Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (Ukrainian:Дніпропетровська область,romanized: Dnipropetrovska oblast), is anoblast (province) in simultaneously southern, eastern and centralUkraine, the most important industrial region of the country. It was created on February 27, 1932. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has a population of about3,096,485 (2022 estimate),[4] approximately 80% of whom live centering onadministrative centers:Dnipro,Kryvyi Rih,Kamianske,Nikopol andPavlohrad. TheDnieper River runs through the oblast.
TheBlack Sea Lowland covers about half of the territory of the oblast, where it lies only within the west bank of the Dnieper. InTerny, aTernivsky meteorite crater is located. It is 11 km (6.8 mi) in diameter and its age is estimated at 280 ± 10 million years (Permian). The crater is not exposed at the surface.[7] TheDnieper Upland contains a number of minerals includingiron,manganese,granite,graphite,brown coal, andkaolin.Kryvbas is an important economic region, specializing in iron ore mining and the steel industry. It is arguably the main iron ore region ofEastern Europe. Named after the city ofKryvyi Rih, the mining base of the region occupies the southwestern part of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, as well as the small neighboring parts of theKirovohrad andKherson Oblasts.[8]
The region possesses major deposits of iron ore and some other metallurgical ores. To exploit them, several large mining companies were founded here in the middle of the 20th century. Most of them are located in Kryvyi Rih itself, which is the longest city in Europe (roughly 67 km (42 mi) in a straight line from one end to another).
Much of the Dnipropetrovsk oblast is located within the boundaries of theUkrainian Shield and only the northern regions and the extreme eastern part of the territory are confined to the south-eastern side of the Dnipro-Donets depression.
1648 map ofBeauplan, withDzikie Pole (the Wild Fields) identified in upper portion of the map.
In the 6th to 8th centuries AD the first settlements of Slavs appeared on the banks of the Dnieper within the region. During the period ofKievan Rus' (9th to 12th centuries AD) the Dnieper River functioned as one of the main trade corridors of medieval Eastern Europe, part of the route"from the Varangians to the Greeks", which connected the Baltic Sea region with theCrimea and with the capital ofByzantium,Constantinople. The Dnieper also served as a major route for transporting the armies of Kyiv princes on their way to the Byzantine coastal cities in the early 9th and late 9th centuries.[9][10]
At the beginning of the 15th century,Tatar tribes inhabiting the right bank of the Dnieper were driven away by theGrand Duchy of Lithuania. However, by the mid-15th century, theNogai (who lived north of theSea of Azov) and theCrimean Khanate invaded these lands.[citation needed] The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crimean Khanate agreed to a border along the Dnieper, and farther east along theSamara River, i.e. through what is today the city of Dnipro. At this time there appeared a new force, theCossacks - armed free men not subject to any feudal lord - who soon came to dominate the region. They later became known asZaporozhian Cossacks, fromZaporizhzhia, the lands south ofNaddniprianshchyna (Zaporizhzhia translates to "the Land Beyond theRapids"). This period of raids and fighting caused considerable devastation anddepopulation in thePontic steppe; the area became known as the "Wilderness" or the "Wild Fields".
In 1635, thePolish government built theKodak fortress above theDnieper Rapids atKodaky, partly as a result of rivalry in the region between Poland,Turkey and theCrimean Khanate,[11] and partly to maintain control over Cossack activity (i.e. to suppress the Cossack raiders and to prevent peasants moving out of the area).[12] On the night of 3 or 4 August 1635, the Cossacks ofIvan Sulyma captured the fort by surprise, burning it down and butchering the garrison of about 200 West European mercenaries under Jean Marion.[12] The fort, rebuilt by French engineerGuillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan[13] for the Polish government in 1638, had a mercenary garrison.[12]Kodak was captured byZaporozhian Cossacks on 1 October 1648, and was garrisoned by the Cossacks until its demolition in accordance with theTreaty of the Pruth in 1711.[14]
Olexander Paul (1832–1890) discovered iron ore and initiated smelting,[15][16] and this became the core of a developing a mining district.[17] In 1874 EmperorAlexander II initiated the founding project of a railway,[18] running 505 kilometres (314 mi). This enabled transportation directly to the nearest factories and greatly sped up the development of the region.
On 1 August 1925, the Yekaterinoslav Governorate administration was discontinued, and in 1926 the city of Yekterinoslav was renamed Dnipropetrovsk after Ukrainian SovietleaderGrigory Petrovsky.[19] Before the introduction of oblasts in 1932, theUkrainian SSR comprised 40okrugs, which had replaced the former Russian Imperialguberniya (governorate) subdivisions. In 1932 the territory of the Ukrainian SSR was re-organized into oblasts. The first oblasts wereVinnytsia Oblast,Kyiv Oblast,Odesa Oblast,Kharkiv Oblast, and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Soon after that, in the summer of 1932,Donetsk Oblast was formed out of eastern parts of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
During theHolodomor in the 1930s, more than 200collective farms in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast were put on"Blackboards" which implied a complete blockade of trade and food-aid to villages under-performing in fulfilling grain-procurement quotas; a number representing more than half of all such "Blackboards" throughout all of the Ukrainian SSR.[20]
During the1991 referendum, 90.36% of votes in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast favored theDeclaration of Independence of Ukraine. A survey conducted in December 2014 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 2.2% of the oblast's population supported their region joining Russia, 89.9% did not support the idea, and the rest were undecided or did not respond.[21]
The city of Dnipropetrovsk was renamed "Dnipro" in May 2016 as part of thedecommunization laws enacted a year earlier.[22] Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was not renamed because it is mentioned by name in theConstitution of Ukraine, and the oblast can only be renamed by aconstitutional amendment.[23] In April 2018 a group of over a hundred deputies formally initiated a proposal in theUkrainian Parliament to change the name toSicheslav Oblast; in February 2019, the Verkhovna Rada voted to officially amend the Constitution, thus granting state sanction to the name change.[24] Later that year the Constitutional Court officially approved the change. The oblast's administrative centre and largest city,Dnipro, had had the unofficial name "Sicheslav" (commemorating theZaporizhian Sich) in 1918–21 during theUkrainian War of Independence.[25] Since then, the renaming process has stalled (as of 2023[update]), for reasons such as the 2019presidential andparliamentary elections, theCOVID-19 pandemic and theRussian invasion of Ukraine (2022 onwards).[26]
During the Russian invasion, the cities ofDnipro,Kryvyi Rih, andNikopol, among other locations in the region, were bombed by Russia.[27] It was also reported that Russian troops were pushed from areas near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Kherson Oblast, near the border.[28]Hannivka was occupied,[29][better source needed] liberated,[30] and shelled[31]during the invasion. However, as of September 2022[update], there has been no further ground fighting and the oblast remains completely under Ukrainian control.
The local administration of the oblast is controlled by the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Rada. The governor of the oblast is the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Rada speaker, appointed by thePresident of Ukraine.
Since July 2020, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast consists of the following seven raions:
The oblast has one of the most balanced percentage of religious people in the nation mainly due to large number of ethnic groups. The Jewish community is centered in the Dnipro (Golden Rose Synagogue) and Kryvyi Rih area, and emerged during a wave of Jewish immigration.
There are 20 cities and towns on theDnieper River. Major population centers today result from historical factors — with the advent of the iron development took place predominantly along theKryvyi Rih andDnipro, a city located on theDnieper. Kryvyi Rih is the center of a large metropolitan area calledKryvyi Rih Metropolitan Region.
Ranked by population, the oblast's 13 largest municipalities are:
There are eight over-Dnieper bridges and dozens of grade-separated intersections. Several new intersections are under construction.European route E105 cross Left-bank Dnipro from North to South.Highway M04 (Ukraine) andHighway M18 (Ukraine) cross River Dnieper andDnipro from West to East, entering Kryvyi Rih. Overall, roads are in poor technical condition and maintained inadequately.
As of 2008, Cisdnieper rail system included 3,275 km (2,035 mi) of track, of which 93,3% were electrified. The CDR consists of five sections (directions), the Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, and Crimea directions. There are 244 railway stations in the NDR system. More than a dozenelektrichka stops are located within the city allowing residents of different neighborhoods to use the suburban trains.
The cities of Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih are served by a local sales-tax-funded bus, tram, metro and trolleybus systems.
River Dnieper inDniproPryorilskyi Landscape Reserve
The oblast is situated in thesteppe region. Forests in the oblast occupy about 3.9% of the oblast's total territory. The average temperature in the winter balances from −3 to −5 °C and in the summer from 22 to 24 °C. The average annual rainfall is 400–490 mm. During the summer, Dnipropetrovsk oblast is very warm (average day temperature in July is 24 to 28 °C (75 to 82 °F), even hot sometimes 34 to 38 °C (93 to 100 °F). Temperatures as high as 36 °C (97 °F) have been recorded in May. Winter is not so cold (average day temperature in January is −3 to 0 °C (27 to 32 °F), but when there is no snow and the wind blows hard, it feels extremely cold. A mix of snow and rain happens usually in December.
The tender climate, mineral sources, and the curative mud allow opportunities for rest and cure within the region. Here there are 21 health-centers and medicated pensions, 10 rest homes, recreation departments and rest camps for children.
The Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has splendidflora andfauna. Here, there are more than 1700 kinds of vegetation, 7500 kinds of animals (includingelk,wild boar, dappleddeer,roe,hare,fox,wolf, etc.) There are also 114 park and nature objects, including 15 state reserves; 3 nature memorials, 24 local parks; 7 landscape parks; 3 park tracts, which altogether make up approximately 260 square kilometres.
217 rivers flow within the area, including 55 rivers which are longer than 25 km, the major one being theDnieper, which crosses through the center of the oblast. Also flowing through the region are two major reservoirs, theKamianske andDnieper, while the formerKakhovka Reservoir was drained in 2023 following thedestruction of the Kakhovka Dam and the subsequent restoration of theGreat Meadow. A major channel in the region is theDnieper-Kryvyi Rih Channel.
The Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has a high industry potential. There are 712 basic industrial organizations, including 20 different types of economic activity with about 473,4 thousand workers. The area also produces about 16.9% of the total industry production of Ukraine. This places the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast second in Ukraine (after the neighbouringDonetsk Oblast).
Dnipro is a major industrial centre of Ukraine. It has several facilities devoted to heavy industry that produce a wide range of products, includingcast-iron, rolled metal, pipes,machinery, different mining combines,agricultural equipment,tractors,trolleybuses, refrigerators, different chemicals and many others.[citation needed] The most famous and the oldest (founded in the 19th century) is the Metallurgical Plant named after Petrovsky. The city also has big food processing and light industry factories. Many sewing and dress-making factories work forFrance,Canada,Germany andGreat Britain[citation needed], using the most advanced technologies, materials and design. Dnipro also formerly dominated in theaerospace industry since the 1950s: engineering departmentYuzhnoye Design Bureau and construction atPivdenmash.
Dniproavia, an airline, has its head office on the grounds ofDnipropetrovsk International Airport.[35]The region possesses major deposits of iron ore and some other metallurgical ores. To exploit them, several large mining companies were founded here in the middle of the 20th century. Most of them are located in Kryvyi Rih itself, which is the longest city in Europe. Steel companies of the region (except Mittal Steel-owned Kryvorizhstal) are controlled by either thePrivat Group or theSCM. From the 1990s until 2004, these once united and state-owned industries went through a hard and scandal-ridden process of privatization. Being a business oligarch entity, Privat Group controls some prominent Ukrainian media, maintains close relations with politicians and sponsors professional sports. Key businesses of the group (including thePrivatBank itself) are based in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which is regarded as its "homeland". Group's founding owners are natives of Dnipropetrovsk and made their entire career there.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, owned byArcelorMittal since 2005 is the largest private company by revenue in Ukraine,[36] producing over 7 million tonnes of crude steel, and mined over 17 million tonnes of iron ore. As of 2011, the company employed about 37,000 people. 4 Iron Ore Enrichment Works ofMetinvest are a large contributors to the UA'sbalance of payments. The third giant –Evraz mining company.
Region houses theUkrainian Premier Leaguefootball club,FC Dnipro. This club, commonly seen as representing thecity at large, holds a record for being the only Soviet team to win the USSR Federation Cup twice; since independence they have gone on to win theUkrainian Championship once and the Ukrainian League Cup three times. Kryvyi Rih was home to thefootball teamKryvbas Kryvyi Rih.FC Hirnyk Kryvyi Rih is a club based in Kryvyi Rih. The club currently competes in theUkrainian First League. It is part of the Sports Club Hirnyk which combines several other sections. The club's owner is the Kryvyi Rih Iron Ore Combine (KZRK), the biggest subterranean mining public company in Ukraine.SC Kryvbas is a professional basketball club. Achievements of the team are winning theUkrainian Basketball League in 2009, and winning the Higher League in 2003 and 2004. Since 2010 the team is active in theUkrainian Basketball SuperLeague.
Recently builtDnipro-Arena has a capacity of 31,003 people. The Dnipro-Arena hosted the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification game betweenUkraine andEngland on 10 October 2009. The Dnipro Arena was initially chosen as one of the Ukrainian venues for their joint Euro 2012 bid with Poland. However, it was dropped from the list in May 2009 as the capacity fell short of the minimum 33,000 seats required byUEFA.[37]
Dnipropetrovsk has a regional federation within Ukrainianbandy andRink Bandy Federation.
Historically, Dnieper Ukraine comprised territory that roughly corresponded to the area of Ukraine within the expandingRussian Empire. Ukrainians sometimes call it Great Ukraine (Velyka Ukraina).[citation needed] Historically, this region is tightly entwined with the history of Ukraine and is considered the heart of the country.
Ukrainian (67,0%) andRussian (31,9%) language are both used, with Russian being more common in cities, while Ukrainian is the dominant language in rural communities. These details result in a significant difference across different survey results, as even a small restating of a question switches responses of a significant group of people. The speaking ofSurzhyk instead of Russian or Ukrainian is wide and viewed negatively by nationalist language activists. Because it is neither the one nor the other, they regard Surzhyk as a threat to the uniqueness ofUkrainian culture.
The oblast is named after the Communist leader ofUkraineGrigory Petrovsky and is thus to be renamed
Kodak fortress was a fort built in 1635[39] by the order ofPolish kingWładysław IV Vasa and theSejm over theDnieper River, near what was to become the town ofStari Kodaky (by modern day:Dnipro). It was constructed byStanisław Koniecpolski to controlCossacks ofZaporizhian Sich, preventUkrainianpeasants from joining forces with the Cossacks and guard the southeastern corner of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Poles tried to establish order in that area, and commissionedFrench military cartographer and engineerWilliam le Vasseur de Beauplan to construct it. The fortress cost around 100,000 Polish zlotys. Thedragoon garrison was commanded by the French officerJean de Marion. Soviet government attempted to destroy the remnants of the fortress in order to eradicate traces of Polish influences on Ukraine by setting a quarry on that site in 1944. The quarry was closed in 1994, but at that time two-thirds of the fortress had been destroyed. Today the site is just ruins, but it is a popular tourist attraction.
The Saviour's Transfiguration Cathedral (Ukrainian: Спасо-Преображенський кафедральний собор) is the main Orthodox church of Dnipro, Ukraine. The foundation stone was laid in 1786 byCatherine II of Russia and EmperorJoseph II. The event is described in the memoirs of comte de Ségur. PrinceGrigory Potemkin envisioned the church as one of the spiritual centres ofNew Russia.Ivan Starov submitted to Potemkin his designs for a Roman-style basilica, but construction was postponed until the end of theRusso-Turkish War.
A Cossack with a musket was an emblem of theZaporizhian Host and later the state emblem of the Hetmanate and theUkrainian State. The origin of the emblem is uncertain, while its first records date back to 1592. On the initiative ofPyotr Rumyantsev the emblem was phased out and replaced by the Russian double-headed eagle in 1767.
A Cossack with a rifle was restored by theHetman of UkrainePavlo Skoropadsky in 1918. However, later the emblem disappeared again until in 2005 it reappeared on the proposed Great Seal of Ukraine. In 2002 was adopted flag and identical coat of arms of Oblast, which consists of cossack with musket and nine yellow eight-pointed stars. Stars represent coat of arms ofYekaterinoslav Governorate which also consisted of imperial monogram ofCatherine the Great.
^abcPlokhy, Serhii,The Cossacks and Religion in Early Modern Ukraine, pub Oxford University Press, 2001,ISBN0-19-924739-0, pages 26, 37, 40, 51, 60–1, 142, 245, and 268.
^Guillaume le Vasseur de Beauplan wrote a bookDescription d'Ukrainie, published in 1651 and 1660.
.jpg)
.svg)
