Chernihiv Oblast
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| Chernihivs'ka Oblast' Чернігівська область | |
|---|---|
| Image:Map of Ukraine political simple Oblast Tschernihiw.png | |
| Image:Chernihiv oblast detail map.png | |
| Population Total (2004) Density Urban | 1,200,416 38/km² 59.2% |
| Area | 31,900 km² |
| Raions | 22 |
| Cities | 15 |
| City districts | 2 |
| Urban localities | 30 |
| Villages | 1,494 |
Chernihiv Oblast (Template:Lang-ua) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Its capital is Chernihiv (also known as Chernigov).
Historically, the oblast is a part of the Polesia region of Ukraine. The area of the province is 31,900 km², its population (as of 1 May 2004) is 1,200,416.
Contents |
Geography
The oblast is bordered by the Kyivs'ke reservoir of Dnieper and the Kiev Oblast to the west, by the Sumy Oblast to the east, and the Poltava Oblast to the south. The oblast forms part of Ukraine's international border with Belarus' Homyel voblast (to the north-west) and the Russia's Bryansk Oblast (to the north), respectively.
Important cities and historical settlements of the Chernihivs'ka oblast' include:
- Bakhmach
- Chernihiv (capital city)
- Koriukivka
- Koselets' (historical city)
- Liubech (historical city)
- Nizhyn (important cultural and industrial center)
- Novhorod-Sivers'kiy (historical city)
- Pryluky (important industrial center and major Air Force base)
- Slavutych (remote residential center of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant)
The oblast is bisected into northern and southern regions by the Desna River, which enters the Dnieper just north of the Kiev (Kyiv) city limits.
History
The capital city of Chernihiv has known human settlement for over 2,000 years, according to archaeological excavations. Chernihivs'ka oblast' comprises a very important historical region, notable as early as the Kyivan Rus' period, when the oblast' cities of Chernihiv and Novhorod-Sivers'kiy were frequently mentioned. The city of Chernihiv was the second most important Ukrainian city during the Rus' period of Ukrainian history, often serving as a major regional capital. Danylo of Chernihiv wrote of his pilgrimage to Jerusalem during this era. The numerous architectural monuments of the city bear witness to the invasions suffered, including those by the Tatars/Mongols, Lithuanians, Poles, Russians, and Nazis.
Industry and economics
The economy of the Chernihivs'ka oblast' mostly deals with petroleum and natural gas extraction, transport, machinery, tobacco and textile industry. A major tobacco factory is situated in Pryluky. Cities of Bakhmach and Nizhyn are the important railway junctions on the route from Russia and Belarus to South-Eastern Europe. There are notable machinery and electronics industries in Chernihiv. Chernihiv also has a beer brewery producing beer under the name "Chernihivske".
Demographics
The population of the Chernihivs'ka oblast' is overwhelmingly Ukrainian, with some minority Belarusian and Russian population, concentrated in the northern districts.
The province has experienced long-term population decline. The population has fallen 23% from the 1959 figure of 1,554,000, the steepest decline of any Ukrainian oblast'. It has the lowest population density in the country.
Religion
The religion among believers in the Chernihivs'ka oblast' is overwhelmingly Christian Orthodox. A substantial percentage of the population is atheist. Small minorities of Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics (among descendants of Polish colonists), and recent converts to Protestantism are also present (see History of Christianity on Ukraine).
Culture and tourist attractions
There are few outstanding historical Orthodox churches and buildings in Chernihiv, Novhorod-Siverskyi, Liubech, Nizhyn (Nezhyn) and Koselets' (the ancient Rus' town elder than Kiev). Nizhyn is a historical Cossack city and home to a university.
See also
References
Kardash, Peter. Ukraine and Ukrainians. Ed. Peter Lockwood. Melbourne: Fortuna Publishers, 1988.
External links
| Subdivisions of Ukraine | Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblasts: | Cherkasy | Chernihiv | Chernivtsi | Dnipropetrovsk | Donetsk | Ivano-Frankivsk | Kharkiv | Kherson | Khmelnytskyi | Kirovohrad | Kiev | Luhansk | Lviv | Mykolaiv | Odessa | Poltava | Rivne | Sumy | Ternopil | Vinnytsia | Volyn | Zakarpattia | Zaporizhia | Zhytomyr | ||
| Autonomous republic: | Crimea | ||
| Cities with special status: | Kiev | Sevastopol | ||
et:Tšernigivi oblast es:Chernihiv (región) lt:Černigovo sritis pl:Obwód czernihowski pt:Chernihiv Oblast ru:Черниговская область fi:Tšernihivin alue sv:Tjernihiv oblast uk:Чернігівська область