Griboedov Street in the Peresyp district of Odessa has been renamed Jinistrivska to commemorate an important chapter in the city's history.

The decline of Greek settlements in the Northwestern Black Sea region, caused by the invasion of nomadic tribes around 375 AD, turned these lands into desolate steppes for centuries. It was only at the end of the 13th century that the former Greek harbor of Istrian gave way to the Genoese trading post of Jinistra. This is confirmed by ancient Italian sea maps, which align with the current historical center of the city.

Jinistra served as a crucial stop for maritime vessels and an export point for grain and other goods. There are several theories regarding the origin of the name: it may derive from the Italian word ginestra — “broom,” or from the Dniester River.

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

It is believed that the sandbanks at the mouths of the estuaries began to form starting in the 14th century. Jinistra declined in the mid-15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.

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