Novorossiya
Novorossiya (Russian: Новоро́ссия, literally New Russia) is a historic area now mostly located in southern Ukraine, and partially in southern Russia.
The Russian Empire gradually gained control over the area by peace treaties with Turkey at the conclusion of Russo-Turkish Wars of 1735-1739, 1768-1774, 1787-1792, and 1806-1812. The colonization of the land in the end of 18th century was led by Knyaz Potemkin who was granted the powers of an absolute ruler of the area. The lands were generously given to Russian dvoryanstvo and the enserfed peasantry from Russia and Ukraine was transferred to cultivate what was a sparsely populated steppe.
New cities founded during colonization included Novorossiysk, Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk), Nikolaev (Mykolaiv), Kherson and Odessa.