Chernivtsi

 

(chĭrnĭft'sē) , Ger. Czernowitz, Romanian Cernauţi, Rus. Chernovtsy, city (1989 pop. 257,000), capital of Chernivtsi region, SW Ukraine, on the Prut River and in the Carpathian foothills. It is a rail junction and the economic, cultural, and scientific center of the region of Bukovina. Industries, which include woodworking and food processing, are powered by a nearby hydroeletric station. One of Ukraine's oldest towns, Chernivtsi was part of Kievan Rus. It passed to Austria in 1775 and in 1849 became the capital of Bukovina. During the 19th and early 20th cent., the city was a center of a Ukrainian nationalist movement. With the dissolution of Austria-Hungary in 1918, Chernivtsi was transferred to Romania, which held it until the USSR seized N Bukovina in 1940. The city has a university (est. 1875), a 13th-century fortified castle, a 17th-century wooden church, and a 19th-century Orthodox Eastern cathedral.

Chernivtsi Чернівці
The square in front of the Chernivtsi Theatre.
Coat of arms
Nickname: Little Vienna
Map of Ukraine (blue) with Chernivtsi highlighted (red).
Coordinates: 48°18′0″N 25°56′0″E / 48.3, 25.93333
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Chernivtsi Oblast
City Municipality	Chernivtsi City Municipality
First mentioned	1408
City rights	14th century
Government
- Mayor	Mykola Fedoruk
Area
- City	km²  ( sq mi)
Population (2001 census)
- City
- Density	/km² (/sq mi)
Time zone	EET ([[UTC+2]])
- Summer (DST)	EEST ([[UTC+3]])
Postal code	58000
Area code(s)	+380 372
Sister cities	Salt Lake City, Konin, Suceava, Nazareth Illit, Saskatoon, Klagenfurt, Podolsk
Website: http://www.city.cv.ua/

Chernivtsi (Ukrainian: Чернівці; German: Czernowitz; Romanian: Cernăuţi; Russian: Черновцы́, translit. Chernovtsy; Yiddish: טשערנאוויץ, translit. Tshernovits; see also: Cities' alternative names) is a city located in the administrative Chernivtsi Oblast (province) and historic Northern Bukovyna region of western Ukraine.

Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast, and is also designated as a "city of oblast subordinance," thus being directly subordinate to the oblast authorities rather than the city administration housed within itself.

With the city of Lviv, Chernivtsi is considered to be a cultural centre of western Ukraine. Many famous Ukrainians were born or lived in the city ranging from the poet Ivan Franko to the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk. Chernivtsi is also considered as one of Romania's greatest cultural and educational centres in history. As a cultural and architectural center, Chernivtsi was dubbed as Little Vienna,^[1][2], Jerusalem upon the Prut and the European Alexandria.^{[citation needed]}

Chernivtsi is currently twinned with eight other cities around the world. Chernivtsi is also a major point of railway and highway crossings in the region, and houses an international airport.

Geography

Chernivtsi is located in the historic Northern Bukovyna region of western Ukraine. The city lies 248 meters above sea level and is surrounded by forests and fields. The Prut River runs through the city's landscape.

History

Archeological evidence discovered in the area surrounding Chernivtsi indicates that a local population existed in that area since the neolithic era. Later settlements included those of the Trypillian culture (Cucuteni),^[3] the Corded Ware culture; artifacts from the Bronze and Iron ages were also found in the city. Remains of the early Slavic tribes in the area date back to the 2nd–5th centuries, with the artifacts of Chroatian and Tiverian peoples from the 9th–11th centuries also being present.

A fortified settlement, located on the left shore of Prut River, dates back to the time of the Principality of Halych and is thought to have been built by Grand Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl, who ruled from 1153-1187.^[4] Legendary accounts refer to this fortress-city as Chern’, or Black city, and it is said to owe its name to the black color of the city walls, built from dark oak layered with local black-colored soil.^[5] This stronghold was unfortunately destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Rus by the Burundai in 1259. However, the remaining ramparts of the fortress were still used for the defense purposes; they were augmented with several bastions, one of which is still extant, in the 17th century. Following the destruction of the fortress, later settlements in the area centered to the right of the Prut River, at a more strategically advantageous, elevated location.

Beginning in 1359, the city and its surroundings came under the control of the neighboring Principality of Moldavia. Chernivtsi is mentioned in business correspondence between Prince Alexandru cel Bun and merchants from Lviv (then a part of Poland) on October 8, 1408.

The city became a part of the Duchy of Bukovina, a crownland of the Austrian Empire, in 1775 and received Magdeburg rights soon thereafter.^[6] During the 19th and early 20th century, Chernivtsi became a center of the Ukrainian nationalist movement.

Chernivtsi was the site of the first Yiddish language conference in 1908; this was coordinated by Nathan Birnbaum.

When Austria-Hungary dissolved in 1918, the city and its surrounding area became a part of the Kingdom of Romania.^[7] In 1940, Red Army forces claimed the area and it subsequently became a part of the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union.^[7]

Romania re-took control of the city and much of southern Ukraine in 1941 as part of the Axis attack on the Soviet Union during World War II. When Axis forces were driven out by the Soviet Army, the city rejoined the Ukrainian SSR (1944).

Since 1991, Chernitvtsi has been a part of independent Ukraine. In May 1999, Romania opened a consulate general in the city.

Government and administrative divisions

Chernivtsi is the administrative center of the Chernivtsi Oblast (province) as well as of the Chernivtsi City Municipality housed within the city. However, Chernivtsi is a city of oblast subordinance, thus being subject directly to the oblast authorities rather to the city municipality housed in the city itself.

The territory of Chernivtsi is divided into 3 administrative raions (districts).

1. Pershotravnevyi Raion (Ukrainian: Першотравневий район)
2. Sadhirskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Садгірський район)
3. Shevchenkivskyi Raion^[8] (Ukrainian: Шевченківський район)

The mayor of Chernivtsi is Mykola Fedoruk, who has held the position since 1994.^[5]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1775	2,300	N/A
1794	5,000	+2.17%
1832	11,000	+2.2%
1869	34,000	+3.1%
1890	54,200	+1.6%
1910	87,100	+1.3%
1930	112,400	+1.1%
1941	78,800	-0.7%
1970	187,000	+2.37%
1984	238,000	+1.27%
2001	236,700[9]	+0.99%
2005	242,300	+1.02%

In 1930, according to the Romanian census, the population of the city was 26.8 % Jewish, 23.2% Romanians, 20.8% Germans, 18.6% Ukrainians, and 1.5% Russians.

The Romanian population in Chernivtsi started decreasing rapidly after 1950. Many Romanians fled to Romania or were deported to Siberia (where most of them died), and the remaining Romanian population quickly became a minority and assimilated with the majority.^[10] Nowadays, the Romanian minority in Chernivtsi is still decreasing as a result of cultural assimilation and emigration to Romania.

Chernivtsi once had a Jewish community of 50,000, about half of whom survived WWII thanks to the intercession of a Romanian lawyer and reserve officer, Theodor Criveanu.^[11]

However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the majority of the Jewish population emigrated to Israel and the United States.

The population of the city, as of January 1, 1998, was approximately 295,000 residents. Among these, there are some 172,000 Ukrainians, 46,000 Russians, 16,000 Romanians, 13,000 Moldavians, 7,000 Poles and others.

According to the updated data of the All-Ukrainian population census of 2001, the population of Chernivtsi was approximately 236,700 people of 65 nationalities.^[9] Among them, 189,000 (79.8%) are Ukrainians, 26,700 (11.3%) Russians, 10,500 (4.4%) Romanians; 3,800 (1.6%) Moldavians, 1,400 (0.6%) Polish; 1,300 (0.6%) Jews; 2,900 (1.2%) other nationalities.^[5]

Culture

Architecture

The city of Chernivtsi has a lot of important architecutral buildings. Many historic buildings have been preserved, especially within the city's center. However, after years of disrepair and neglect, the buildings are in need of major restoration.

As Chernivsti was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was closely related to the empire's culture, including architecture. Main architectural styles present within the city include Vienna Secession and Neoclassicism, Baroque, late Gothic architecture, and fragments of traditional Moldavian and Hungarian architecture, Byzantine architecture as well as Cubism.^[12] The city is sometimes dubbed Little Vienna, because its architecture is reminiscent of the Austro-Hungarian capital Vienna.^[1][2]

The main architectural attractions of the city include: the Chernivtsi Drama Theater (1905); the Chernivtsi University — a former residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovyna (1882); the Regional Museum of Fine Arts — the former savings bank (1900); the Regional Council — former Palace of Justice (1906); and the Chernivtsi Palace of Culture — former Jewish National House (1908); among many others.

Sports

The most popular kinds of sports in Chernivtsi include arching, judo, field hockey, karate, power-lifting and orienteering.^[13] Chernivtsi's baseball, hockey, and football clubs (FC Bukovyna Chernivtsi) are participants of the Ukrainian national championships.

Chernivtsi has a number of well-developed sports establishments and facilities, including 5 stadiums, 186 sports grounds, 2 tennis courts, 11 football fields, 4 skating rinks, 21 shooting galleries, 3 swimming pools, 69 gyms, and 62 gyms with special training equipment and an international motorcycle racing track.^[13]

Over 7,950 inhabitants are members of sport clubs within the city, and more than 50,000 people participate in various sport activities.^[13] Currently, 8 sportsmen from the city are the members of national teams and 12 are members in the Ukrainian youth national teams.^[13] Three athletes from Chernivtsi were prize-winners of various world tournaments, 2 who were winners of European and 42 of national championships in 2002.^[13]

See also

• Chernivtsi University
• List of people from Chernivtsi

References

External links

• Main Page (English/Ukrainian). Chernivtsi City Official Site. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
• Chernovtsy (Russian). Electronic Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
• Chernivtsi photo gallery and links. GeoCities. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.

Geographic locale

Administrative divisions of Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine Chernivtsi (capital) Raions Hertsaivskyi · Hlybotskyi · Kelmenetskyi · Khotynskyi · Kitsmanskyi · Novoselytskyi · Putylskyi · Sokyrianskyi · Storozhynetskyi · Vyzhnytskyi · Zastavnivskyi Cities Chernivtsi · Hertsa · Khotyn · Kitsman · Novodnistrovsk · Novoselytsia · Sokyriany · Storozhynets · Vashkivtsi · Vyzhnytsia · Zastavna Urban-type settlements Berehomet · Hlyboka · Kelmenetsi · Kostryzhivka · Krasnoilsk · Luzhany · Nepolokivtsi · Putyla · more... Villages Bila Krynytsya · Boiany · Chornivka · Voloka · more... Administrative divisions of Ukraine Kiev (capital) Oblasts Cherkasy · Chernihiv · Chernivtsi · Dnipropetrovsk · Donetsk · Ivano-Frankivsk · Kharkiv · Kherson · Khmelnytskyi · Kiev · Kirovohrad · Luhansk · Lviv · Mykolaiv · Odessa · Poltava · Rivne · Sumy · Ternopil · Vinnytsia · Volyn · Zakarpattia · Zaporizhia · Zhytomyr Cities with special status Kiev City · Sevastopol City Autonomous Republic Autonomous Republic of Crimea Administrative centers Cherkasy · Chernihiv · Chernivtsi · Dnipropetrovsk · Donetsk · Ivano-Frankivsk · Kharkiv · Kherson · Khmelnytskyi · Kiev City · Kirovohrad · Luhansk · Lutsk · Lviv · Mykolaiv · Odessa · Poltava · Rivne · Sevstopol City · Simferopol · Sumy · Ternopil · Uzhhorod · Vinnytsia · Zaporizhia · Zhytomyr

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