa amaSoviet phakathi neMpi Yezwe II
[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]
Imigede yamathuna yase-Odessa kucatshangwa ukuthi inemihubhe engaphansi komhlaba engamakhilomitha angu-2 500