On December 6, 1865, the Odessa railway was solemnly opened, which connected Odessa and Balta. A solemn prayer service was held in the port, and then more than 200 participants of the event went by train to the Michelstal station (Merry Kut), where a solemn dinner was held.
This road was built within three years. The work was paid from the state treasury. It became the first line of the future Southwestern Railway, which for 25 years remained the largest in the Russian Empire.