As a zone of contact between the Russian and Ottoman Empires, the Black Sea representsa primesubject of historical research. People, goods,commodities, and ideastraveled and circulated easily through networks along the shores and across the sea. During the nineteenthcentury, mutual interactions between port cities and regions intensified yet again, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. This was duein partto new technologiesand the onset ofthe steamshipage, whichheralded reduced travel timesand shorterroutes.We would like to usethisworkshop as an opprotunityto approach the modern history of the Black Sea regionfromdifferent perspectives. Main topics include

• The ambivalences inherent in a transnational zone of contact that was simultaneouslydominated by interimperial competition
• The cultural effects ofeconomic integration inthe Black Sea region
• The possible applicability of new methodological or theoretical approaches to thestudy of the region’seconomic, social and cultural history.