Nizhyn ( uk, Ні́жин, Nizhyn, ) is a city located in
Chernihiv Oblast
Chernihiv Oblast ( uk, Черні́гівська о́бласть, translit=Chernihivska oblast; also referred to as Chernihivshchyna, uk, Черні́гівщина, translit=Chernihivshchyna) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. T ...
of northern
Ukraine along the
Oster River. The city is located north-east of the national capital
Kyiv. Nizhyn serves as the
administrative center of
Nizhyn Raion. It hosts the administration of
Nizhyn urban hromada which is one of the
hromada
A hromada ( uk, територіальна громада, lit=territorial community, translit=terytorialna hromada) is a basic unit of administrative division in Ukraine, similar to a municipality. It was established by the Government of Ukra ...
s of Ukraine
and was once a major city of the
Chernigov Governorate. Nizhyn has a population of
History
The earliest known references to the location go back to 1147, when it was briefly mentioned as Unenezh.
In the times of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Nizhyn was granted
Magdeburg rights (1625) as a self-governing town. In 1663 Nizhyn was the place of the
Black Council
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...
of
Ukrainian Cossacks, which elected
Bryukhovetsky as the new
Hetman of the
Zaporizhian Host thus conditionally dividing Ukraine (
Cossack Hetmanate) into
left-bank Ukraine and
right-bank Ukraine. It was also the seat of a major
Cossack
The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
regiment (until 1782).
Nizhyn was once a major center of
Hasidic Judaism and is the site of the ''
Ohel'' (tomb) of the
Hasidic master, Rabbi
Dovber Schneuri of
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 group ...
. The city also housed the thriving Greek community, which enjoyed a number of privileges granted by
Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmelnytskyi ( Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern ua, Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький; 6 August 1657) was a Ukrainian military commander and ...
.
In the 19th century Nizhyn became an ''
uyezd'' capital of the
Chernihiv Governorate and the biggest city in the ''
guberniya''. In 1805, the
Bezborodko Bezborodko (Cyrillic: Безбородько or Безбородко) is a gender-neutral Ukrainian surname that may refer to the following notable people:
*Alexander Bezborodko (1747–1799), Grand Chancellor of Russian Empire
* Alexander Kushele ...
Lyceum was established there (today —
Nizhyn Gogol State University
Nizhyn Gogol State University ( uk, Ніжинський державний університет ім. Миколи Гоголя) is an academic institution in Ukraine, located in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast. It is one of the oldest institutions ...
); its graduates include
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
whose statue graces one of city streets as well as
Yevhen Hrebinka among other graduates. Nizhyn has also long been noted for its famous
cucumber
Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables. s.
During
World War II, Nizhyn was occupied by the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
from 13 September 1941 to 15 September 1943.
Jewish population
Jews first settled in Nizhyn at the beginning of the 19th century after the
partition of
Poland. The town grew to become a center for the
Chabad Hasidim of Ukraine.
Dovber Schneuri, the second Chabad rebbe, is buried here. By 1847, 1,299 Jews had registered as residents. In 1897, 24% of the population, or 7,361 residents, were Jewish.
A wave of
pogroms severely affected the Jewish population in 1881 and 1905. One group of emigrants settled in Philadelphia and founded the
Neziner Congregation
The Neziner Congregation ( he, אהבת אחים אנשי נזין נוסח הארי) was an Non-denominational Judaism, unaffiliated Judaism, Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Southwark, Philadelphia, Southwark neighborhood of Sou ...
in 1896.
During their retreat from the Germans in the spring of 1918, the
Red Army carried out additional pogroms. During
World War II, the region was occupied by Germany, who murdered all Jews in the area. Only those who escaped survived.
In 1959, 1,400 Jews lived in Nizhyn, about 3% of the town's population. In 2005, Nizhyn population reached 80,000. Only about 300 Jewish families lived in the city.
Aircraft crash
In July 1969 two
Tupolev Tu-22 aircraft from the nearby air base
collided in mid-air. The crew ejected and the plane flew on unpiloted for 52 minutes, threatening the city of Nizhyn before crashing 0.5 km from the city's railway station.
Modern times
The city of Nizhyn is one of the ancient cities of Ukraine. The architectural complex of the city forms an expressive ensemble of an ancient trade city. The experts' estimates distinguish more than 300 ancient buildings, where 70 are of a great cultural and historical value. The expressive 200 years ensemble of Post Station (the only one preserved in Ukraine) deserves special mention. Nizhyn is a city of students (each fifth inhabitant of Nizhyn is a student). The following educational establishments operate in Nizhyn – State University named after Gogol; Agro-technical College, faculty of Kremenchyk Institute of Economy and New Technologies, College of Culture and Arts named after Zankovetska, Medical College, Nizhyn Professional Lyceum of Services, Nizhyn Agrarian Lyceum, vocational college, Lyceum at the University. There are four club institutions, the Drama Theater named after Kotsyubinskiy, the Choreographic school and park landscapes in the city.
The city boasts 38 libraries with the total fund of 17,365 thousand books, which caters for 44,429 readers, more than a dozen of museums, including Nizhyn Regional museum with the following sections: art, history, Nizhyn Post Station, with about 31 thousand of exhibits of the main fund, the Museum of the History of School No.3, the Museum of the History of School No.7 with a room of M.V.Nechkina, the Korolyov Museum in School No.14, the Glory Museum of Agrarian and Technical Institute, the Museum-Chemists shop named after M.Ligda. The following institutions function at Nizhyn State Pedagogical Institute named after Gogol: The Museum of Gogol, Art Gallery, the Museum “Rare book”, zoological museum, and botanical museum.
Nizhyn is a well-known industrial center, where 16 industrial enterprises, which belong to 8 branches, operate. Nizhyn is also an attractive tourist city. It is included into the tour “Necklace of Slavutych”.
A postage stamp featuring the coat of arms of Nizhyn was released by Ukraine in 2017.
Until 18 July 2020, Nizhyn was designated as a
city of oblast significance and did not belong to Nizhyn Raion even though it was the center of the raion. As part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Chernihiv Oblast to four, the city was merged into Nizhyn Raion.
Climate
Attractions
Architecturally Nizhyn was shaped in the 18th century. Foremost among its buildings must be mentioned its seven
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
churches: Annunciation Cathedral (1702–16, modernised 1814), Presentation Cathedral (1788), St. Michael's Church of the Greek community (1719–29), St John's Church (1752, ''illustrated, to the right''), Saviour's Transfiguration Church (1757), Intercession Church (1765), and the so-called Cossack Cathedral of St. Nicholas (1658, restored 1980s), a rare survival from the days of Nizhyn's Cossack glory, noted for its octagonal vaults and drums crowned by archetypal pear-shaped domes. Other notable buildings include the Trinity Church (1733, rebuilt a century later), the Greek magistrate (1785), and the Neoclassical complex of the
Nizhyn Lyceum (designed by
Luigi Rusca, built in 1805–17, expanded in 1876–79).
Industry
Modern Nizhyn – a major industrial center. The city has 16 companies and firms from eight industries:
* ''Engineering'':
** NEC "Progress" – the production of photographic supplies, hunting scopes, medical equipment, household goods;
** JSC "Mechanical Plant" – manufacture of machinery for agriculture;
** Plant "Nezhinselmash" – poultry equipment, motorcycles, bicycles, spare parts, fittings for gas and vodogonov;
** Nezhinskoye Training and Production Enterprise "UTOS" – covers of metal for home canning, switches, electric sockets, nails, clips, extension cords.
* ''Food'':
**
Nezhinskii cannery – the leading state-owned enterprise for the production of canned vegetables;
** JSC "Nizhyn bread" – the production of bakery, confectionery and pasta;
**
JSC "Nizhyn brewery" (stopped in the summer of 2008) – the production of beer;
** JSC "Nizhyn zhirkombinat" – manufacture and sale of varnishes, lacquers, oils, makukha.
* ''Medicine'':
** LLC "Lab scanning devices" – the production of medical equipment, optical and electronic devices, rubber means;
** LLC RDC "Metecol" – the production of medical products using and training simulators.
* '' Light'':
** JSC "DiSi Nezhinka" – design and manufacture of clothing;
* ''Dry'':
** JSC "Nifar" – the production and supply of paints, detergents, toothpastes, plant protection products;
* ''Timber'':
** Of "Furniture Factory"
PVKF ** "Courier";
* ''Building'':
** JSC "Plant management of construction materials";
* "Printing":
** LLC "Aspect".
Gallery
File:Church of All Saints in Nizhyn (Ukraine).jpg, All Saints' Church
File:NSH Nizhyn Mykolayivs'kiy sobor 001.JPG, St. Nicholas Cathedral
File:NSH Nizhyn Pokrovs'ka Tserkva 001.JPG, Pokrova Church
File:Nizhyn Epiphany Church.jpg, Epiphany Church
File:Ніжин — Василівська церква.jpg, St. Basil Church
File:Nezhin Вознесенська церква.JPG, Ascension Church
File:Nizhyn vokzal IMG 3918 74-104-0062.JPG, Nizhyn Railway Station
File:NSH Nizhyn Budynok banku Zan'kovetskoyi 4.JPG, Bank building on Zankovetska Street
File:NSH Nizhyn Complex sporud magazyniv Moskovs'ka 1 001.JPG, Nizhyn shopping street
File:Будинок першої в Ніжині міської електростанції.jpg, Old power station
File:NSH Nizhyn Evreys'kiy Hotel Uspens'ka 001.JPG, Former Jewish hotel building
File:NSH Nizhyn Kupets'ke zibrannya.JPG, Merchant Assembly building
File:NSH Nizhyn Pamyatnyk Gogolyu.JPG, Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
monument
File:Аптека Лігди Ніжин.jpg, Old drugstore in Nizhyn
File:Будинок А.Ф.Кушакевича та міський комерційний банк, вул. Гоголя, 15.JPG, Old buildings in Hohol Street
File:Вул. Гоголя, 2-а.JPG, Soviet architecture in Nizhyn's main square
File:Shevchenko Park 1st half of 1950th.jpg, Nezhin girls at the fountain in Shevchenko Park, Nizhyn (first half of 1950th)
File:Shevchenko Park in Nizhyn 1954.jpg, Monument "Gorky and Stalin talking" in Shevchenko Park, Nizhyn (Summer 1954)
File:Будинок дітей та юнацтва. Дом пионеров.JPG, House of youth and children (former telegraph station)
File:Вот он Нежинский огурец - panoramio.jpg, Monument to Nizhyn cucumber
File:Grave of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri.jpg, Grave of Rabbi Dovber Schneuri in Nizhyn
Notable people
*
Jacob Pavlovitch Adler
Jacob Pavlovich Adler (Yiddish: יעקבֿ פּאַװלאָװיטש אַדלער; born Yankev P. Adler; February 12, 1855 – April 1, 1926)IMDB biography was a Jewish actor and star of Yiddish theater, first in Odessa, and later in London a ...
,
Jewish actor.
*
Sonya Adler
Sophia "Sonya" Adler (''née'' Oberlander; c. 1862 – 1886), also known by her early stage name Sonya Michelson, was a Ukrainian actress who was one of the first women to perform in Yiddish theater in Imperial Russia. Later she became the first ...
, one of the first women to perform in Yiddish theater in Imperial Russia.
*
Antoni Andrzejowski, Polish botanist, teacher of the Nizhyn Lyceum (1839-1856), author of the diary ''Wspomnienia starego detiuka''.
*
Abraham Berline
Abraham Joseph Berline (5 October 1893 in Nishyn – 1942) was a Ukrainian artist who lived in Paris and died during World War II.
Abraham Joseph Berline was born on October 6, 1893, in Nizhyn in the Russian Empire (today in Chernihiv Oblast ...
, artist.
*
Mark Bernes, a Soviet actor and singer of Jewish ancestry.
*
Elina Bystritskaya, a Soviet film actress,
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union.
Nomenclature and significan ...
.
*
Semyon Desnitsky
Semyon Efimovich Desnitsky (russian: Семён Ефимович Десницкий; c. 1740 in Nezhin, Russian Empire – June 26, 1789 in Moscow, Russian Empire) was a Russian legal scholar. He was known as a disciple of Adam Smith and introduce ...
, a disciple of
Adam Smith
Adam Smith (baptized 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics"——— ...
who introduced his ideas to the
Russian public.
*
Timofei Dokshizer
Timofei Aleksandrovich Dokschitzer (russian: Тимофей Александрович Докшицер, 13 December 1921, Nizhyn, Ukraine — 16 March 2005, Vilnius) was a Soviet Russian trumpeter, and a professor in Gnesins Musical College. He w ...
, principal trumpeter and trumpet soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, of Jewish ancestry.
*
Olga Khokhlova,
Pablo Picasso's wife.
*
Sergey Korolyov, the father of the Soviet space program.
*
Nestor Kukolnik
Nestor Vasilievich Kukolnik (russian: Не́стор Васи́льевич Ку́кольник) (1809–1868) was a Russian playwright and prose writer of Carpatho-Rusyn origin. Immensely popular during the early part of his career, his works wer ...
, a Russian playwright and
prose writer.
*
Yuri Lisyansky, headed the
first Russian circumnavigation of the globe.
*
Kateryna Pavlenko, lead singer of the Ukrainian electro-folk band
Go_A.
*
Zhanna Pintusevich-Block
Zhanna Pintusevich-Block ( uk, Жанна Пінтусевич-Блок; Tarnopolskaya; born 6 July 1972) is a Ukrainian former world champion sprinter who competed in the Olympic Games.
Early life
Zhanna Pintusevich-Block comes from a Jewish ...
, a world champion
sprinter.
*
Israel Rosenberg
Israel (also Yisroel or Yisrol) Rosenberg (c. 1850 – 1903 or 1904; Yiddish/ Hebrew: ישראל ראָזענבערג) founded the first Yiddish theater troupe in Imperial Russia.
Life
Having been a "hole-and-corner lawyer" (without a diplo ...
, founded the first Yiddish theater troupe in Imperial Russia.
*
Ihor Sholin
Ihor Sholin ( uk, Ігор Миколайович Шолін; 4 June 1985 – 16 December 2009) was a professional Ukrainian football midfielder.
Career
He played for FC Nizhyn, FC Nistru Otaci, FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Nafkom Brovary, FC Dacia Chi ...
, former professional Ukrainian football player.
*
Maria Zankovetska, a Ukrainian theater actress, the very first recipient of
People's Artist of Ukraine.
References
External links
*
* ''"A city, glorious and tender, loved by all"'', in
Zerkalo Nedeli (''the Mirror Weekly''), July 2005
in Russianin Ukrainian*
in th
Encyclopedia of Ukraine*
History of NizhynHistory of Jewish Community in NezhinThe Official Site of Radomysl Castle
The murder of the Jews of Nizhynduring
World War II, at
Yad Vashem website.
{{Authority control
Cities in Chernihiv Oblast
Nezhinsky Uyezd
Kiev Voivodeship
Cossack Hetmanate
Shtetls
Magdeburg rights
Cities of regional significance in Ukraine
Holocaust locations in Poland