Cherkasy
Encyclopedia
Cherkasy or Cherkassy , is a city in central Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

. It is the capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....

 of the Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy).-Geography:...

 (province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...

), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Cherkasky Raion
Cherkasky Raion
Cherkasy Raion is an administrative part of Cherkasy Oblast. The center of the raion is Cherkasy. The area of the raion is , with density of . The population consists of Ukrainians , Russians , Belorussians , and others...

 (district
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...

) within the oblast. The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast.

The city is the cultural, educational and industrial center of Cherkasy Oblast and Central Economical Region of Ukraine. Cherkasy is known since the 13th century and played a great role in the history of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

. Cherkasy was the center of Cossacks, citizens took part in Khmelnychchyna
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, was a Cossack rebellion in the Ukraine between the years 1648–1657 which turned into a Ukrainian war of liberation from Poland...

 and Koliyivschyna
Koliyivschyna
Koliyivshchyna 1768-1769 was a Ukrainian Cossack and peasant rebellion against Poland, which was responsible for the murder of noblemen , Jews, Uniates, and Catholic priests across the part of the country west of the Dnieper river...

 (cossacks and peasants rebellions).

The city is located on the right bank of Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...

 (specifically at the Kremenchuk Reservoir
Kremenchuk Reservoir
The Kremenchuk Reservoir is the largest water reservoir located on the Dnieper River. Named for the city of Kremenchuk, it covers a total area of 2,250 square kilometres in the territories of the Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad Oblasts in central Ukraine...

), about 200 km (124 mi) south of the nation's capital, Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

. The city is divided into 2 boroughs (raions) - Sosnivskiy (with Orshanets village) and Pridniprovskiy. The current population of Cherkasy is 287,583 (as of 2011). In June 2011, the city celebrated its 725 anniversary.

Location

Cherkasy is situated on the high right bank of the Dnipro River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...

, in the middle of the Kremenchuk Reservoir
Kremenchuk Reservoir
The Kremenchuk Reservoir is the largest water reservoir located on the Dnieper River. Named for the city of Kremenchuk, it covers a total area of 2,250 square kilometres in the territories of the Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad Oblasts in central Ukraine...

. Relief of the historical part of the city was influenced by Zamkova (Castle) mountain, where Cherkasy Fortress was situated. The major part of Cherkasy occurs as lowland
Lowland
In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...

s.
The city occupies an area of 69 km (42.87 mi). The city's length is 17 km (10.56 mi) along the Kremenchuk Reservoir
Kremenchuk Reservoir
The Kremenchuk Reservoir is the largest water reservoir located on the Dnieper River. Named for the city of Kremenchuk, it covers a total area of 2,250 square kilometres in the territories of the Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad Oblasts in central Ukraine...

, while its width is only 8 km (4.97 mi).

From the North-West Cherkasy is surrounded by forest. Known as Cherkaskiy Bir (Cherkasy Forest)
Cherkaskiy Bir (Cherkasy Forest)
Cherkasy Forest is a natural pine forest located on north and north-west ends of the city Cherkasy in central Ukraine. At 28,500 hectares, it is famous as the biggest natural pine forest on the south edge of scots pine area...

, it is the biggest (28,500 hectares) natural pine forest in Ukraine.

Climate

The climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...

 of Cherkasy is mild continental with mild winters and warm (sometimes hot) summers.

The average temperature in the city is +7,7 °C. Winters are usually cold and snowy (the average January temperature is -5,9 °C), but the last few winters have been rather warm with rare severe frosts (up to -25 °C). Summers are dry and warm (the average temperature in July is +19,8 °C), with occasional highs reaching +35 °C.

Ecology

The ecological situation in the city is quite stable. The cumulative pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...

 index as of 2008 is 7.56, average with other Ukrainian cities. The main pollutant in the city is "Azot" plant
Azot (Cherkasy)
Azot is the biggest manufacturer of nitrogen fertilizers in Ukraine.The construction of this plant began in 1962 and on March 14, 1965 the first portion of fertilizers was produced. Now "Azot" has 43 subdivisions which are located on 500 hectares on the Southern edge of Cherkasy...

, so the nearby area (South-East part of the city) is the most polluted. The downtown area is heavily polluted as well, due to high traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...

 volume. The city itself is mostly clean of nuclear pollution from the Chernobyl disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...

, although the northernmost part of Cherkasy may have been influenced a little.

Demographics

According to the newest data, the number of inhabitants of Cherkasy is 286,037 as of September 1, 2011. This number is decreasing because of rising mortality rate, socio-economic situation, and the suburbanisation process in the region.

This diagram shows the changes of population in Cherkasy:
The majority of citizens are Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...

, with a large population of Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

 and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...

. 46,4% are males, 53,6% are females. According to the data provided by the municipal health care department, teens under 14 encompass 15% of the population while pensioners are 19%, which indicates the prevalence of aging citizens as compared to younger citizens.

Early history

The history of Cherkasy has not been thoroughly explored. This can be explained by the fact that the city was forming under the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n (and later Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

) rule, which is why some periods in the life of Cherkasy still remain undiscovered (a lot of facts were hidden, documents and material proof was destroyed).
The year of establishment is considered to be 1286. There are few facts about the beginning of the city's life, but it is documented that Cherkasy existed in the 14th century. The first record about Cherkasy was made in 1305 and was found in the Gustynskiy Chronicle, which is the Ukrainian chronicle. The city is mentioned as an existing city among other Ukrainian cities, including Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

, Kaniv
Kaniv
Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper...

, Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr is a city in the North of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhytomyr Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zhytomyr Raion...

 and Ovruch.

The city was one of the centers of the Cossack movement. Citizens took part in Khmelnychchyna
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, was a Cossack rebellion in the Ukraine between the years 1648–1657 which turned into a Ukrainian war of liberation from Poland...

 and Koliyivschyna
Koliyivschyna
Koliyivshchyna 1768-1769 was a Ukrainian Cossack and peasant rebellion against Poland, which was responsible for the murder of noblemen , Jews, Uniates, and Catholic priests across the part of the country west of the Dnieper river...

. The city was influenced by the cruel social and economical experiments of Soviet authorities and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. In 1954, Cherkasy became the administrative center of Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy).-Geography:...

 (province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...

), the youngest oblast of Ukraine.

Under Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Starting from 1360s, the city enters a new period in its development - it becomes a part of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...

. Since that, Cherkasy becomes important defender of Southern borders. In 1384 the city is mentioned as fortified town on the South edge (of Grand Duchy of Lithuania), along with Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia is a city located on the banks of the Southern Bug, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast.-Names:...

, Bratslav and Kaniv
Kaniv
Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper...

 making defensive line from Crimean Tatars. The city started to be ruled by headman (starosta).

During the end of 15th - beginning of 16th centuries the post of Cherkasy headman was held by the prominent persons of that time - Bogdan Glinskiy, Kmyta Oleksandrovych, Vasyl Dashkevych, Andriy Nemyrovych, Ostafiy Dashkevych
Ostap Dashkevych
Eustachy or Ostap Dashkevych was a commander of a Cossack defense force, approved by the Sejm. He held the position of starosta of Cherkasy in the early stages of the development of the cossacks, and is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a hetman...

, Vasyl Tyshkevych, Dmytro Baida-Vyshnevetskiy
Dmytro Vyshnevetsky
Dmytro Ivanovych Vyshnevetsky was a Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks. He was also known as Baida in the Ukrainian folk songs.-Biography:...

 etc.

During 15th-16th centuries, Cherkasy was one of the main centers that helped Cossacks in population of Ukrainian South. Citizens took part in military marches against Tatars and Turkish, including operations led by Ivan Pidkova. New Cherkasy Castle was the center of city life, it was built in 1549-52 on the place of the old one.

Under Polish rule, Khmelnytsky Uprising

After Union of Lublin
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages. In addition, the autonomy of Royal Prussia was...

 in 1569 Cherkasy became a part of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. Cherkasy Regiment, which was created in 1625, played a big role in history of the city. During War for Independence
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising, was a Cossack rebellion in the Ukraine between the years 1648–1657 which turned into a Ukrainian war of liberation from Poland...

 regiment became administrative-territorial subdivision (until 1686). During that time Cherkasy Regiment was one of the most powerful military units and took part in all battles for Bohdan Khmelnytsky army.

Elimination of Polish rule helped with city's development. But after several unsuccessful Cossack attacks against Poland, Bogdan Khmelnytsky had to sign union with Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

. Signing supposed to be held in Cherkasy, but Polish invasion interfered. Diplomats moved to Pereyaslav, where Pereyaslivska Rada was held. After Pereyaslivska Rada, Cherkasy became a part of Poland for long time. In 1791 the city gained Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg Rights or Magdeburg Law were a set of German town laws regulating the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages granted by a local ruler. Modelled and named after the laws of the German city of Magdeburg and developed during many centuries of the Holy Roman Empire, it was...

.

XIX - beginning of XX centuries

Since the beginning of XIX century the city was planned by Russian architect, civil engineer and town planner of Scottish descent, William Heste. After second division of Poland in 1793, Cherkasy became a part of Russian Empire. Since 1797 it was a povitove
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...

 town of Kiev Governorate
Kiev Governorate
Kiev Governorate , or Government of Kiev, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire.The governorate was established in 1708 along with seven other governorates and was transformed into a viceroyalty in 1781...

. In the second half of XIX century the city experienced a great economical growth. After the railroad appeared in the city, a lot of new industrial enterprises were built. Sugar, tobacco, metalwork, mechanical engineering and trade industries were at peak development at that time. Architect William Heste made a general development plan for the city, which involved building square blocks with straight streets.

XX Century (Soviet time)

After October revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...

 in 1917 Cherkasy got under the rule of bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....

is. After that, however, the city changed its rule for at least 10 times - during the civil war it was conquered by hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi, then again by bolshevikis, later by Nikifor Grigoriev
Nikifor Grigoriev
Nikifor Grigoriev was born Nychypir Servetnyk in a small village of Zastavlia was a paramilitary leader noted for numerous switching of sides and anti-Semitism...

. On January 1, 1920, the city finally and for long time got under Soviet rule. As all villages and towns in the area, it was a victim of man-made famine in 1932-1933 (Holodomor
Holodomor
The Holodomor was a man-made famine in the Ukrainian SSR between 1932 and 1933. During the famine, which is also known as the "terror-famine in Ukraine" and "famine-genocide in Ukraine", millions of Ukrainians died of starvation in a peacetime catastrophe unprecedented in the history of...

) and a Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...

 (a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union organised by Joseph Stalin in 1936–1938).

The Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 damaged the city greatly. On June 22, 1941
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...

, German bombers attacked Cherkasy. For two months soldiers were defending the city, but on August 22, invaders took the city. On December 14, 1943, Cherkasy was set free from German invaders. After the end of the war, the city began to recover after being almost destroyed. According to 5-year plans, the city began to re-develop its economy, infrastructure and socio-cultural sphere. In 1954 the city became the administrative center of Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy).-Geography:...

 (province), the youngest among other oblasts in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

. In 1960s Cherkasy became the chemical giant of Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...

, after "Azot" (the biggest nitrogen fertilizer producing plant), "Himvolokno" (artificial fiber manufacturing plant), "Himreaktyv" (chemical reagents for military purposes) and many others were built in the city. In 1961 a Kremenchuk hydro power plant was built, forming Kremenchuk Water Reservoir, on which Cherkasy is standing now. This made the city a big transport hub, serving the longest dyke
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...

 in Ukraine (15 km) with rail and road on it.

Independence

After gaining the independence, the industry in the city is declining, along with number of citizens and level of life. A lot of big and powerful factories and plants were privatized but couldn't stay alive on competitive market. Some enterprises changed their profile - several (3) factories and plants around the city were united under the "Bogdan Corporation" and started the production of buses and cars. Some of the companies remained working and became successful, like "Azot"
Azot (Cherkasy)
Azot is the biggest manufacturer of nitrogen fertilizers in Ukraine.The construction of this plant began in 1962 and on March 14, 1965 the first portion of fertilizers was produced. Now "Azot" has 43 subdivisions which are located on 500 hectares on the Southern edge of Cherkasy...

.
On November 28, 2008, the monument of Lenin was removed from the central square. This caused different reactions in different people. Now the central square, formerly called "Lenin Square", is called "Soborna Square" (Cathedral Square). The square was recently renovated.
In 2009, Cherkasy airport got the status of International Airport (IATA: CKC – ICAO: UKKE).

Local transportation

Public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

 is represented by trolleybuses and buses. Trolleybuses started serving the city in 1965, and now are operating on 10 routes, from approximately 6am till 11pm. The fleet is old, and mostly consists of ZiU-9
ZiU-9
ZiU-9 is the Soviet trolleybus vehicle. Other names and indexes for the same vehicle include ZiU-682 and HTI-682 . The ZiU acronym stands for Zavod imeni Uritskogo, which means plant named after Moisei Uritsky, the Russian revolutionary...

 and ZiU-10
ZiU-10
ZiU-10 or XTU-683 is an articulated, triple-axle variant of ZiU-9. It is produced by Trolza....

 vehicles. Recently, 3 new trolleybuses (manufactured by LAZ
Lviv Bus Factory
The Lviv Automobile Factory, , mostly known under its obsolete name L’vivs’ky Avtobusnyi Zavod is a bus manufacturing company in Lviv, Ukraine...

) appeared in the city. Buses are mostly represented with "Etalon", "Bohdan"
Bogdan (bus)
Bohdan is the brand of the Ukrainian buses and trolleybuses made by Bogdan Corporation. The original two front-engine/rear-wheel drive models are powered by Isuzu and marketed outside Ukraine under Isuzu brand. Large city buses, such as the rear-engined Bohdan A145 and Bohdan A1445, are also...

, and "PAZ" buses. Cherkasy City Bus is the authority that controls the buses in the city, it consists of several private contractors which actually operate the transport system.

Roads

Cherkasy is a big transport hub due to its location in the center of the country.
Two major automobile routes are going through the city -  H16  (Uman
Uman
Uman is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around , and serves as the self-governing administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion ....

-Zolotonosha
Zolotonosha
Zolotonosha is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. Located at around , the city serves as the administrative center of the Zolotoniskyi Raion , however the city itself is designated with the status of a separate district within the oblast.Zolotonosha is located on the...

, national route) and  P10  (Kaniv
Kaniv
Kaniv is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city rests on the Dnieper River, and is also one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper...

-Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk is an important industrial city in the Poltava Oblast of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Kremenchutskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located on the banks of Dnieper River.-History:Kremenchuk was...

, regional route). There is a 4-lane highway between Cherkasy and Smila
Smila, Ukraine
Smila is a city located on the Tyasmyn River in the Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. The city is itself a raion within the oblast as well as serving as the administrative centre of the wider Smiliansky Raion...

 (city which is a part of Cherkasy Urban Agglomeration). The roads are in poor technical condition and road maintenance is poor.

Railways

The city has a railway station and one railway stop, both are operated by state-owned Ukrzaliznytsia
Ukrzaliznytsia
Ukrzaliznytsia , also known as Ukrainian Railways, is the State Administration of Railroad Transportation in Ukraine, monopoly that controls vast majority of the railroad transportation in the country with a combined total length of track of over 23,000 km, which makes Ukrainian railroad...

 company. Cherkasy has regular connections to neighboring cities with small diesel trains. Major route Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...

-Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 is passing through Cherkasy. One of the most important railway junctions in Ukraine, is located 23 kilometers from Cherkasy, in the city of Smila
Smila, Ukraine
Smila is a city located on the Tyasmyn River in the Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine. The city is itself a raion within the oblast as well as serving as the administrative centre of the wider Smiliansky Raion...

, where the Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...

 and Odessa–Moscow rail routes cross.

Air and Water transport

As Cherkasy is located on the bank of Kremenchuk reservoir
Kremenchuk Reservoir
The Kremenchuk Reservoir is the largest water reservoir located on the Dnieper River. Named for the city of Kremenchuk, it covers a total area of 2,250 square kilometres in the territories of the Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad Oblasts in central Ukraine...

, it has a small riverport. The previously extensive riverboat service along the Dnieper featuring the Raketa hydrofoil ships is no longer existing, limiting river transport to cargo and tour boats and private pleasure craft. There is also a cargo port located in the city.

Cherkasy International Airport
Cherkasy International Airport
Cherkasy International Airport is located 5.5 km from the city center. The airport is owned by Cherkasy City Council.Cherkasy Airport has the airport complex, which includes: air terminal throughput capacity of 400 passengers per hour, which provides for passage of customs, cargo terminal for...

 is located on the western edge of the city. It works for chartered flights around Ukraine, the reason lies behind Boryspil airport in Kiev (which handles most of Ukraine's International flights). In addition, Cherkasy airport is considered as alternative airport for Boryspil in case of unforeseen situations and adverse weather conditions.

Education

Nowadays there are different types of educational institutions in Cherkasy - pre-school (kindergartens), schools, out-of-school and higher educational institutions
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

. These institutions may be both state-owned and private property.

Pre-school education is represented with 50 kindergartens around the city.

City-owned schools are 21 general schools, 1 night school
Night School
Night School is a school that holds classes in the evening or at night, and is usually intended for continuing and adult learning and to accommodate people who work during the day.Night School may also refer to:...

, and 14 new-type schools - 2 lyceum
Lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...

s, 3 gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

s, collegiate
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

, 8 specialized schools. This include First City Gymnasium, City Gymnasium #9 and #31, Cherkasy Physical and Mathematical Lyceum, Cherkasy Lyceum of Humanities and Law, Specialized School #17 (Associated UNESCO school), Cherkasy Collegiate "Beregynia", Specialized Schools #3, #13, #18, #20, #27, #28 and #33.
Private schools are "Perlyna", school #770, and "Sofia".

Out-of-school institutions are Center of Youth Art, Young Sailors Club, Center of Tourism and Sports.

There is a number of post-secondary educational institutions:

There is a number of colleges (both state and private):
  • Cherkasy Medical College
  • Cherkasy State Business College
  • Cherkasy Commercial Technical School
  • Cherkasy Musical College
  • Cherkasy Cooperative Economics and Law College


Several public libraries are serving the city - Central Library of Lesia Ukrainka, City Library for Youth and Children, Central Oblast Library of Taras Shevchenko
Taras Shevchenko
Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...

.

Culture and recreation

Cherkasy is a big cultural center. Several theaters, philharmonic, 3 movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....

s, numerous museums and clubs are serving the city. The city has 3 indoor skating rink
Skating rink
A skating rink may refer to:* an ice rink used for ice skating* a roller rink used for roller skating...

s. People can relax in big parks and gardens around the city, they can also visit city's zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

. Cherkasy is among the cities in Ukraine that have their own planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...

.

Museums

The biggest museums of Cherkasy are:
  • Cherkasy Oblast Local History Museum - the collection of artifacts from the history, nature, culture, and ethnography of Cherkasy Oblast
    Cherkasy Oblast
    Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy).-Geography:...

    .
  • "Kobzar
    Kobzar (book)
    Kobzar , is a book of poems by Ukrainian poet and painter Taras Shevchenko, first published by him in 1840 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Taras Shevchenko was nicknamed The Kobzar after the publishing of this book...

    " Museum of Taras Shevchenko
    Taras Shevchenko
    Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...

     - the only museum in the world about one book.
  • Cherkasy Art Museum - big museum where different exhibitions are held throughout the year.
  • Cherkasy Literary Memorial Museum of Vasyl Symonenko
    Vasyl Symonenko
    Vasyl Symonenko a well-known Ukrainian poet, journalist, activist of dissident movement. He is considered one of the most important figures in Ukrainian literature of the early 1960s...

    .
  • Cherkasy Museum of Vyshyvanka
    Vyshyvanka
    Vyshyvanka is the Ukrainian traditional clothing which contains elements of Ukrainian ethnic embroidery. Many variations of its design were created. Usually, it was made of homemade linen which was produced by loom...


Theaters and Music

There are several theaters in Cherkasy, such as:
  • Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian Academic Drama Theatre of Cherkasy
  • Cherkasy Academic Puppet
    Puppet
    A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....

     Theater
  • Youth Theater "Suchasnyk"

The city has its own philharmonic, which was created in 1955. The big cultural center is concert hall "Druzhba Narodiv" (Friendship of Nations), where all major concerts are held. Besides, there are numerous local cultural clubs.

The city has 3 modern movie theaters - "Salut" (a very old building, was the first cinema in Cherkasy), "Ukraine", and "Dnipro Plaza".

Recreation

Cherkasy is famous as a green city. The main parks are Park Peremohy (Victory Park) with a zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

, Sobornyi Park (Cathedral Park), Juvileyniy Park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...

 (Jubilee Park), Park Himikiv (Park of Chemists), Dolyna Troiand (Rose Valley), and 2 chilred's parks.
Traditional places of summer recreation are beaches of Dnipro River. The coastline of the city is as long as 15 km, and is usually represented with sand beaches. Infrastructure of the beaches is under development right now, although several recreational complexes are already built.
On the northern end of the city, in Cherkasy Forest
Cherkaskiy Bir (Cherkasy Forest)
Cherkasy Forest is a natural pine forest located on north and north-west ends of the city Cherkasy in central Ukraine. At 28,500 hectares, it is famous as the biggest natural pine forest on the south edge of scots pine area...

, sanatorium "Ukraine" is situated, along with three-star hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

 "Ukraine", and "Kosmos-Bowling" club. There are also several hotels in the city which can accommodate people with different tastes.

Festivals

The city is famous for its sculpture festivals - "Kryzhtal" (held in winter, sculptures are made of ice), "Drevlyandia" (held in summer, sculptures are made of wood, then placed in parks around the city), and "Zhyvyi Kamin" (held in fall, sculptures are made of stone). Along with the last, "Cherkasy's Singing Nights" are held in the open-air theater in park. Since 2003, Cherkasy hosts international bike
Bike
Bike may refer to:* The abbreviation for either bicycle or motorcycle* Bike, a Turkish given name* Bike Company* Bike, Ethiopia* Bike , a UK magazine about motorcycling* "Bike" , by Pink Floyd-See also:* Bicycle...

 festival "Tarasova Gora", which gathers bikers from Ukraine, Russia, and other European countries. This is the biggest festival of this kind held in Ukraine.

Mass media

Cherkasy is a big media market, which is served by several local TV stations, newspapers, and numerous radio stations.

The city is a home to numerous newspapers, among which are "Antenna", "Molod' Cherkashchyny", "Vechirni Cherkasy", "Akcent", "Nova Doba", "Misto", "Cherkasky Kray" etc.

Cherkasy has 5 TV stations - Vikka, Antenna-Plus, Media-Center, Expo-TV, and state-owned Ros'. The city is also covered with nationwide channel broadcasting, like 1+1
1+1
- History :TV channel "1+1" was founded in August 1995, headed by its original President Alexander Rodnyansky who also was its general director from 1996 to 2002...

, Inter
Inter (TV channel)
Inter is the major TV channel in Ukraine. Based on it later was formed the whole new media group with variety of different other channels. Inter is among the top-rated networks in Ukraine, competing with such as 1+1 and Pershyi Natsionalnyi channels...

, ICTV
ICTV (Ukraine)
ICTV is a privately-held TV channel in Ukraine. Its coverage area allows it to be received by 56.6 % of the Ukrainian population, making the channel the fourth in the nation in terms of coverage , and third by the viewers' ratings.The channel is owned by...

, STB
STB (Channel)
STB is a Ukrainian commercial television network. Today, the coverage area of the network is 85% of Ukraine's territory. It is broadcast in all oblast centers and all Ukrainian cities with a population greater than 50,000...

, TET etc. .

City's radio stations are mostly nationwide networks broadcasted on local frequencies, although some local stations exist. FM radio stations include KISS FM, Hit FM, Radio Luks, Radio Rocks, Shanson, Ros', Era FM, Love Radio, 101Dalmatin, Dobre Radio.

Sports

Sport life of the city is concentrated in several places, among which are the Central Stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

, Water Sport station, Sport Center "Spartak", "Ukraine"; Sport arena "Budivel'nyk"; "Astra", "Central", "Sokil" swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...

s; 2 ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...

s. Also, there are sport-entertainment centers, such as "Selena", "Bochka", and "Sportohota" which can usually be found on the bank of the Dnipro River.

Every year more than 200 sport events, contests, competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...

s, tournaments are held in the city, with total of 10,000 participants. Some contests that were held recently include:
  • Ukrainian Aquabike
    Aquabike
    Aquabike is an endurance sport composed of swimming and cycling stages. In 2006, USA Triathlon sanctioned about 30 Aquabike events with many taking place at the 70.3 km events. It consists of swimming and biking, usually taking place simultaneously with and on the same outdoor course as a...

     Cup in 2008 hosted bikers from Cherkasy, Odessa
    Odessa
    Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...

    , Kiyv, and Dnipropetrovsk
    Dnipropetrovsk
    Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country...

    . It was held in "Bochka" entertainment center.
  • Kremenchuk Reservoir Cup - yacht
    Yacht
    A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...

     contest among cities located on Kremenchuk Reservoir
    Kremenchuk Reservoir
    The Kremenchuk Reservoir is the largest water reservoir located on the Dnieper River. Named for the city of Kremenchuk, it covers a total area of 2,250 square kilometres in the territories of the Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad Oblasts in central Ukraine...

    . Hosted 27 teams from Svitlovodsk
    Svitlovodsk
    Svitlovodsk is a city located on the Dniepr River in the Kirovohrad Oblast of Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Svitlovodsky Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and can be found at around .-Development:The city was developed and...

    , Kremenchuk
    Kremenchuk
    Kremenchuk is an important industrial city in the Poltava Oblast of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Kremenchutskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located on the banks of Dnieper River.-History:Kremenchuk was...

    , Cherkasy, and Komsomolsk
    Komsomolsk
    Komsomolsk may refer to:Places*Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia*Komsomolsk, Russia, name of several inhabited localities in Russia*Komsomolsk, Ukraine, a city in Poltava Oblast, UkraineOther...

    .
  • Ukrainian Beach Volleyball
    Beach volleyball
    Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....

     Championship - was held in 2008 on the courts of "Rybka" complex
  • Group 2 Euro/Africa Zone matches of 2008 Davis Cup
    Davis Cup
    The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...

     were held in Cherkasy, in "Selena" sport complex.


Other sport achievements are:
  • Cherkasy is home to the basketball
    Basketball
    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

     club BC Cherkasy (a.k.a. the Cherkasy Monkeys).
  • Cherkasy is home to the volleyball
    Volleyball
    Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

     clubs Krug Cherkasy, Zlatogor Zolotonosha Cherkasy (women) and Impexagro Sport Cherkasy (men). They all play in the European tournaments 2008/2009.
  • Cherkasy is represented within Ukrainian Bandy
    Bandy
    Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...

     and Rink-bandy Federation.

Architecture and sights

During its whole history Cherkasy was destroyed and built again a lot of times. Only few buildings of 19th century survived. The system of streets and squares location in the old part of the city is one of few monuments of city-building art of 19th century in Ukraine.
  • Scherbina House (Wedding Palace). It was the most luxurious mansion of prerevolutionary Cherkasy. In Soviet times it was known as the "Palace of Happiness" because it was city's registry office. The house was built by entrepreneur A. Scherbina in 1892. From 1970 to the present day the building is used as the Wedding Palace (civil registry
    Civil registry
    Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database is called civil register or registry, or population registry. The primary purpose of civil registration is to create legal documents that are used to...

     agency).
  • The building of former hotel "Slavyanskiy". It was constructed in the late 19th century by means of an entrepreneur Skoryna in a modernist style with elements of pseudo. In Soviet times it was a hotel "Dnepr". Today the building belongs to “Ukrsotsbank”.
  • Tsybulsky House (Museum of Kobzar
    Taras Shevchenko
    Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko -Life:Born into a serf family of Hryhoriy Ivanovych Shevchenko and Kateryna Yakymivna Shevchenko in the village of Moryntsi, of Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire Shevchenko was orphaned at the age of eleven...

    ). This historic building locate in the center of the city was built in the middle of the 19th century. In Soviet times museum of one book - "Kobzar"
    Kobzar (book)
    Kobzar , is a book of poems by Ukrainian poet and painter Taras Shevchenko, first published by him in 1840 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Taras Shevchenko was nicknamed The Kobzar after the publishing of this book...

     by Shevchenko - was opened there.


  • Castle Hill (Hill of Glory). The memorial complex with a monument "Motherland" is located at the top of the former Castle Hill. At this point, ancient Russian fort, remains of Cherkassy fortress and Holy Trinity Church were situated. In 1977 all architectural and archaeological sites were completely destroyed during construction of the monument. From the top of the hill you can see beautiful panorama of the Kremenchuk Reservoir
    Kremenchuk Reservoir
    The Kremenchuk Reservoir is the largest water reservoir located on the Dnieper River. Named for the city of Kremenchuk, it covers a total area of 2,250 square kilometres in the territories of the Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad Oblasts in central Ukraine...

    .
  • Local History Museum. Cherkasy Oblast museum is housed in a modern building, built in 1985 in the historic center of the city near the Hill of Glory (Castle Hill). Thirty halls of the museum offer sections about nature of the region, archeology, ethnography, history of the region in the 14th - early 20th century, modern history from 1917 to the present. In total there are about 12 thousand exhibits.
  • Puppet Theatre. Cherkasy Regional Academic Puppet Theater is located in the central part of the city, in a building that is an architectural monument of the 19th century. The building is decorated with mosaics with the heroes of fairy tales.
  • School of Music. The building of Cherkassy Music School of S. Gulak-Artemovsky was built in 1903 as a men’s gymnasium. The author of the project was great Kiev architect of Polish origin V. Gorodetsky. In the second half of the 20th century, after the construction of a modern extension, the building became the home of a music school.

International relations

This is a list of cities that have standing links to local communities in other countries. In most cases, the association, especially when formalised by local government, is known as "town twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

" (though other terms, such as "partner towns" or "sister cities" are sometimes used instead), and while most of the places included are towns, the list also comprises villages, cities, districts, counties, etc. with similar links. For example, the State of Iowa have been a sister state with Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast
Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy).-Geography:...

 since 1996.

Cherkasy is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with: Bydgoszcz, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 Santa Rosa, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Sumgait, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...


External links

// Official city portal Cherkasy guide// Unofficial info portal// http://www.gorod.ck.ua/// Phone book of Cherkasy
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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