What language does Odessa speak? Greeks and Scythians, Turks and Crimean Tatars, Germans and Jews, French and Italians, and most importantly — Ukrainians. For centuries, very different people lived between the steppe and the sea, each of whom spoke his own language. The "traditional" Russian-speaking nature of the city on the northern coast of the Black Sea is a kind of Imperial myth that has been cherished for years, rewriting historical sources and erasing names. A new book by linguist Orisa Demskaya tells the language history of Odessa and its inhabitants. The author helps us to look into the coffee shop of the Greek Simon Asporidi — the very heart of the city, where citizens gathered for a cup of coffee, and hear the echoes of many languages that create the fate of the city.