Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the

administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver bridge crossing of the Southern Bug river. This city is one of the main shipbuilding centers of the Black Sea. Aside from three shipyards within the city, there are a number of research centers specializing in shipbuilding such as the State Research and Design Shipbuilding Center,

Zoria-Mashproekt Zorya-Mashproekt ( uk, ДП НВКГ «Зоря» — «Машпроект») is a research and production complex that specializes in a gas turbine construction. The complex is located in the city of Mykolaiv, Ukraine and is part of the Ukra ...

and others. As of 2021, the city has a population of Mykolaiv holds the honorary title

Hero City of Ukraine Hero City of Ukraine () is a Ukrainian honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was awarded to ten cities in March 2022, in addition to four already-named Hero Cities of the Soviet Union. Th ...

. The city serves as a transportation hub for Ukraine, containing a sea port, commercial port, river port, highway,

railway junction A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge. This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes (assuming they are of the same gauge), provided by ''points'' ( ...

, and

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

. Much of Mykolaiv's land area consists of

parks A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...

. Park Peremohy (''Victory'') is a large park on the peninsula just north of the city center of Mykolaiv, on the north side of the

Inhul The Inhul ( uk, Інгул) is a left tributary of the Southern Bug (Boh) and is the 14th longest river of Ukraine. It flows through the Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv regions. It starts near the village of Rodnykivka, Oleksandriia Raion in Kirovohr ...

river.

Name

The city is known under two names, which differ in Ukrainian and Russian; there are several transliterations of each name. The Ukrainian name of the city is Микола́їв, transliterated as ''Mykolaiv'' or (officially) ''Mykolayiv''. The Russian name, Никола́ев, transliterates as ''Nikolaev'' or as ''Nikolayev''. The city's founding was made by the Russian conquests during the Second Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792. Founded by Prince Grigory Potemkin as Nikolaev, it was the last of the many cities he established. On 27 August 1789, Potemkin ordered its naming near the wharf at the mouth of the Ingul river, on a high, cool and breezy spot where the Ingul river meets the Southern Bug river. To build the city he brought in peasants, soldiers, and Turkish prisoners; 2,500 were working there during 1789. The shipyards were built first (1788). Potemkin named the city after

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

, the patron of seafarers, on whose day (6 December) he had obtained victory at the siege of Ochakov in 1788. The name ''Nikolaev'' is known from the legal order (writ) Number 1065 by Prince Potemkin to dated 27 August 1789. In 1920, after the establishment of

Soviet power The political system of the Soviet Union took place in a federal single-party soviet socialist republic framework which was characterized by the superior role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the only party permitted by the Con ...

, the Odesa provincial council (of laborers and peasants' deputies) petitioned the Soviet Ukrainian government—the

All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee ( uk, italic=yes, Всеукраїнський центральний виконавчий комітет) was a representative body of the All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets. It was the supreme legislativ ...

(VUTSIK)—to rename the city of Mykolaiv to Vernoleninsk ("Faithful to Lenin"). As the city of Mykolaiv was a district center of the Odesan province, presumably, the petition would have been initiated by the Odesa city council, but documentary evidence of this so far has not been identified. On 15 April 1924 the Plenum of the Central Administrative-Territorial Commission of the VUTSIK considered and rejected the petition of the Odesan executive committee. Perhaps the members of the Soviet-Ukraine government thought that the name sounded too obsequious. Information regarding the alleged renaming of Mykolaiv was disseminated by German maps of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as in German encyclopedic publications in 1927 and 1932, which show Vernoleninsk on the USSR part of the European maps. The city was designated as Mykolaiv in publications of the same map in other languages. To distinguish Mykolaiv from the much smaller west Ukraine city of Mykolaiv in

Lviv Oblast Lviv Oblast ( uk, Льві́вська о́бласть, translit=Lvivska oblast, ), also referred to as Lvivshchyna ( uk, Льві́вщина, ), ). The name of each oblast is a wikt:Appendix:Glossary#relational, relational adjective—in Englis ...

, the latter is sometimes called "Mykolaiv on the Dniester" after the major river that it is situated on, while the former is located on the Southern Bug, another major river, and may also be called "Mykolaiv on the Bug".

Administrative status

Mykolaiv is the

of Mykolaiv Oblast ( region), as well as that of Mykolaiv Raion. It hosts the administration of Mykolaiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.

Geographic characteristics

Mykolaiv is located on a peninsula in Ukraine's steppe region from the Black Sea along the estuary of the Southern Bug river (where it meets the

River).Благоустройство города
, gorsovet.mk.ua Both the Inhul River and the Southern Bug River follow very winding courses just before they join at the northeast corner of Mykolaiv. This has created several long and narrow peninsulas just north of Mykolaiv, and the main part of Mykolaiv is itself on a peninsula at a 180-degree bend in the Southern Bug River. Mykolaiv is in a primarily flat terrain area (the steppe grain-producing region of southern Ukraine). The nearest mountains to Mykolaiv are south, at the southern end of the

Crimean Peninsula Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a po ...

. The lack of any mountain barriers north of Mykolaiv means that cold Arctic winds can blow south, unimpeded by any terrain elevation, to Mykolaiv in winter. The area of the city is . Mykolaiv is in the second time zone ( Eastern European Time).

Ecology

Mykolaiv has

environmental issue Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment o ...

s common in many cities in Ukraine, such as pollution of water, the

air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

, and groundwater; drinking water quality,

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference aris ...

, waste management, and conservation of biological diversity in the city.Состояние окружающей природной среды
, gorsovet.mk.ua One of Mykolaiv's most urgent problems is the disposal of solid household waste. The city has 18 preserved sites, totaling about : *The Mykolaiv Zoo *The monuments of landscape art: Park Peremohy, Park People's Garden, 68 Paratroopers Park, Square, The Sivašskij, The Boulevard Bunker, Linea (Line) Park, Young Heroes Park; Youth Park in the Ingul district *The Botanical Natural Monument Memory Square *The Dubki Reserved Nature boundary *The Balabanovka Forest Reserve *The Reservoir Hydrological Reserve *The Turkish Fountain Hydrological Natural Monument *The Dubka (oak) 4 Botanical Nature Monument

Climate

The city's climate is moderately continental with cold winters and warm to hot summers. Mykolaiv's average temperature is . The lowest average temperature is in January , the highest in July . Mykolaiv has an average of of precipitation per year, with the lowest precipitation in October, and the most in July. Mykolaiv has snow cover every year, but its height is low. Average relative humidity is 73% for the year; the lowest humidity is in August (60%); the highest in December (86%). The lowest cloud are seen in August; the highest are in December. The prevailing winds come from the North; the least frequent source of wind is the Southeast. The maximum wind speed is in February, the lowest is from July through September. In January, the average wind speed is 4.1 m/s (meters per second); in July, the average is 3.1 m/s.

History

Archaeologists have found proof of ancient settlements on the territory of Mykolaiv. In 2018, archaeologists discovered a sunken Ancient Greek ship near the Mykolaiv region, dating from the fifth century BC, the period of

Greek colonization Greek colonization was an organised colonial expansion by the Archaic Greeks into the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea in the period of the 8th–6th centuries BC. This colonization differed from the migrations of the Greek Dark Ages in that i ...

of the Northern Black Sea. Researchers stated: "This Ancient Greek ship is one of the oldest known in the Northern Black Sea." The city has long had close associations with shipbuilding. The Russian Empire's Black Sea Navy Headquarters was in Mykolaiv for more than 100 years until the

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...

moved it to Sevastopol, near the southern tip of the

. During the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

(1853-1856), Mykolaiv became the main rear base to support Russia's efforts in the war. Most

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separa ...

es that were created in the city belonged to the military-industrial complex, and, consequently, Mykolaiv was closed to foreigners for many decades.History of the city
, gorsovet.mk.ua Shipyard, Nikolaev, c

By the late 19th century, Mykolaiv's port ranked third in the Russian Empire (after Saint Petersburg and Odesa) in trade with foreign countries. Grain-export suppliers of the steppe region (of Ukraine and Southern Russia) were the greatest in the Russian Empire. Mykolaiv had become a great industrial center in the Southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv was a major Jewish centre of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. In the 19th century, the Czarist governments largely banned Jews from living east of the Dnieper River. Mykolaiv is in the area west of the Dnieper, which was where Jews were legally allowed to reside (the Pale of Settlement). The Lubavitcher Rebbe,

Menachem Mendel Schneerson Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...

(the seventh leader in the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty) was born in Mykolaiv on 18 April 1902. In 1918, Mykolaiv was occupied by foreign troops. In 1920, Soviet power was established. In the course of Operation Barbarossa Mykolaiv was occupied on 16 August 1941. In September, German forces massacred over 35,000 non-combatants, many of them Jews, in the city and its region. During the occupation, an underground partisan sabotage group, the Mykolaiv Center, conducted

guerilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tact ...

activities. On 28 March 1944 the city was liberated, in part because of Soviet Senior Lieutenant Konstantin F. Olshansky's paratroopers and their daring raid during which the majority of his troops were killed. In the post-war period Mykolaiv became one of the shipbuilding centers of the USSR, with three shipyards: Black Sea, 61 Kommunara, and Okean. The asteroid 8141 Nikolaev (1982 SO4) was discovered in 1982 by

Nikolai Chernykh Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh (russian: Никола́й Степа́нович Черны́х) (6 October 1931 – 25 May 2004Казакова, Р.К. Памяти Николая Степановича Черных'. Труды Государст ...

at the

Crimean Astrophysical Observatory The Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO, List of observatory codes, obs. code: IAU code#095, 095) is located at Nauchnij research campus, near the Central Crimean city of Bakhchysarai, on the Crimean peninsula. CrAO is often called ...

and was named in honor of the city. Панорама Миколаєва

In March 2012, Mykolaiv gained international notoriety for lawlessness and police corruption following the rape and

murder of Oksana Makar The murder of Oksana Makar took place in March 2012 in Ukraine, garnering extensive media coverage both at home and abroad and leading to mass protests. Oksana Makar, aged 18, was attacked by three men in the city of Mykolaiv on 8 March 2012: she ...

. Her three attackers were apprehended, but two were released because of family connections to local government officials. After a media outcry and public protests, all three attackers were charged with her murder. During the Euromaidan protests of 2013–2014, Mykolayiv was the scene of anti- Yanukovich protests. After the victory of Euromaidan, the situation calmed down somewhat until 7 April 2014, when some pro-Russians tried to take over the local administration building. Pro-Ukrainians stopped them from taking over the administration building and destroyed the pro-Russian camp not far from it, after which the situation in the city became calm. Until 18 July 2020, Mykolaiv was incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also served as the administrative center of Mykolaiv and

Vitovka Raion Vitovka Raion ( uk, Вітовський район) was a subdivision of Mykolaiv Oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center was the city of Mykolaiv, which was incorporated separately as a city of oblast significance and did not belong to t ...

s even though it did not belong to any of these raions. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Mykolaiv Oblast to four, the city of Mykolaiv was merged into Mykolaiv Raion. In February and March 2022, during the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

, Russian military forces attacked Mykolaiv and placed it under siege.

Ukrainian forces , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country= Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly know ...

barred Russian forces from the city, though Russian artillery continued to shell it.

Demographics

As of 2017, 63% of the population spoke Russian at home, 7% Ukrainian, and 28% spoke both Ukrainian and Russian equally.

Awards

The Soviet Government awarded Mykolaiv the

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to th ...

on 31 December 1970, for successfully fulfilling its assignments for the development of industrial production, in the USSR's five-year economic plan. On 25 March 2022

Ukrainian President The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, cond ...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Mykolaiv the title of

due to the

Battle of Mykolaiv The battle of Mykolaiv was a battle which started on the night of 26 February 2022, as part of the southern Ukraine offensive during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It ended in Russian forces being repulsed from the city in March, and by A ...

Administrative districts

Mykolaiv is divided into four districts: *Tsentralnyi District is located in the northwest of the city. It includes the historic center of Mykolaiv, Rocket tract, Temvod, Salt, Northern, Ternovka (in Ternovca also acts village council), Matveevka, Varvarovka. *Zavodskyi District is located in the west of the city. In this area, many industrial enterprises are concentrated. It also includes neighborhoods Lescaut and Alluviation, as well as towns of Velyka Koreniha and Mala Koreniha. *Inhulskyi District (former Leninskyi District) is located in the east of Mykolaiv. Among other things, it includes the new Horticulture, YUTZ, New Watering, Old Watering. The district has a zoo, bus and railway stations. *Korabelnyi District is located in the south of the city. It includes a broad beam, Bogoyavlenske (former Zhovtneve), Balabanovka, Kulbakino.

Official symbols

Mykolaiv adopted its current coat of arms on 26 September 1997. Its design came from the one adopted in 1883, by removing the symbol of Kherson province to which Mykolaiv didn't belong anymore. Mykolaiv adopted its current flag on 2 July 1999 and its anthem on 11 September 2004.

Economy

Shipbuilding Factory name of 61 Communard

Mykolaiv is a major shipbuilding center of Ukraine since the time of the now defunct Soviet Union (1922–1991) and an important

river port An inland port is a port on an inland waterway, such as a river, lake, or canal, which may or may not be connected to the sea. The term "inland port" is also used to refer to a dry port. Examples The United States Army Corps of Engineers ...

. The city has three major shipyards one of which is capable of building large navy ships. Other important industries are

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...

, power engineering, metallurgy and food industry. Mykolaiv was closed to foreign visitors until the late 1980s due to the large number of secret Soviet Navy projects that took place in the city (as well as due to its military air base, turbine factory and military port). The majority of the Soviet Navy's surface ships, including its only aircraft carrier, the aircraft carrier'' Kuznetsov'', were built in Mykolaiv. In May 2011, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych visited Mykolaiv and said that Ukraine was serious about reviving and further developing its shipbuilding industry in the Mykolaiv region. City Center, Mykolaiv

One of the largest industrial businesses in the city is the Mykolaiv Aluminia Factory (formerly part of Rusal and currently owned by Glencore), which produces aluminium oxide (alumina), raw material for the production of aluminum. In addition to heavy industry, the city has a developed food processing industry, including a juice maker, Sandora (part of PepsiCo), a dairy products maker, Laktalis-Mykolaiv, and a brewery, Yantar. Nibulon (Ukrainian: Нібулон), one of Ukraine’s biggest agriculture companies specialized in the production and exportation of grain such as wheat, barley and corn is headquartered in Mykolaiv. The company has its own maritime fleet and shipyard, the Nibulon Shipyard, and also developed its own river fleet to transport grain to export terminals. In January 2017, the Mykolaiv Development Agency released a promo video of the city's investment potential. The Mykolaiv Armored Factory (owned by Ukroboronprom) has been a large repair facility for Ukraine's military during the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Re ...

. Engineers at the plant designed an armored ambulance based on the

BTR-70 The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier (russian: бронетранспортер/ ''Bronetransporter'', or literally "Armoured Transporter") originally developed by the Soviet Union during the late 1960s under the manufacturing ...

to be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Ukrainian military presence

Mykolaiv, being an important strategic city in southern Ukraine has a significant Ukrainian military presence, including the shipyards that build Ukraine's surface navy ships, the Mykolaiv Ukrainian Navy base, the "MARP" aircraft repair factory (Mykolaiv), and the Kulbakino army base (in the Mykolaiv Oblast, outside of the city of Mykolaiv). Previously for many years after World War II the city had been home to the 92nd Guards Motor Rifle Division, the former

92nd Guards Rifle Division 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...

. The 79th Airmobile Brigade is based in the city.

Transportation

Mykolaiv is one of Ukraine's most important transportation junctions. It is a major commercial river and sea port, and a major highway and rail junction. Mykolaiv also has a dual-function passenger and freight airport, but passenger service at the airport is not significant, compared to Ukraine's major airports. In addition to the airport and sea and river port, Mykolaiv has two train stations, and an intercity bus station.

Air

Mykolaiv Airport Mykolaiv International Airport, also known as Nikolaev Airport ( uk, Міжнародний аеропорт Миколаїв, russian: Международный аэропорт Николаев) is an airport in Mykolaiv (Nikolaev in Russian), ...

(IATA code NLV), one of the largest and most technically well equipped airports in the South of Ukraine, serves the city. The airport, located northwest of Mykolaiv, is mainly used for air freight and only has limited passenger service. Russian airline

UTAir Aviation Utair (russian: ОАО «Авиакомпания «ЮТэйр») () is a Russian airline with its head office at Khanty-Mansiysk Airport while its hubs are at Surgut International Airport and Vnukovo International Airport. It operates schedule ...

offers flights from Mykolaiv to Moscow ( Vnukovo – VKO airport). In addition, there are one-hour passenger flights from Odesa (the nearest major airport) to Mykolaiv. Almost all airline passenger service in the South West of Ukraine (where Mykolaiv is located) is through Odesa International Airport: to reach Mykolaiv by airplane, tourists generally reach Odesa by plane, and then take a bus, taxi or train, for approximately 2 hours, to Mykolaiv. Odesa, the largest city in South West Ukraine, is from Mykolaiv. Kulbakyno airport, also known as Nikolaev, is a Class I military

air base An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...

located just to the southeast of the city center, in Kulbakyno. It primarily supports wings of Sukhoi Su-24,

Sukhoi Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' (russian: Грач ('' rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Gr ...

Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation j ...

, and Mikoyan MiG-29.

Bus travel long distance

Mykolaiv is an 8.5-hour bus ride from Kyiv's main bus station. Ukrainian private national bus companies Gyunsel and Avtoluks operate overnight buses from Kyiv to Mykolaiv seven nights per week. The bus station in Mykolaiv is located at Prospekt (Avenue) Bohoyavlenskyi 21.

Roads

The main north–south highway that passes through Mykolaiv is H (or M)-14. The main East-West Highway that passes through Mykolaiv is E-58 M-14 (West and then South to Odesa), and South East to Kherson, a major port on the Dneper River, just before it flows into the Black Sea. The E-58 M-14 then continues East to the major industrial city and port in South Eastern Ukraine, Mariupol'. The main highways to and from Mykolaiv are from Kherson (), Odesa (),

Uman Uman ( uk, Умань, ; pl, Humań; yi, אומאַן) is a city located in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine, to the east of Vinnytsia. Located in the historical region of the eastern Podolia, the city rests on the banks of the Umanka River ...

(), Chişinău (Kishniev), Moldova (), the Crimean Peninsula (, Kyiv (,

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukra ...

( (Western Ukraine). Ukraine's roads, including those leading from Mykolaiv, tend to be poorly maintained and can be very dangerous. Roads through Mykolaiv include: *the east–west Euro-Asian transport corridor: Odesa–''Mykolaiv''– Kherson– Dzhankoy–

Kerch Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...

. *the corridor

Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation The Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) is a regional international organization focusing on multilateral political and economic initiatives aimed at fostering cooperation, peace, stability and prosperity in the Black Sea ...

Reni Reni may refer to: Places * Reni, Alwar, Alwar district, Rajasthan, India * Reni, Chamoli (also ''Raini''), Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India, devastated by the 2021 Uttarakhand flood * Reni, Churu, Churu district, Rajasthan, India * Reni, U ...

– Izmail– Odesa–''Mykolaiv''– Kherson–

Melitopol Melitopol ( uk, Меліто́поль, translit=Melitópol’, ; russian: Мелитополь; based on el, Μελιτόπολις - "honey city") is a city and municipality in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southeastern Ukraine. Melitopol has been ...

–

Berdyansk Berdiansk or Berdyansk ( uk, Бердя́нськ, translit=Berdiansk, ; russian: Бердя́нск, translit=Berdyansk ) is a port city in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast ( province) in south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the Sea ...

– Mariupol–

Novoazovsk Novoazovsk (, ; rus, Новоазовск}) is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine (near the border with Russia),M14 ( Odesa–

Novoazovsk Novoazovsk (, ; rus, Новоазовск}) is a border town on the south-eastern tip of Ukraine (near the border with Russia),Yalta– Simferopol–

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

). Roads to/from Mykolaiv include: *R-06 ( Ulianovka–''Mykolaiv'') with the highway M05 ( Odesa– Kyiv), which, in turn, is linked with the highway M12 in the city district of

, having an exit on the route

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of ...

– Warsaw– Gdańsk (Poland). The length of the route Gdańsk–''Mykolaiv'' is 1530 kilometers (950 miles). *N11 (

Dnipro Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Riv ...

–

Kryvyi Rih Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog (Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. Kr ...

–Mykolaiv) *N14 (Аleksandrovka–

Kropyvnytskyi Kropyvnytskyi ( uk, Кропивницький, Kropyvnytskyi ) is a city in central Ukraine on the Inhul river with a population of . It is an administrative center of the Kirovohrad Oblast. Over its history, Kropyvnytskyi has changed its name ...

–Mykolaiv)

Bridges

Mykolaiv, being located at the confluence of two major rivers, has two main bridges. Varvarovskiy Bridge-1

The Varvarivskyi Bridge over Southern Bug is a swing bridge with Europe's largest span (134 m). It is also the southernmost bridge over the Southern Bug. The bridge connects the North coast of Mykolaiv to its Tsentralnyi Raion, located on the West Bank of the river. The Odeske Highway crosses the bridge and then continues south-west to Odesa. Another major bridge is the Inhul Bridge crossing the

River. The bridge leads from the north coast of Mykolaiv, and goes north-northeast to the peninsula on the north side of the Inhul, just north of Mykolaiv. On the north Side of the Inhul River, the Heroyiv Stalingrada Highway crosses the bridge, streaming into Pushkinska Street on the other side.

Rail

Overnight train travel in sleeper-berth passenger trains is a very common way to travel long distances in Ukraine, cheaper, more comfortable and faster than buses – and more environment-friendly, for that matter. There are nightly trains from Kyiv's main passenger train station to Mykolaiv. In addition to Kyiv, trains from Mykolaiv regularly run to the two closest major cities to Mykolaiv: Odesa (south west of Mykolaiv); and Kherson (south of Mykolaiv). Direct trains to Moscow (26 hours), Kyiv (8-10), Lviv (18), Odesa (5), the Crimea (8 hours) depart every day. Train departures timetable. All trains have coach cars. Mykolaiv's passenger train station is called Mykolaiv – Passenger. It at the intersection of Myru Avenue and Novozavodska Street 5 (in Ukraine street address numbers are placed after the street name). From the city square outside the railway station, buses depart to all other parts of Mykolaiv. Mykolaiv's freight train station is called Mykolaiv-Gruzovoi (Freight). It is located at Pryvokzalna ploshcha (Square).

Water-borne travel

Though a major Ukrainian commercial sea port, Mykolaiv has no regular passenger water-borne service. Water transport is offered by three sea ports and one river port, and also by several terminals. The port is linked with the sea by Dnieper-Bug Estuary canal. The canal begins at the island Berezan and extends 44 kilometers (27 miles) until it reaches the port of Mykolaiv. The canal consistes of 13 tracks, six of which reach Dnieper Estuary, and the rest along the river Southern Bug. The width of the canal is 100 meters (330 feet). Its depth is 10.5 meters (35 feet). Large ocean-going ships can reach Mykolaiv year round, via the Southern Bug River. The Southern Bug River, which flows into the Black Sea south of Mykolaiv, is wide in Mykolaiv. Mykolaiv's passenger river port is at Varvarovskii Spusk (Descent) 5. The ports are: * Mykolaiv Commercial Sea Port * Specialized Seaport Olivia * Dnieper-Bug Sea Commercial Port * Mykolaiv River Port * Sea Specialized Port Nika-Tera

Local transportation

The main forms of city transport are fixed-route '' marshrutkas'', buses, trolley buses, and trams.

Streetcars (trams)

The length of Mykolaiv's streetcar (tram) lines is 73 kilometers (45 miles). From 1897 until 1925 Mykolaiv's streetcars were pulled by horses. Streetcars began to be powered by electricity in 1915, and this has continued through the present. At their inception, the tracks were 1000 millimeters (3'), but during the period from 1952 to 1972 they were switched to standard gauge.

Тrolley Buses

The length of Mykolaiv's trolley bus lines is 59 kilometers (37 miles). Mykolaiv's trolley buses have operated since 29 October 1967.

Education

There are several universities in Mykolaiv. The main universities are:

Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding The Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding in Mykolaiv is a higher education institution which trains specialists for the shipbuilding and allied industries of Ukraine. The university is named after Russian admiral Stepan Makaro ...

(leading shipbuilding university in Ukraine),

Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University is a Ukrainian national university in Mykolaiv. History January 17, 1996 Mykolaiv branch of National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" was founded according to the decision of NUKMA and certified by ...

, Sukhomlinsky National University of Mykolaiv and Mykolaiv State Agrarian University. Sukhomlinsky National University of Mykolaiv is the oldest university in Mykolaiv. The idea of the university foundation arose in the 1860s, but it was realized only on July 18, 1913, when the Mykolaiv Teacher's Institute was founded. Nowadays there are 7,000 students studying at the university, 300 teachers working at 36 departments. Annually, the university graduates 1,000 specialists and 60-70 undergraduates. There are 10 higher education institutions in Mykolaiv of level III or IV accreditation. 65 general education schools, lycees, gymnasium schools, 3 evening schools, and 12 private learning institutions are in the city. In a survey in June–July 2017, adult respondents reported the following educational levels: *5% primary or incomplete secondary education. *26% general secondary education. *31% vocational secondary education. *38% university education (including incomplete university education).

Religion

Mykolaiv is the headquarters of the Mykolaiv Episcopate of the

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate The Ukrainian Orthodox Church ( uk, Українська православна церква, Ukrainska pravoslavna tserkva; russian: Украинская православная церковь, Ukrainskaya pravoslavnaya tserkov', UOC), common ...

, which has 18 churches (temples) in the city. Mykolaiv is also the headquarters of the Mykolaiv Episcopate of the

Orthodox Church of Ukraine The Orthodox Church of Ukraine ( uk, Православна церква України, Pravoslavna tserkva Ukrainy; OCU) is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church whose canonical territory is Ukraine. The church was united at the uni ...

, which has succeeded the Kyiv Patriarchate. A survey in June–July 2017 reported the following results for Mykolaiv: *19% Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate. *16% Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. *16% atheist. *4% belong to other religions. *44% believe in God, but do not belong to any religion. *2% found it difficult to answer.

Culture

There are three performing arts theaters in Mykolaiv: the Academic Ukrainian Theater of Drama and Musical Comedy, the Mykolaiv State Puppet Theater, and the Mykolaiv Academic Art Russian Drama Theater. In addition, the Mykolaiv Oblast Philharmonic performs in the city. Mykolaiv has the following museums:

Mykolayiv Regional Museum of Local History Mykolayiv Regional Museum of Local History ''“Staroflotski Barracks”'' is one of the oldest museums in Ukraine. It was established on 15 (28) December 1913. Museum history The museum's history begins in 1803 in Mykolaiv. One of the founder ...

, The Museum of Shipbuilding and Fleet, the Museum of the World War II Partisan Movement, the V. V. Vereshchagin Art Museum. Three movie theaters operate in Mykolaiv: Rodina (Motherland), Pioneer, Multiplex. Movies shown include the latest Hollywood films dubbed into Ukrainian and modern Russian films.

Media

Popular publications include "Vecherniy Nikolayev" (Evening Mykolaiv), "Nikolaevsckie Novosti" (Mykolaiv News), and "Yuzhnaya Pravda" (Southern Truth). Many publications have an Internet version, but exist in an independent Internet publication. Television programs that are broadcast in Mykolaiv include movies, news, dramas (some of which originated in other countries, such as Mexico and the US, and are dubbed), cartoons, and professional sporting events such as Ukrainian football (soccer). Mykolaiv has the following TV channels: 1+1; 2+2; 5 Kanal; ICTV; Inter; Real Estate TV; Tonis: K1: Kanal Ukraina; Kultura (Ukraina); CTB; TV: TET; and TRK.

Sports

Mykolaiv is represented within Ukrainian

Bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

and Rink-bandy Federation.

MFC Mykolaiv MFС Mykolaiv (''Municipal Football Club "Mykolaiv"'', ) is a Ukrainian football club based in Mykolaiv. It is one of the oldest football clubs that exists in Ukraine. Originally was established as a football team of the Black Sea Shipyard, sin ...

(Municipal Football Club "Mykolaiv", Ukrainian: Муніципальний футбольний клуб "Миколаїв") is a Ukrainian football club. The club has been relegated three times from the Ukrainian Premier League. MFС Mykolaiv's best achievement in the Ukrainian Premier League was 13th place (in 1994–1995). MFC Mykolaiv reached first place in Druha Liha group A in 2010–11 season and was promoted to Persha Liha. Mykolaiv's main football stadium is at the west end of Tsentralnyi Prospekt, near the west end of the peninsula that Mykolaiv is on. Mykolaiv's professional basketball team is MBC Mykolaiv. The team has won or finished second or third in several international tournaments since 1988, and won the Ukrainian Championship in 1992. MBC Mykolaiv is part of the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague, which is the top professional basketball league in Ukraine. The Nikolaev students won two gold and bronze medals of the Cup of Ukraine on academic rowing

International relations

Mykolaiv is part of the International Black Sea Club and The World Council of Environmental Initiatives, since

ICLEI ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (or simply ICLEI) is an international non-governmental organization that promotes sustainable development. ICLEI provides technical consulting to local governments to meet sustainability objectives. ...

). Mykolaiv is twinned with: *

Braslaw Braslaw or Braslav ( be, Браслаў, Braslaŭ; russian: Браслав, Braslav) is a town in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus, an administrative center of the Braslaw District. History The town was first mentioned in 1065 as a castle in the b ...

, Belarus, since 2013 *

Dezhou Dezhou () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei t ...

, China, since 2009 * Galați, Romania, since 2003 * Kutaisi, Georgia, since 2012 * Mogilev, Belarus, since 2009 * Nilüfer, Turkey, since 2001 * Tianjin, China, since 2001 * Tinos, Greece, since 2012 * Trieste, Italy, since 1996 *

Weihai Weihai (), formerly called Weihaiwei (), is a prefecture-level city and major seaport in easternmost Shandong province. It borders Yantai to the west and the Yellow Sea to the east, and is the closest Chinese city to South Korea. Weihai's popul ...

, China, since 2019 * Zhoushan, China, since 2016

Notable people

Taisia Afonina Taisia Kirillovna Afonina (russian: Таи́сия Кири́лловна Афо́нина; 13 May 1913 – 19 April 1994) was a Ukrainian and Russian painter and watercolorist. She lived and worked in Leningrad, was a member of the Saint ...

(1913-1994), Soviet, Russian painter and watercolorist * David Aizman (1869–1922), Russian-Jewish novelist and playwright *

Mykola Arkas Mykola ( uk, Мико́ла, Mykóla, ) is a Slavic variant, more specifically a Ukrainian variant, of the masculine name " Nicholas", meaning "victory of the people". It may refer to: People * Mykola Arkas (1853–1909), Ukrainian composer, w ...

(1853–1909), Ukrainian composer and historian *

Isaak Babel Isaac Emmanuilovich Babel (russian: Исаак Эммануилович Бабель, p=ˈbabʲɪlʲ; – 27 January 1940) was a Russian writer, journalist, playwright, and literary translator. He is best known as the author of ''Red Cavalry'' ...

(1894–1940), journalist and writer, spent part of his childhood in Mykolaiv *

Paul A. Baran Paul Alexander Baran (; 25 August 1909 – 26 March 1964) was an American Marxist economist. In 1951 Baran was promoted to full professor at Stanford University and Baran was the only tenured Marxian economist in the United States until his ...

(1909–1964), American Marxist economist *

Sy Bartlett Sidney "Sy" Bartlett (born Sacha Baraniev; July 10, 1900 – May 29, 1978) was a Ukrainian American author and screenwriter/producer of Hollywood films. Early life Sy Bartlett was born on July 10, 1900 in the Black Sea seaport of Mykolaiv in th ...

(1900–1978), Ukrainian American author and screenwriter/producer of Hollywood films * Yurii Biriukov (born 1974), Ukrainian businessman, politician and founder of Phoenix Wings *

Georgy Brusilov Georgy Lvovich Brusilov (russian: Гео́ргий Льво́вич Бруси́лов; May 19, 1884 – disappeared in 1914) was a Russian naval officer of the Imperial Russian Navy and an Arctic explorer. His father, Lev Brusilov, was also a na ...

(1884–1914?), Arctic explorer *

Art Hodes Arthur W. Hodes (November 14, 1904 – March 4, 1993), was a Russian Empire-born American jazz and blues pianist. He is regarded by many critics as the greatest white blues pianist. Biography Hodes was born in Mykolaiv, in present-day Ukraine ...

(1904–1993), jazz pianist born in Mykolaiv, emigrated to Chicago as a child *

Svetlana Ischenko Svitlana Viktorivna Ischenko ( uk, Світлана Вікторівна Іщенко, born July 30, 1969, Mykolaiv, Ukraine) — poet, translator, stage actress, teacher, artist. She is a member of The Ukrainian Writers’ Association (1997) and ...

(born 1969), poet, stage actress, teacher and artist * Boris Kamensky (1870–1949), an Imperial Russian violinist * Vitaliy Kim (born 1981), businessman and politician, the Governor of Mykolaiv Oblast since 2020 * Vsevolod Kniaziev (born 1979), Ukrainian judge and lawyer *

Stepan Makarov Stepan Osipovich Makarov (russian: Степа́н О́сипович Мака́ров, uk, Макаров Степан Осипович; – ) was a Russian vice-admiral, commander in the Imperial Russian Navy, oceanographer, member of the ...

(1849–1904), commander of the Imperial Russian Navy, oceanographer, and author * Max Maltzman (1899–1971), American architect noted during the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

era *

Larisa Matveyeva Larysa Vitaliivna Matvyeyeva ( uk, Лариса Віталіївна Матвєєва, born May 9, 1969, Mykolaiv, Ukraine) — poet, novelist, playwright, translator. She is a member of The National Writers' Union of Ukraine (1998). Biography ...

(born 1969), poet, novelist, playwright and translator * Yuri Nosenko (1927–2008), KGB defector, born in Mykolaiv * Maria Orska (1893–1930), actress of the German theater and cinema in the 1920s *

Galina Petrova Galina Petrova (, ; 9 September 1920 – 4 December 1943) was a medic and Chief Petty Officer in the 386th Independent Naval Infantry Battalion of the Black Sea Fleet during the Second World War. She died during a bombing attack on 4 December 19 ...

(1920–1943), a medic and Chief Petty Officer in the

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

during WWII * Pinkhus Rovner (1875–1919), Jewish Ukrainian Bolshevik revolutionary * Serhiy Ryzhkov (1958–2017), Ukrainian constructor, ecologist and academic professor *

Chana Schneerson Chana Schneerson (née Yanovsky; 1880–1964) was the wife of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, a Chabad Hasidic rabbi in Yekatrinoslav, Ukraine and the mother of the seventh Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Chana Sch ...

(1880–1964), mother of the seventh

Chabad-Lubavitch Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups ...

Rebbe, Rabbi

*Rabbi

(1902–1994), the

Rebbe, born in Mykolaiv and lived there until 1909 * Aleksandra Sokolovskaya (1872–1938), Russian Marxist revolutionary and Leon Trotsky's first wife *

African Spir Afrikan Aleksandrovich Spir (1837–1890) was a Russian neo-Kantian philosopher of German-Greek descent who wrote primarily in German. His book ''Denken und Wirklichkeit'' (''Thought and Reality'') exerted a "lasting impact" on the writings of ...

(1837–1890), philosopher, studied in Mykolaiv *

Iryna Sysoyenko Iryna Sysoyenko ( uk, Ірина Володимирівна Сисоєнко; born March 6, 1982) is a Ukrainian politician and lawyer. She is a former National Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) representing the Samopomich ( ...

(born 1982), Ukrainian politician and lawyer * Leon Trotsky (1879–1940), revolutionary, studied in Mykolaiv *

Konstantin Umansky Konstantin Aleksandrovich Umansky (russian: Kонстантин Aлександрович Уманский; 14 May 1902 – 25 January 1945) was a Soviet diplomat, editor, journalist and artist. Biography and career Umansky, who was Jewish, ...

(1902–1945), Soviet diplomat, editor, journalist and artist *

Vladimir Vasilyev Vladimir Vasiliev may refer to: * Vladimir Vasiliev (dancer) (born 1940), dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet * Vladimir Vasilyev (rower) (born 1948), Soviet Olympic rower * Vladimir Vasilyev (politician) Vladimir Abdualievich Vasilyev (russian: В� ...

(born 1967), Russian science fiction writer and musician * Pyotr Veinberg (1831–1908), Russian poet, translator, journalist and literary historian *

Oleg Voloshyn Oleg Anatolievich Voloshyn (russian: Олег Анатольевич Волошин, uk, Олег Анатолійович Волошин; born 7 April 1981, Mykolaiv) is a Russian- Ukrainian journalist, political pundit on 112 Ukraine, politic ...

(born 1981), Russian-Ukrainian journalist, political pundit, and former government official * Sergei Zakharov (1950–2019), Russian singer with a rare lyrical baritone *

(born 1969), writer and translator

Sport

* Valeriy Dymo (born 1985) – Ukrainian swimmer who competed in the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

Olha Kharlan Olha Hennadiyivna Kharlan ( uk, Ольга Геннадіївна Харлан; born 4 September 1990) is a Ukrainian right-handed sabre fencer. Kharlan is a two-time team European champion, six-time individual European champion, two-time team ...

(born 1990) – fencer; European, world, and Olympic champion in sabre *

Olena Khomrova Olena Khomrova ( uk, Олена Хомрова; born May 16, 1987 in Mykolaiv) is a Ukrainian fencer and member of the team which won the gold medal in sabre at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Career The Ukrainian team (she has stayed a member of) wo ...

(born 1987) – Ukrainian fencer, team gold medallist in sabre at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

. * Oleksiy Sereda (born 2005) – Ukrainian diver. At age 13, he was the 2019 European champion in the 10 metre platform event, the youngest ever to win this gold medal; lives in Mykolaiv. * Oxana Tsyhuleva (born 1973) – Ukrainian trampolinist, silver medallist at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

References

Explanatory notes

External links

Official portal of The Mykolaiv City Council
—Note that the Ukrainian language version has more working features than the English and Russian language versions.
Nikolaev Travel Guide for English speaking visitors
* {{Authority control 1789 establishments in the Russian Empire Cities in Mykolaiv Oblast Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Ukraine Khersonsky Uyezd Oblast centers in Ukraine Populated places established in 1789 Populated places established in the Russian Empire Populated places on the Southern Bug Port cities and towns in Ukraine Port cities of the Black Sea