Chernihiv Oblast
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| Chernihivs'ka Oblast' Чернігівська область | |
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| Missing image Map_of_Ukraine_political_simple_Oblast_Tschernihiw.png Location of Chernihiv Oblast | |
| Missing image Chernihiv_oblast_detail_map.png Detailed map of Chernihiv Oblast | |
| 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 (Чернігівська область, Chernihivs’ka oblast’ or Чернігівщина, Chernihivshchyna in Ukrainian) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Its capital is Chernihiv (also known as Chernigov in Russian and Czernichów in Polish).
Historically, the oblast is a part of the Polissya region of Ukraine. The area of the province is 31,900 km², its population (as of 1 May 2004) is 1,200,416.
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Geography
The oblast is bordered by the Kyivs'ke reservoir of Dnipro and the Kyivs'ka oblast' to the west, by the Sums'ka oblast' to the east, and the Poltavs'ka oblast' to the south. The Chernihivs'ka 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)
- 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 Dnipro just north of the 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.
Demographics
The population of the Chernihivs'ka oblast' is overwhelmingly Ukrainian, with some minority Belarusian and Russian population, concentrated in the northern districts.
Religion
The religion among believers in the Chernihivs'ka oblast' is overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian. 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.
Culture and tourist attractions
There are few outstanding historical Orthodox churches and buildings in Chernihiv, Novhorod-Sivers'kiy and Koselets' (the ancient Rus' town elder than Kyiv). 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.
| Subdivisions of Ukraine | 
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| 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 | ||
es:Chernihiv (región) pl:Obwód czernihowski uk:Чернігівська область