Vinnytsya Oblast

Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug.

It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance. It also serves as an administrative center of Vinnytsia Raion, one of the 6 districts of Vinnytsia Oblast, though it is not a part of the district. It has a population of .

The city's roots date back to the Middle Ages. It was under Lithuanian and Polish control for centuries until the Russian Empire annexed it in 1793. During the 1930s and early 1940s the city was the site of massacres, first during Stalin's purges and then during the Holocaust in Ukraine and the Nazi occupation. A Cold War–era airbase was located near the city.

Name

The name of Vinnytsia appeared for the first time in 1363. It is assumed that the name is derived from the old Slavic word "Vino", meaning "bride price." This name can be explained by the fact that Vinnytsia and the surrounding land were captured by Lithuanian Duke Algirdas in the 14th century, and then, they were given as a gift to his nephews.

Geography

Location

Vinnytsia is located about southwest of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, north-northwest of the Black Sea port city of Odessa, and east of Lviv.

It is the administrative center of the Vinnytsia Oblast ( province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Vinnytsia Raion ( district) within the oblast. The city itself is directly subordinated to the oblast.

Climate

The town has a warm-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen: ''Dfb''), similar to northern Pennsylvania in the United States in some respects.

A long lasting warm summer with a sufficient quantity of moisture and a comparatively short winter is characteristic of Vinnytsia. The average temperature in January is and in July. The average annual precipitation is .

Over the course of a year there are around 6–9 days when snowstorms occur, 37–60 days when mists occur during the cold period, and 3–5 days when thunderstorms with hail occur.

History

From Medieval to Early Modern period

Vinnytsia has been an important trade and political center since the fourteenth century, when Fiodor Koriatowicz, the nephew of the Lithuanian Duke Algirdas, built a fortress (1363) against Tatar raiders on the banks of the Southern Bug. The original settlement was built and populated by Aleksander Hrehorovicz Jelec, hetman under Lithuanian Prince Švitrigaila. Aleksander Jelec built the fort, which he commanded as starosta afterwards.

In the 15th century, Lithuanian Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon granted Winnica Magdeburg city rights. In 1566, it became part of the Bracław Voivodeship. Between 1569 and 1793 the town was a part of Poland. Within this period, for a short time between 1672 and 1699, the city was a part of the Ottoman Empire (and still part of the historic region of Podolia). During Polish rule, Winnica was a Polish royal city. On 18 March 1783, Antoni Protazy Potocki opened in Winnica the Trade Company Poland.

After the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 the Russian Empire annexed the city and the region. Russia moved to expunge the Roman Catholic religion. Catholic churches in the city, including what is now the Transfiguration Cathedral, were converted to Russian Orthodox churches.

In the Russian census of 1897, Vinnytsia had a population of 30,563. It was the third largest city in the Podolia region after Kamianets-Podilskyi and Uman.

The Vinnytsia massacre was the mass execution of between 9,000 and 11,000 people in Vinnytsia by the Soviet secret police NKVD during the Great Purge in 1937–1938.Valery Vasiliev, Yuriy Shapoval, "Stages of «Great Terror»: The Vinnytsia Tragedy", '' Zerkalo Nedeli'', № 31 (406), August 17–23, 2002,
in Russian

in Ukrainian
)

World War II

Vinnytsia was occupied by German troops on 19 July 1941 during World War II. While Vinnytsia had a pre-war Jewish population of over 34,000, only 17,000 of these Jews remained, with the rest of them successfully being evacuated to the interior of the Soviet Union beforehand. Virtually all of the Jews who remained in Vinnytsia under Nazi occupation were subsequently murdered in the Holocaust.

Adolf Hitler sited his eastern headquarters, ''Führerhauptquartier Werwolf'' or ''Wehrwolf'', at the Wehrmacht headquarters near the town. The complex was built in 1941–1942 by Russian prisoners of war. Many of them were subsequently killed. Hitler's accommodation consisted of a log cabin built around a private courtyard with its own concrete bunker. The complex included about 20 other log buildings, a power station, gardens, wells, three bunkers, a swimming pool, and wire and defensive positions.

Hitler spent a number of weeks at Wehrwolf in 1942 and early 1943. The few remains of the Wehrwolf site, described in one report as a "pile of concrete" because it was destroyed by the Nazis in 1944, can be visited. Plans to create a full-fledged museum had not come to fruition as of August 2018.

Nazi atrocities were committed in and near Vinnytsia by Einsatzgruppe C. Estimates of the number of victims often run as high as 28,000. Historian Oliver Rathkolb states that 35,000 Jews were deported from the Vinnytsia region and most of those later died.

In 1942 a large part of the Jewish quarter of Yerusalimka was destroyed by Germans. One infamous photo, ''The Last Jew of Vinnytsia'', shows a member of the Einsatzgruppe about to execute a Jewish man kneeling before a mass grave. The text ''The Last Jew of Vinnytsia'' was written on the back of the photograph, which was found in a photo album belonging to a German soldier. It was captured by the Red Army on 20 March 1944.

Soviet era

After the end of World War II, Vinnytsia was the home for major Soviet Air Forces base, including an airfield, a hospital, arsenals, and other military installations. The headquarters of the 43rd Rocket Army of the Strategic Rocket Forces was stationed in Vinnytsia from 1960 to the early 1990s. The 2nd Independent Heavy Bomber Aviation Corps, which later became 24th Air Army, was stationed in Vinnytsia from 1960 to 1992.

Independent Ukraine

The Ukrainian Air Force Command has been based in Vinnytsia since 1992. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the command center was significantly damaged by Russian cruise missiles on 25 March 2022.

On 14 July 2022 the center of the city was attacked with three Russian cruise missiles. Missiles hit the local NeuroMed clinic and House of the Officers, which currently used as a concert hall. Due to the strike 23 persons were killed (among them three children), 73 were injured and 18 are missing. The next day Russian Ministry of defense said that the target was a top-ranking Ukrainian military officers and representatives of foreign military industry companies.

Education

There are many educational universities and research institutions in Vinnytsia:
* Vinnytsia Institute of Economics and Social Sciences
*Vinnytsia National Medical University. N. I. Pirogov
* Vinnytsia National Technical University
* Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, named after Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky;
* Vinnytsia National Agrarian University
* Vinnytsia European University
* Vinnytsia Trade and Economics Institute
* Vinnytsia Social Economical Institute
* Donetsk National University, evacuated from Donetsk in 2014 due to armed conflict in eastern Ukraine.

There is also the Regional Universal Scientific Library named after Kliment Timiryazev in Vinnytsia.

Economy

Vinnytsia is an industrial center in Ukraine.

There are the Roshen confectionery corporation, the Crystal diamond polishing corporation, RPC Fort largest Ukrainian firearms manufacturing corporation, Analog corporation, Mayak corporation, Budmash corporation, Agregat corporation, Pnevmatika corporation, PlasmaTec corporation etc.

Military

The headquarters of the Ukrainian Air Force is situated in Vinnytsia.

Politics

Vinnytsia is considered the long-time political base for Ukrainian oligarch and former President Petro Poroshenko. He owns a local confectionery (as part of the Roshen Corporation) and was elected member of parliament from the local constituency for several convocations. However, contrary to some speculations, Poroshenko has never lived in the city.

The former Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman is from Vinnytsia.

Parks and squares

Central urban park in Vinnytsia

Park of Culture and Rest named after Maxim Gorky located in Vinnytsia city – between the streets of the Cathedral (center), May Day and Khmelnytsky highway.

The park is 40 hectares.

In the park there are numerous monuments (Gorky at the main entrance, soldiers in Afghanistan, Sich Riflemen, killed police officers), and "Walk illustrious countrymen" are objects of leisure and recreation: a concert hall "Rainbow", a summer theater, stadium, ice club, city planetarium, numerous attractions and gaming machines.

For more than 70 years history of the park has always been a place of celebration as the general public and local/municipal events and holidays. Fine tradition was held in the park folk festivals and holidays is particularly on City Day, Victory Day, Independence Day and more.

Buildings and structures

* Saint Nicholas Church is considered to be the oldest building in the city.
* The Transfiguration Cathedral, built in Vinnytsia in 1758.
* The new Greek Catholic Church at South Bug river.
* Baptist Church – reportedly one of the largest Evangelical Church Buildings in Europe.
* TV Tower Vinnytsia
* Vaksman family's real estate, 1915 – Style: Art Nouveau. Address: 24 Chkalov Street. Built by architect Moisey Aaronovitch Vaksman. Architectural landmark.
* Afghan War Museum and War Glory Memorial Park – The Afghan War Museum is located in the red-brick bell tower. Exhibits include photos, letters and other artifacts representing Vinnytsia soldiers who fought in that war. The Memorial Park contains a large statue representing three different soldiers from World War II. An eternal flame burns in front of the statue.
* Multimedia Fountain Roshen – Built in 2011, it is considered one of the largest floating fountains in Europe. It is the major multimedia attraction in the city.
*The Literary and Memorial Museum of the “great sun-lover”, classical author of Ukrainian literature M.M.Kotsyubynsky, is very popular among local inhabitants and guests; it is also a place of development for creative youth. In the city, numerous historical buildings are being repaired and new ones are being built.
*The national Pirogov's estate museum

File:Vinnytsia, Soborna St 02.jpg, St. Cathedral
File:Vinnytsia Kozytskoho 36 SAM 0054.JPG, Savoy Hotel
File:Монастир Капуцинів, Вінниця, вул. Соборна, 12—14.JPG, Capuchin monastery
File:Вінниця - Готель "Франціія". Вул. Соборна, 34 P1090188.JPG, Hotel France
File:Винницкая мэрия.JPG, City hall

Transport

Air

Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport (IATA: VIN, ICAO: UKWW) is situated near Vinnytsia.

Railway

There is a railway station in Vinnytsia, which is a part of 'South-Western Railway'. In 2013 it was named among 10 biggest railway stations in Ukraine. The current Vinnytsia railway station was built in 1952 and is the 4th railway building in Vinnytsia. The previous three were destroyed.

Vinnytsia is an important transport hub for internal and external railway connections. Most of the international trains which cross through Ukraine have a stop in Vinnytsia. For example, trains from Moscow and Saint Petersburg (Russia), Minsk (Belarus), Sofia (Bulgaria), Chisinau (Moldova), Bratislava (Slovakia), Belgrade (Serbia), Budapest (Hungary) transit through Vinnytsia. For internal railway connections, Vinnytsia is also an important transport point for trains heading to Western Ukraine (Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, Chernivtsi), the South (Odessa), as well as to Central Ukraine (Kyiv).

Tram

The tram is the most popular public transport in Vinnytsia. There are six tram routes in Vinnytsia:

Many trams in Vinnytsia are donations from the '' Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich'' (VBZ), the public transport operator of Zürich, Switzerland. In the early 2000s, the VBZ donated its 1960s ''Karpfen'' and ''Mirage'' rolling stock to Vinnytsia, and they will do so again in 2022 with 35 '' Tram 2000'' vehicles. The Swiss trams retain their blue and white liveries in Vinnytsian service.

Bus

There are the central bus station and the Western bus station in Vinnytsia.

Notable people

* Nathan Altman (1889–1970) a Russian and Soviet avant-garde artist, Cubist painter, stage designer and book illustrator.
* Larysa Artiugina (born 1971) a Ukrainian documentary film director and activist
* Sam Born (1891–1959) an American businessman, candy maker and inventor.
* Matvei Petrovich Bronstein (1906–1938) a theoretical physicist, a pioneer of quantum gravity
* Valeriy Chaly (born 1970) diplomat; Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA from 2015–2019
* Todros Geller (1889–1949) a Jewish American artist, teacher and master printmaker
* Volodymyr Groysman (born 1978) politician, Prime Minister of Ukraine 2016-2019
* Victoria Koblenko (born 1980) Dutch actress, presenter and columnist
* Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky (1864–1913) author of novels and short stories. His home is a museum.
* Volodymyr Kozhukhar (1941–2022) conductor and academic teacher
* Mykola Leontovych (1877–1921) Ukrainian composer who worked here
* Alexander Lerner (1913–2004) Soviet-Israeli cyberneticist and dissident
* Yuri Levada (1930–2006) sociologist, political scientist and the founder of the Levada Center
* Yitzkhok Yoel Linetzky (1839–1915) a Yiddish language author and early Zionist.
* Anatoly Lysenko (1937–2021) a Soviet and Russian TV figure, journalist, director and producer.
* Marina (born 1989) Polish singer of Ukrainian origin
* Jerzy Niezbrzycki (1902–1968) captain of the Polish Army
* Illia Nyzhnyk (born 1996) a Ukrainian chess grandmaster
* Alla Pavlova (b. 1952), composer
* Nikolay Pirogov (1810–1881) originally from Moscow, an Imperial Russian doctor, founder of field surgery, spent his later years in Vinnytsia; his home is a museum.
* Olya Polyakova (born 1979) a Ukrainian singer, TV presenter and comedian
* Maksym Shapoval (1978–2017) intelligence officer and head of a special forces of the Ukrainian Chief Directorate of Intelligence; assassinated by Russian agents in 2017.
* Vladyslav Skalsky (born 1976) a Ukrainian civil servant and politician.
* Olga Storozhenko (born 1992) Miss Ukraine Universe 2013 & Top 10 Miss Universe 2013
* Mykola Tochytskyi (born 1967) diplomat, politician and deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Leonid Isaakovich Vail (1883–1945) a Russian Painter and art theorist.
* Inna Abramovna Zhvanetskaia (born 1937) composer, piano teacher and lecturer

Sport

* Serhiy Cherniavskiy (born 1976) a cyclist; silver medallist at the 2000 Summer Olympics
* Sergey Fedorchuk (born 1981) a Ukrainian Grandmaster chess player.
* Pavlo Khnykin (born 1969) freestyle swimmer, team silver medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics
* Sergei Polyakov (born 1968) a Russian sport shooter, silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Vinnytsia is twinned with:

Gallery

File:Винница. Областная Рада..JPG, Vinnytsia regional council
File:Україна Вінниця, Українська греко-католицька церква (4).jpg, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
File:Vinnitsa Dominician costel 1758.jpg, The Transfiguration Cathedral in Vinnytsia (1758)
File:Vinnytsia-baptist-church.jpg, Baptist church.
File:Vinnytsia Glory Memorial and eternal fire in Kozitsky Park-LF.jpg, Glory Memorial and Eternal flame
File:Pushkin street Vinnytsya new.jpg, Art Nouveau building, built by architect V.P. Listovichiy
File:Вінниця, Медуніверситет (Головний корпус), вул. Пирогова 56.jpg, Medical University in Vinnytsia
File:Vinnickiy teatr.jpg, State academic theater
File:Water tower (belfry).jpg, Vinnytsia water tower
File:Садиба Пирогова!.JPG, Mansion-museum of Nikolay Pirogov
File:База вінницької Ниви.JPG, Home stadium of PFC Nyva Vinnytsia
File:Vinnytsia-memorial.jpg, Monuments to the victims of the terror of 1937-1938
File:Вінниця, Миколаївська церква.jpg, Nicholas church, 1746

See also

* FC Nyva Vinnytsia
* TIK
* Vinnytsia massacre
* Vinnytsia tram
* Werwolf (Wehrmacht HQ) – the codename used for one of Adolf Hitler's World War II Eastern Front military headquarters. It was one of the most easterly ever used by Hitler in person.

Notes

References

External links

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{{Authority control

Cities in Vinnytsia Oblast
Oblast centers in Ukraine
Populated places on the Southern Bug
Cities of regional significance in Ukraine
14th-century establishments in Ukraine
1363 establishments in Europe
Populated places established in the 1360s
Bratslav Voivodeship
Cossack Hetmanate
Vinnitsky Uyezd
Holocaust locations in Ukraine
Articles containing video clips
Ukrainian Air Force
Jewish communities destroyed in the Holocaust