Zhytomyr
Encyclopedia : Z : ZH : ZHY : Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr (Ukrainian: Житомир; Polish: ; Russian: ; translit. Zhitomir) is a historic city in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhytomyr Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zhytomyrsky Raion (district). The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, and is located at around , occupying an area of 65km².
The current estimated population is 277,900 (as of 2005).
Zhytomyr is a major transportation hub. The city lies on a historic route linking the city of Kiev with the west through Brest. Today it links Warsaw with Kiev, Minsk with Izmail, and several major cities of Ukraine.
History
Zhytomyr was allegedly established in the 8th century by Zhytomyr, prince of a Slavic tribe of Drevlians. The exact date of first mentioning, 988, is cut in the large stone of the ice age times, standing on the hill where Zhytomyr was founded. However the first records of the town date from 1240 when it was sacked by the Mongol hordes of Batu Khan. In 1320 Zhytomyr was captured by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and received Magdeburg rights in 1444. After the Union of Lublin the city was incorporated into the Crown of the Polish Kingdom. In the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 it passed to imperial Russia. During a brief period of Ukrainian independence the city was for a few weeks in 1918 the national capital. From 1920 the city was under Soviet rule, and from 1991 is in the independent republic of Ukraine.Geography
Zhytomyr lies in a unique natural setting; all sides of the city are surrounded by ancient forests through which flow the Teteriv, Kamyanka, Yaroshenka and Putyatinka rivers. The city is rich in parks and public squares.
Famous people from Zhytomyr
- Juliusz Zarębski, Polish composer
- Ossip Bernstein, chess player
- Jaroslaw Dabrowski, Polish-French Paris Commune revolutionary
- Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Hebrew poet
- Sergei Korolev, prominent rocket engineer and designer, the head of the Soviet space program
- Vladimir Korolenko, Russian writer.
- Keni Liptzin, Jewish actress in Yiddish theatre
- Sviatoslav Richter, Soviet pianist
- Julian Movchan, Ukrainian writer/journalist
Trivia
This city was mentioned in NBC police drama series Law & Order briefly in 2004, when a lawyer was forced to give out the identity of an internet chatroom user who was assumed to have information about a murder case, it was eventually revealed to be a red herring.External links
- [Historic images of Zhitomir]
- [Images of contemporary Zhitomir, creative works of its citizens and their meeting point]
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| Subdivisions of Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine |
| |
| |||
| Raions: |
Andrushivsky Raion |
Baranivsky Raion |
Berdychiv City |
Berdychivsky Raion |
Brusylivski Raion |
Cherniakhivsky Raion |
Chervonoarmiisky Raion |
Chudnivsky Rraion |
Korosten City |
Korostensky Raion |
Korostyshivsky Raion |
Luhynsky Raion |
Liubarsky Raion |
Malyn City |
Malynsky Raion |
Narodytsky Raion |
Novohrad-Volynskyi City |
Novohrad-Volynskyi Raion |
Olevsky Raion |
Ovrutsky Raion |
Popilniansky Raion |
Radomyshlsky Raion |
Romanivsky Raion |
Ruzhynsky Raion |
Volodarsko-Volynsky Raion |
Yemilchynsky Raion |
Zhytomyr City |
Zhytomyrsky Raion
| ||
| Cities: |
Andrushivvka |
Baranivka |
Berdychiv |
Korosten |
Korostyshiv |
Malyn |
Novohrad-Volynskyi |
Radomyshl |
Zhytomyr
| ||
| Towns: | Brusyliv | Cherniakhiv | Chervonoarmiisk | Chudniv | Liubar | Luhyny | Narodychi | Olevsk | Ovruch | Popilnia | Romaniv | Ruzhyn | Volodarsk-Volynskyi | Yemilchyne | ||
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