Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in the north of the western half of
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. It is 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
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...
of
Zhytomyr Oblast
Zhytomyr Oblast ( uk, Жито́мирська о́бласть, translit=Zhytomyrska oblast), also referred to as Zhytomyrshchyna ( uk, Жито́мирщина}) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the obla ...
(
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding
Zhytomyr Raion
Zhytomyr Raion ( uk, Житомирський район) is a raion (district) of Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine. Its administrative centre is located at Zhytomyr. The raion covers an area of . Population:
On 18 July 2020, as part of the adm ...
(
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
). The city of Zhytomyr is not a part of Zhytomyr Raion: the city itself is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast; moreover Zhytomyr consists of two so-called "raions in a city": Bohunskyi Raion and Koroliovskyi Raion (named in honour of
Sergey Korolyov
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...
). Zhytomyr occupies an area of . Its population is
Zhytomyr is a major transport hub. The city lies on a historic route linking the city of
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
with the west through
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
. Today it links
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
with Kyiv,
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
with
Izmail
Izmail (, , translit. ''Izmail,'' formerly Тучков ("Tuchkov"); ro, Ismail or ''Smil''; pl, Izmaił, bg, Исмаил) is a city and municipality on the Danube river in Odesa Oblast in south-western Ukraine. It serves as the administra ...
, and several major cities of Ukraine. Zhytomyr was also the location of
Ozerne airbase, a key
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
strategic aircraft base southeast of the city.
Important economic activities of Zhytomyr include lumber milling, food processing, granite quarrying, metalworking, and the manufacture of musical instruments.
Zhytomyr Oblast is the main center of the
, and in the city itself there is a Latin Catholic cathedral and large
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Polish cemetery, founded in 1800. It is regarded as the third biggest Polish cemetery outside Poland, after the
Lychakivskiy Cemetery
Lychakiv Cemetery ( uk, Личаківський цвинтар, translit=Lychakivs’kyi tsvyntar; pl, Cmentarz Łyczakowski we Lwowie), officially State History and Culture Museum-Preserve "Lychakiv Cemetery" ( uk, Державний істор ...
in
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 Ukraine ...
and
Rasos Cemetery
Rasos Cemetery ( lt, Rasų kapinės, pl, cmentarz Na Rossie, be, Могілкі Росы) is the oldest and most famous cemetery in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is named after the Rasos district where it is located. It is separated in ...
in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
.
History
![bfc zhitomir kiev str](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Bfc_zhitomir_kiev_str.jpg)
Legend holds that Zhytomyr was established about 884 by Zhytomyr, prince of a Slavic tribe of
Drevlians
The Drevlians ( uk, Древляни, Drevliany, russian: Древля́не, Drevlyane) were a tribe of Early East Slavs between the 6th and the 10th centuries, which inhabited the territories of Polesia and right-bank Ukraine, west of the ea ...
. This date, 884, is cut in the large stone of the ice age times, standing on the hill where Zhytomyr was founded. Zhytomyr was one of the prominent cities of
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
. The first records of the town date from 1240, when it was sacked by the
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
hordes of
Batu Khan
Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Kh ...
.
In 1320 Zhytomyr was captured by the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
and received
Magdeburg rights
Magdeburg rights (german: Magdeburger Recht; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within ...
in 1444. After the
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin ( pl, Unia lubelska; lt, Liublino unija) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the pe ...
(1569) the city was incorporated into the
Crown of the Polish Kingdom
The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Korona Królestwa Polskiego; Latin: ''Corona Regni Poloniae''), known also as the Polish Crown, is the common name for the historic Late Middle Ages territorial possessions of the King of Poland, includi ...
and in 1667, following the
Treaty of Andrusovo
The Truce of Andrusovo ( pl, Rozejm w Andruszowie, russian: Андрусовское перемирие, ''Andrusovskoye Pieriemiriye'', also sometimes known as Treaty of Andrusovo) established a thirteen-and-a-half year truce, signed in 1667 bet ...
, it became the capital of the
Kiev Voivodeship
The Kiev Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kijowskie, la, Palatinatus Kioviensis, uk, Київське воєводство, ''Kyjivśke vojevodstvo'') was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. In the
Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the Polish–Russian W ...
in 1793 it passed to
Imperial Russia
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
and became the capital of the
Volhynian Governorate
Volhynian Governorate or Volyn Governorate (russian: Волы́нская губе́рния, translit=Volynskaja gubernija, uk, Волинська губернія, translit=Volynska huberniia) was an administrative-territorial unit initially ...
.
u
Following the
Union of Lublin
The Union of Lublin ( pl, Unia lubelska; lt, Liublino unija) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the pe ...
, Zhytomyr became an important center of local administration, seat of the
starosta, and capital of Zhytomyr County. Here,
sejmik
A sejmik (, diminutive of ''sejm'', occasionally translated as a ''dietine''; lt, seimelis) was one of various local parliaments in the history of Poland and history of Lithuania. The first sejmiks were regional assemblies in the Kingdom of ...
s of
Kiev Voivodeship
The Kiev Voivodeship ( pl, województwo kijowskie, la, Palatinatus Kioviensis, uk, Київське воєводство, ''Kyjivśke vojevodstvo'') was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
took place. In 1572, the town had 142 buildings, a manor house of the starosta and a castle. Following the privilege of King
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa ( pl, Zygmunt III Waza, lt, Žygimantas Vaza; 20 June 1566 – 30 April 1632
N.S.) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632 and, as Sigismund, King of Sweden and Grand Duke of Finland from 1592 to ...
, Zhytomyr had the right for two fairs a year.
During
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising,; in Ukraine known as Khmelʹnychchyna or uk, повстання Богдана Хмельницького; lt, Chmelnickio sukilimas; Belarusian language, Belarusian: Паўстанне Багдана Хмяльніц ...
(1648) Zhytomyr was incorporated into
Cossack Hetmanate
The Cossack Hetmanate ( uk, Гетьманщина, Hetmanshchyna; or ''Cossack state''), officially the Zaporizhian Host or Army of Zaporizhia ( uk, Військо Запорозьке, Viisko Zaporozke, links=no; la, Exercitus Zaporoviensis) ...
state.
In 1667, Zhytomyr became capital of Kiev Voivodeship, and in 1724, a Jesuit school and monastery were opened here. By 1765, Zhytomyr had five churches, including 3 Roman Catholic and 2 Orthodox, and 285 houses.
In 1793 Zhytomyr was incorporated into the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, and in 1804 was named capital of the Volhynian Governorate.
During a brief period of
Ukrainian independence
Ukraine emerged as the concept of a nation, and the Ukrainians as a nationality, with the Ukrainian National Revival which began in the late 18th and early 19th century. The first wave of national revival is traditionally connected with the publ ...
(1917-1920) in 1918 the city was for a few weeks the national capital of
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...
. Ultimately Ukrainian fight for independence failed and
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 1 ...
became occupied by
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. A new Soviet Ukraine state was formed under Soviet rule -
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
. From 1920 Zhytomyr was a part of
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Zhytomyr and the surrounding territory was, for two and a half years (first from
9 July 1941 to 12 November 1943, and again from 19 November 1943 to
31 December 1943) under
Nazi German
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
occupation and was
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
's Ukrainian headquarters. The Nazi regime in what they called the "Zhytomyr General District" became what historian
Wendy Lower
Wendy Lower (born 1965) is an American historian and a widely published author on the Holocaust and World War II. Since 2012, she holds the John K. Roth Chair at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and in 2014 was named the dire ...
describes as
a laboratory for… Himmler's resettlement activists… the elimination of the Jews and German colonization of the East—transformed the landscape and devastated the population to an extent that was not experienced in other parts of Nazi-occupied Europe besides Poland. hile
Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasab ...
timately, the exigencies of the war effort and mounting partisan warfare behind the lines prevented Nazi leaders from fully developing and realizing their colonial aims in Ukraine… In addition to the immediate destruction of all Jewish communities, Himmler insisted that the Ukrainian civilian population be brought to a 'minimum.'[Lower, 2005, introduction.]
During 1942-1949 Zhytomyr region was a territory of mild
Ukrainian Insurgent Army
The Ukrainian Insurgent Army ( uk, Українська повстанська армія, УПА, translit=Ukrayins'ka povstans'ka armiia, abbreviated UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary and later partisan formation. During World ...
(UPA) activity (UPA North), who fought for Independence of Ukraine against
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
After
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
defeated
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, Zhytomyr fell under Soviet rule and became a part of
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
again.
On 24 August 1991 Ukrainian parliament announced
Declaration of Independence of Ukraine
The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine ( uk, Акт проголошення незалежності України, Akt proholoshennya nezalezhnosti Ukrayiny) was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on 24 August 1991. . From 1991, Zhytomyr has been part of the independent and sovereign
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
.
2022 Russian invasion
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 ...
, Zhytomyr and the surrounding area were subjected to several Russian air and missile strikes, such as the 2 March airstrike which damaged residential buildings, a thermal electricity plant, and two hospitals, killing at least two and injuring more than a dozen.
Administrative division
The city is divided into two administrative districts:
Microdistrict
The city of Zhytomyr contains the following areas (microdistricts):
* Bohunia
* Hydropark
* Hinchanka the Second
* Zavokzalny district
* Railway station area
* Korbutivka
* Kroshnia
* Maliovanka
* Marianivka
* Pavlykivka
* Putiatynka
* Rudnia
* Smokivka
* Smolianka
* Sokolova Hora
* Old Town
* Eastern microdistrict (folk name Poliova)
* Khmilnyki (folk name Malikova)
* Center
Population
Demographic history
Roman Catholics
Zhytomyr had been a Latin Catholic bishopric since 1321, until the see was suppressed in 1789 in favor of the
Diocese of Lutsk and Zytomierz
The Roman Catholic diocese of Lutsk was first established in the 13th century as the diocese of Luceoria (Latin) or Łuck (Polish). After the victory of Napoleon, the diocese was joined with the diocese of Zhytomyr, forming the diocese of Lutsk, L ...
, until that was split up again in 1925, when it was restored as the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Zhytomyr
The Diocese of Zhytomyr was twice a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in part of Ukraine, namely from 1321 to 1789 and again from 1925 to 1998.
History
* Established in 1321 as Diocese of Zhytomyr / Žytomyr ...
; that was formally suppressed in 1998 to establish the
Diocese of Kyïv–Žytomyr, but actually the city retains the episcopal see in its Cathedral of the
Holy Wisdom
Holy Wisdom (Greek: , la, Sancta Sapientia, russian: Святая София Премудрость Божия, translit=Svyataya Sofiya Premudrost' Bozhiya "Holy Sophia, Divine Wisdom") is a concept in Christian theology.
Christian theology ...
, while
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
(although first in the title and the national capital) only has a
co-cathedral.
The Zhytomyr cemetery was opened in 1800. At first, it served Polish nobility from
Volhynia
Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...
, such as the Czeczel and the Woronicz families. Later, other Catholics were buried here, including Germans, Ukrainians and Russians.
In 1840, the Chapel of St. Stanislaus was built (now in ruins), and the cemetery was divided into nine districts, named after different saints. In the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, the complex was devastated, now it is under the process of renovation.
Among most famous people buried here are:
* Bronislaw Matyjewicz-Maciejewicz, one of the first Polish air pilots
* Karol Niedzialkowski - bishop of Lutsk and Zhytomir in the late 19th century
* Apolinary Wnukowski - Roman Catholic archbishop and scholar
* Juliusz Zarębski - Polish composer
* parents of
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski (; – 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist and composer who became a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the new nation's Prime Minister and foreign minister during which he signed the Treaty of Versaill ...
* the family of
Stanisław Moniuszko
Jews in Zhytomyr
![Zhitomir Jewish Institute](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Zhitomir_Jewish_Institute.JPG)
Zhytomyr apparently had few
Jew
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
s at the time of the
Khmelnytsky Uprising
The Khmelnytsky Uprising,; in Ukraine known as Khmelʹnychchyna or uk, повстання Богдана Хмельницького; lt, Chmelnickio sukilimas; Belarusian language, Belarusian: Паўстанне Багдана Хмяльніц ...
(1648), but by the time it became part of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
in 1778, it had a large Jewish community, and was a center of the
Hasidic movement. Jews formed nearly one-third of the 1861 population (13,299 in 40,564); thirty years later, they had somewhat outpaced the general growth of the city, with 24,062 Jews in a total population of 69,785. By 1891 there were three large
synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
s and 46 smaller ''
batei midrash''. The proportion of Jews was much lower in the surrounding district of Zhytomyr than in the city itself; at the turn of the century (circa 1900) there were 22,636 Jews in a total population of 281,378.
In
Imperial Russia
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...
, Zhytomyr held the same status as the official Jewish center of southern part of the
Pale of Settlement
The Pale of Settlement (russian: Черта́ осе́длости, '; yi, דער תּחום-המושבֿ, '; he, תְּחוּם הַמּוֹשָב, ') was a western region of the Russian Empire with varying borders that existed from 1791 to 19 ...
as
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
held in the north. The printing of
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
books was permitted only in these two cities during the monopoly of Hebrew printing from 1845 to 1862, and both were chosen as the seats of the two
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
nical schools which were established by the government in 1848 in pursuance of its plans to force secular education on the
Jews of Russia
The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
in accordance with the program of the Teutonized Russian
Haskalah
The ''Haskalah'', often termed Jewish Enlightenment ( he, השכלה; literally, "wisdom", "erudition" or "education"), was an intellectual movement among the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, with a certain influence on those in Western Euro ...
movement. The rabbinical school of Zhytomyr was considered the more Jewish, or rather the less Russianized, of the two (''
Ha-Meliẓ
''Ha-Melitz'' or ''HaMelitz'' (Hebrew: ) was the first Hebrew newspaper in the Russian Empire. It was founded by Alexander Zederbaum in Odessa in 1860.
History
''Ha-Melitz'' first appeared as a weekly, and it began to appear daily in 1886. From ...
'', 1868, No. 40, cited in ''Jewish Encyclopedia''). Its first head master was
Jacob Eichenbaum
Jacob Moiseyovych Eichenbaum (, uk, Я́ків Мойсе́йович Ейхенба́ум; 12 October 1796 – 27 December 1861), born Jacob Gelber, was a Galician Jews, Galician Jewish Haskalah, maskil, educator, poet and mathematician.
Biogra ...
, who was succeeded by
Hayyim Selig Slonimski
Ḥayyim Selig ben Ya'akov Slonimski () (March 31, 1810 – May 15, 1904), also known by his acronym ḤaZaS (), was a Hebrew publisher, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, science writer, and rabbi. He was among the first to write books on scie ...
in 1862. The latter remained at the head of the school until it was closed (together with the one at Vilnius) in 1873 because of its failure to provide rabbis with a secular education who should be acceptable to the Jewish communities.
Suchastover,
Gottlober
Avrom Ber Gotlober (; 14 January 1811 – 12 April 1899), also known by the pen names Abag () and Mahalalel (), was a Russian Maskilic writer, poet, playwright, historian, journalist and educator. His first collection was published in 1835.
...
,
Lerner Lerner is a German and Jewish family name. Its literal meaning can be either "student" or "scholar". It may refer to:
Organizations
* Lerner Enterprises, a real estate company
* Lerner Newspapers
* Lerner Publishing Group, a publisher of child ...
, and
Zweifel were among the best-known teachers of the rabbinical school at Zhytomyr, while
Abraham Goldfaden
Abraham Goldfaden (Yiddish: אַבֿרהם גאָלדפֿאַדען; born Avrum Goldnfoden; 24 July 1840 – 9 January 1908), also known as Avram Goldfaden, was a Russian-born Jewish poet, playwright, stage director and actor in the languages Yid ...
,
Salomon Mandelkern
Salomon Mandelkern ( he, שלמה מנדלקרן; ; pseudonym ''Mindaloff'') was a Russian-Jewish poet and author.Anton Bettelheim1905, Biographisches Jahrbuch und Deutscher Nekrolog, Band 7, p. 5/ref>
He was educated as a Talmudist. After his f ...
, and
Abraham Jacob Paperna
Abraham Jacob Paperna ( he, אברהם יעקב פפירנא; 30 August 1840 – 18 February 1919) was a Russian Jewish educator and author.
Early life and education
Abraham Jacob Paperna was born in 1840 in Kapyl, Minsk Governorate (today part ...
were among the students who later became famous in the Jewish world.
The Jewish community of Zhytomyr suffered
pogrom
A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russia ...
s:
#On 7–8 May 1905, when the section of the city known as "Podol" was devastated, and 20 were killed within the city.
#On 7–10 January 1919, 15 young Jewish neighbors were killed when they came to defend, and the
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
student Nicholas Blinov, also attempting to defend, likewise died. Ten young Jews from nearby
Chudnov were also killed while on their way to aid the Jews of Zhytomyr.
#Beginning on 22 March 1919, according to witnesses, the 317 deaths were fewer than might have been, due to both Christian sheltering efforts and the return of the
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
troops within a few days.
The Jewish community of the region was largely destroyed in
the Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
. In the four months beginning with
Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
's 25 July 1942 orders, "all of Ukraine's
shtetl
A shtetl or shtetel (; yi, שטעטל, translit=shtetl (singular); שטעטלעך, romanized: ''shtetlekh'' (plural)) is a Yiddish term for the small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish populations which existed in Eastern Europe before ...
s and
ghettos
A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...
lay in ruins; around 3,000 Jewish men, women, and children were murdered by stationary and mobile
SS-police units with local Ukrainian auxiliaries."
[
Today, the Zhytomyr Jewish community numbers about 5,000. The community is a part of the "Union of Jewish Communities in Ukraine" and the city and district's rabbinate. Rabbi Shlomo Vilhelm, who came to the city as a ]Chabad emissary
A ( he, שליח, pl. , ) is a member of the Chabad Hasidic movement who is sent out to promulgate Judaism and Hasidism in locations around the world. There are over 6,500 Chabad families worldwide, in over 110 countries.
Origins
Starting i ...
in 1994, serves as rabbi. Other Jewish institutions are also active in the city, including the Joint
A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...
and its humanitarian branch "Chesed" and the Jewish Agency
The Jewish Agency for Israel ( he, הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, translit=HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el) formerly known as The Jewish Agency for Palestine, is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. ...
.
The community has an ancient synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
in the city center which has a mikveh
Mikveh or mikvah (, ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity.
Most forms of ritual impurity can be purif ...
. Chabad
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 grou ...
operates in the city various educational institutions which have residence in a village next to the city.
Culture
The city has 2 state theaters and a philharmonic, more than 10 museums, libraries and planetarium.
One of the world-famous museums of cosmonautics Serhiy Pavlovych Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics is located in the city.
Theaters and music
In 1809, the first stationary theater building was built in Zhytomyr on the initiative of Volyn governor M. I. Кomburley.
In 1858, the first stone theater in Ukraine was built (now it houses the regional state philharmonic). M. Kropyvnytskyi, M. Zankovetska, V. Komisarzhevska, I. Aldridge, P. Viardot performed here.
In 1966, a new theater building was built with a large auditorium for 943 seats and a small one for 70 seats, a lobby with an area of 550 m2, rehearsal halls, dressing rooms, offices, production shops.
Currently in the city work:
* Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after Ivan Kocherga;
* Academic Regional Puppet Theater;
* Philharmonic named after Svyatoslav Richter.
Since 1973, the Zhytomyr Academic Dance Ensemble "Sun" exists in the city.
The internationally renowned chamber choir OREYA is based in the city.
Famous composers Borys Lyatoshynsky
Borys Mykolayovych Lyatoshynsky ( uk, Бори́с Миколáйович Лятоши́нський ()), also known as Boris Nikolayevich Lyatoshinsky (russian: Бори́с Николаевич Лятоши́нский), (3 January 189515 Apr ...
and Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter, group= ( – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet classical pianist. He is frequently regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time, Great Pianists of the 20th Century and has been praised for the "depth of his int ...
were born in Zhytomyr.
Museums
The following museums operate in Zhytomyr:
* historical and local lore museum;
* art gallery;
*museum of nature;
* V. G. Korolenko Literary Memorial Museum;
*memorial house-museum of academician Sergei Korolev
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...
;
*literary museum of Zhytomyr Region;
*museum of the history of fire protection;
*Sergei Pavlovich Korolyov Museum of Cosmonautics.
Libraries
* Zhytomyr Regional Universal Scientific Library named after O. Olzhych;
*Zhytomyr Regional Scientific Medical Library;
*Zhytomyr Regional Library for Youth;
*Zhytomyr Regional Library for Children.
Architecture: sights and monuments
The city has 74 historical monuments, 24 archeological monuments, and 15 monuments of monumental art (one of which is of national importance). Monuments of architecture and urban planning of state importance — 10, local significance — 72.
Monuments of historical, cultural and religious significance in the city of Zhytomyr include:
* Cells of the Jesuit monastery (1724);
* Holy Dormition Bishops Cathedral in Podil (1874);
*Church of St. James;
*Seminary Church of St. John of Dukla;
*Saint Sophia Cathedral
Churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom (''Hagia Sophia'', also rendered ''Saint Sophia'') include:
See also
{{commons category, Holy Wisdom churches
* Sophia of Rome#Churches, for churches named after Saint Sophia of Rome
* Sofia Church (disambiguati ...
;
*St. Michael's Cathedral;
*Holy Exaltation of the Cross Cathedral;
*Transfiguration Cathedral;
*Lutheran Church;
*Water tower.
In 1996, the Memorial to the Victims of Fascism was erected in Bohunia by the sculptor Yosyp Tabachnyk (a memorable location of the Bohunіa concentration camp for prisoners of war).
Geography
Zhytomyr lies in a unique natural setting; all sides of the city are surrounded by ancient forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s through which flow the Teteriv
The Teteriv () is a right tributary of the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It has a length of 365 km and a drainage basin of 15,300 km².
In the underflow the valley of the Teteriv in Polissia on up to 4 km, the width of the river widens ...
, Kamianka, Kroshenka and Putiatynka river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
s. The Teteriv river generally forms the southern boundary of Zhytomyr, though there are also some small areas of Zhytomyr city territory below the southern bank of the river. The city is rich in parks and public square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...
s.
Zhytomyr is set out on a mostly radial type of street
A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...
net with the centre at the main public square of the city, named ''Sobornyi Maidan'' (which means ''Cathedral Square''). A building containing court
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
s and some other institutions is in the west of the square. Before 1991, this building contained Zhytomyr Oblast Committee of the Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
. Just behind the building (that is to the west of Sobornyi Square) is a small quiet park, bearing the name of ''Zamkova Gora'' (''Castle Mountain'') and containing a monument-type boulder with an inscription stating that this is a place where Zhytomyr was founded. This historical centre of Zhytomyr is in the south part of the city. The old part of Zhytomyr is on three rocky hills over the river Kamianka: Okhrimova, Zamkova, and Petrovska.
The old town is surrounded by new housing estates, the names of which are often borrowed from the former suburban villages or reflect the longstanding occupations common in these places. The main streets connecting Sobornyi Maidan with the outskirts of Zhytomyr are Kyivska Street or Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
Street (going to northeast, to the railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
and also to the main bus station
A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is l ...
of the city), Velyka Berdychivska Street (going to southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
), Lech Kaczyński
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he pre ...
Street (going southwest; its further continuation is Chudniv
Chudniv ( ua, Чуднів, pl, Cudnów, yi, טשודנאוו, russian: Чу́днов) is a city in Zhytomyr Raion, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it was the administrative center of the former Chudniv Raion. Population:
History
...
ska Street going to beach
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...
es and a forest-type park near the river of Teteriv), and Peremohy Street (going north).
The best-known street in the central part of Zhytomyr is Mykhailivska (named after St. Michael's Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* C ...
at the northern end of the street). The street is about 500 metre
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...
s to the east of Sobornyi Maidan and runs approximately from north to south, connecting some points at the above-mentioned Kyivska Street and Velyka Berdychivska. Mykhailivska Street is for pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...
traffic: vehicle
A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), wa ...
s are forbidden, with the exception of some slow-moving ones. A puppet theatre is nestled in the middle of the street, while the building of the Zhytomyr City Council is at its southern end. Several small coffee houses and cafés have sprung up here recently, frequented by locals from all walks of life and of all ages. If one crosses Velyka Berdychivska Street from the southern end of Mykhailivska Street, then one finds oneself at Korolyov Square containing the building of the Zhytomyr Oblast Council. Crossing Kyivska Street from the northern end of Mykhailivska Street, one can continue to go along Pokrovska Street, another important long avenue of Zhytomyr (going north).
The best-known park of Zhytomyr is named after Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. Tr ...
, in the south of the city, at the left (northern) bank of the Teteriv River. It was formerly owned by the Baron de Chaudoir.
Climate
Economy
Zhytomyr is an important economic center in the region. Enterprises in the city include glass, metal fabrication, electronic devices, screens, fabrics, furniture, shoes and others.
In addition, there is a large pharmaceutical factory in Zhytomyr. Since 1944, a confectionery factory (ALC "ZhL") has operated in Zhytomyr; the enterprise is one of the leaders of the Ukrainian confectionery market.
The city is home to the Zhytomyr Armored Factory. The factory has been one of the main repair facilities in Ukraine since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...
, running on 3 shifts. In September 2014 it was announced that the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine had placed a ₴280 million order with the factory.
Current social situation
In December 2006, the Austrian Jesuit Georg Sporschill, who was previously active in the Republic of Moldova, founded the first of 3 care centers for street children.
Transport
In ancient times, the city was on the important road from Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
to the city of Brest-Litovsk.
Now this road is of international highway connecting Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
to the Hungarian border near Chop.
Some other roads:
* connecting the cities Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
and Zhytomyr (through Vinnytsia
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. A ...
)
* Zhytomyr - Chernivtsi (through Khmelnytskyi
Khmelnytskyi ( uk, Хмельни́цький, Khmelnytskyi, ), until 1954 Proskuriv ( uk, Проску́рів, links=no ), is a city in western Ukraine, the administrative center for Khmelnytskyi Oblast (region) and Khmelnytskyi Raion (dist ...
)
* Zhytomyr - Stavyshche
Stavyshche (, pl, Stawiszcze) is an urban-type settlement in Bila Tserkva Raion, Kyiv Oblast (province) in northern Ukraine, on the Hnylyi Tikych river. It hosts the administration of Stavyshche settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine ...
(through Skvyra
Skvyra ( uk, Скви́ра, ; Yiddish: skver, סקווער) is a city in Bila Tserkva Raion, Kyiv Oblast (region) of central Ukraine. Skvyra has an area of . It hosts the administration of Skvyra urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It ...
)
* Zhytomyr - checkpoint "Vystupovychi" of the Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
-Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
ian border (through Korosten
Korosten ( uk, Ко́ростень, ; historically also ''Iskorosten'' ) is a historic city and a large transport hub in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River. Korosten serves as the administrative c ...
).
Railways
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
connect Koziatyn
Koziatyn ( uk, Козятин; also referred to as Kozyatyn, pl, Koziatyn, russian: Каза́тин) is a town in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district), the town ...
with Zhytomyr (through Berdychiv), Korosten
Korosten ( uk, Ко́ростень, ; historically also ''Iskorosten'' ) is a historic city and a large transport hub in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River. Korosten serves as the administrative c ...
, Zviahel
Zviahel (, ; translit. ''Zvil'') is a city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Originally known as ''Zviahel'', the city was renamed to ''Novohrad-Volynskyi'' () in 1795 after annexation of territories of Polish–Lithuanian ...
, Korostyshiv
Korostýšiv (, , ) is a city in Zhytomyr Raion, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it served as the administrative center of the former Korostyshiv Raion. Population:
History
The city was founded around the VI-VII centuries. According ...
and Fastiv
Fastiv ( uk, Фа́стів) is a city in the Kyiv Oblast ( province) in central Ukraine. On older maps it is depicted as Chvastiv ( pl, Chwastów). Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also serves as the a ...
. In 2011 a stretch of the Fastiv
Fastiv ( uk, Фа́стів) is a city in the Kyiv Oblast ( province) in central Ukraine. On older maps it is depicted as Chvastiv ( pl, Chwastów). Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also serves as the a ...
— Zhytomyr rail line was electrified.
Zhytomyr is about 131 kilometers from Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
(by road 140 km, by rail 165 km).
The following trains pass through Zhytomyr train station (both directions for all):
* Zhytomyr - Korosten
Korosten ( uk, Ко́ростень, ; historically also ''Iskorosten'' ) is a historic city and a large transport hub in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River. Korosten serves as the administrative c ...
* Vinnytsia
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. A ...
- Korosten
Korosten ( uk, Ко́ростень, ; historically also ''Iskorosten'' ) is a historic city and a large transport hub in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River. Korosten serves as the administrative c ...
* Zhytomyr - Korostyshiv
Korostýšiv (, , ) is a city in Zhytomyr Raion, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it served as the administrative center of the former Korostyshiv Raion. Population:
History
The city was founded around the VI-VII centuries. According ...
* Korosten
Korosten ( uk, Ко́ростень, ; historically also ''Iskorosten'' ) is a historic city and a large transport hub in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is located on the Uzh River. Korosten serves as the administrative c ...
- Koziatyn
Koziatyn ( uk, Козятин; also referred to as Kozyatyn, pl, Koziatyn, russian: Каза́тин) is a town in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district), the town ...
* Zhytomyr - Koziatyn
Koziatyn ( uk, Козятин; also referred to as Kozyatyn, pl, Koziatyn, russian: Каза́тин) is a town in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Koziatyn Raion (district), the town ...
* Zhytomyr - Zviahel
Zviahel (, ; translit. ''Zvil'') is a city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Originally known as ''Zviahel'', the city was renamed to ''Novohrad-Volynskyi'' () in 1795 after annexation of territories of Polish–Lithuanian ...
* Zhytomyr - Fastiv
Fastiv ( uk, Фа́стів) is a city in the Kyiv Oblast ( province) in central Ukraine. On older maps it is depicted as Chvastiv ( pl, Chwastów). Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also serves as the a ...
The city has an airport (however, it is not currently being used for passenger transport; it is intended for the use of strategic bombers, though not currently being used).
Zhytomyr has three bus stations connecting it with many other cities and villages in Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and abroad.
Zhytomyr has fifteen bridges and junctions built over rivers and roads. There is a 30-kilometer ring road around Zhytomyr.
The most interesting bridge in Zhytomyr is one over the Teteriv River
The Teteriv () is a right tributary of the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It has a length of 365 km and a drainage basin of 15,300 km².
In the underflow the valley of the Teteriv in Polissia on up to 4 km, the width of the river widens ...
in Gagarin Park (named after Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. Tr ...
).
Public city transport
Common kinds of public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
shuttling within Zhytomyr are trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...
es, bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es, and minibus
A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, ...
es. There are also electric tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
s, but on one route only. Earlier there were several tram routes in Zhytomyr, but all excepting one were canceled during a period of domination of the opinion that a tram is a bad kind of transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
.
Trams began to shuttle in Zhytomyr in 1899. Thus Zhytomyr became the 5th city with electric trams within the territory of present-day Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. Trolleybuses appear in Zhytomyr in 1962.
The total length of Zhytomyr city electric transport routes (trolleybuses and trams) is 275 km. Zhytomyr is the first city in Ukraine to implement e-ticket system in all municipal public transport.
Attack on Zhytomyr
On 27 February 2022, the city's public airport Zhytomyr Airport was directly attacked by 2 Iskander missiles launched from Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
, during the 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 ...
, which had recently started three days prior to the attack on Zhytomyr Airport.
Twin towns – sister cities
Zhytomyr is twinned with:
* Bytom, Poland
* Dazhou
Dazhou () is a prefecture-level city in the northeast corner of Sichuan province, China, bordering Shaanxi to the north and Chongqing to the east and south. As of 2020 census, Dazhou was home to 5,385,422 inhabitants whom 1,850,869 lived in t ...
, China
* Kutaisi
Kutaisi (, ka, ქუთაისი ) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the third-most populous city in Georgia, traditionally, second in importance, after the capital city of Tbilisi. Situated west of Tbilis ...
, Georgia
* Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
, Bulgaria
* Płock
Płock (pronounced ) is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by GUS on 31 December 2021, there were 116,962 inhabitants in the city. Its full ceremonial name, according to th ...
, Poland
* Shangla
Shangla District ( ps, شانګله ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The district's headquarter is located at Alpuri, while the largest city and commercial center is Besham. The district ...
, Pakistan
Notable people
* Ossip Bernstein
Ossip Samoilovich Bernstein (20 September 1882 – 30 November 1962) was a Russian-French chess player and businessman. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950.
Biography
Born in Zhytomyr, ...
(1882–1962), Russian-French Grandmaster chess player and businessman
* Aleksandr Bezymensky (1898–1973), a Soviet poet, screenwriter and journalist.
* Sasha Boole (born 1989), Ukrainian country and folk musician, and singer / songwriter
* Tadeusz Borowski
Tadeusz Borowski (; 12 November 1922 – 3 July 1951) was a Polish writer and journalist. His wartime poetry and stories dealing with his experiences as a prisoner at Auschwitz are recognized as classics of Polish literature.
Early life
Borow ...
(1922–1951), a Polish writer and journalist.
* Ina Bourskaya (1886—1954), an American opera singer.
* Jarosław Dąbrowski
Jarosław Żądło-Dąbrowski (; 13 November 1836 – 23 May 1871), also known as Jaroslav Dombrowski, was a Polish nobleman and military officer in the Imperial Russian Army, a left-wing independence activist and radical republican for Poland ...
(1836–1871), Polish nobleman and Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...
revolutionary
* Boris Didkovsky (1883–1937) Bolshevik revolutionary, Soviet geologist and University rector
* Oksana Dyka (born 1978), a Ukrainian operatic soprano.
* Luis Filcer (1927–2018), a Mexican Expressionist painter dealing with injustice and struggle.
* Samuel Freedman
Samuel Freedman, (16 April 1908 – 6 March 1993), was a Canadian lawyer and judge, who served as Chief Justice of Manitoba from 1971 to 1983.
Personal life and education
Born on 16 April 1908, to Nathan and Ada (Foxman) Freedman in Zhytomyr, R ...
(1908–1993), Canadian judge, Manitoba Chief Justice
* Yakov Gamarnik
Yan Gamarnik (birth name Jakov Tzudikovich Gamarnik (russian: Я́ков Цу́дикович Гама́рник), sometimes known as Yakov Gamarnik (russian: Я́ков Гама́рник; – 31 May 1937), was the Chief of the Political Depa ...
(1894–1937), Soviet Communist militant and military commander
* Jewgeni Grischbowski (born 1992), a Dj and Music Producer.
* Vladimir Hachinski (born ca.1945), clinical neuroscientist and researcher into stroke and dementia.
* Mark Kharitonov
Mark Sergeyevich Kharitonov (russian: Марк Серге́евич Харито́нов, born 31 August 1937) is a Russian novelist, poet, essayist, and translator. He was awarded the first Russian Booker Prize in 1992 for his novel ''Lines of Fa ...
(born 1937) a Russian novelist, poet and essayist
* Alexander Kipnis
Alexander Kipnis ( – May 14, 1978) was a Ukrainian-born operatic bass. Having initially established his artistic reputation in Europe, Kipnis became an American citizen in 1931, following his marriage to an American. He appeared often at the Ch ...
(1891–1978), German then US bass opera singer
* Vladimir Korolenko
Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko (russian: Влади́мир Галактио́нович Короле́нко, ua, Володи́мир Галактіо́нович Короле́нко; 27 July 1853 – 25 December 1921) was a Ukrainian-born ...
(1853–1921), Russian writer, journalist and human rights activist
* Sergei Korolev
Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...
(1907–1966), rocket engineer and designer, head of the Soviet space program
The Soviet space program (russian: Космическая программа СССР, Kosmicheskaya programma SSSR) was the national space program of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), active from 1955 until the dissoluti ...
* Keni Liptzin (1856–1918), Jewish actress in Yiddish theatre
Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revu ...
* Borys Lyatoshynsky
Borys Mykolayovych Lyatoshynsky ( uk, Бори́с Миколáйович Лятоши́нський ()), also known as Boris Nikolayevich Lyatoshinsky (russian: Бори́с Николаевич Лятоши́нский), (3 January 189515 Apr ...
(1895–1968), a Ukrainian composer, conductor and teacher.
* Julian Movchan (1913–2002), a Ukrainian-American journalist, writer and doctor.
* Donia Nachshen
Donia Esther Nachshen (22 January 1903 – 1987) was a Ukrainian-born British book illustrator and poster artist who is now best known for the posters she produced for the British government during World War Two.
Biography
Nachshen was born ...
(1903–1987) a British book illustrator, produced gov't posters in WWII.
* Franciszek Niepokólczycki
Franciszek Niepokólczycki alias Teodor, Szubert, Franek, Żejmian, Halny (27 October 1900 – 11 June 1974) was a colonel of Polish Army. During World War II, commander of the Union of Retaliation, officer of the Union of Armed Struggle and the ...
(1900–1974), a colonel of Polish Army.
* Oleh Olzhych
Oleh Olzhych (July 8, 1907, Zhytomyr, Russian Empire - 9 June 1944, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, Germany) was a Ukrainian poet and political activist. Born as Oleh Kandyba, he was forced to emigrate from Ukraine in 1923 due to occupation by t ...
(1907-1944), Ukrainian writer and nationalist militant
* Abram Ranovich (1885–1948), Soviet scholar of classical antiquity and religion.
* Sviatoslav Richter
Sviatoslav Teofilovich Richter, group= ( – August 1, 1997) was a Soviet classical pianist. He is frequently regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time, Great Pianists of the 20th Century and has been praised for the "depth of his int ...
(1915–1997), a distinguished Soviet pianist
* Michael Rostovtzeff
Mikhail Ivanovich Rostovtzeff, or Rostovtsev (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Росто́вцев; – October 20, 1952), was a Russian historian whose career straddled the 19th and 20th centuries and who produced important works ...
(1870–1952), a Russian historian and archaeologist
* Esther Salaman (1900–1995), a Russian-born Jewish writer and physicist.
* Igor Shafarevich (1923–2017), a Soviet and Russian mathematician, did algebraic number theory
Algebraic number theory is a branch of number theory that uses the techniques of abstract algebra to study the integers, rational numbers, and their generalizations. Number-theoretic questions are expressed in terms of properties of algebraic ob ...
* David Shterenberg
David Petrovich Shterenberg (russian: Давид Петрович Штеренберг; Zhitomir – May 1, 1948 Moscow) was a Ukrainian-born Russian Soviet painter and graphic artist.
Life
Born to a Jewish family in Zhitomir, Ukraine, Shterenb ...
(1881–1948), a Russian Soviet painter and graphic artist.
* Apollon Skalkowski
Apollon Skalkowski ( pl, Apollo Skalkowski; race. 1 (13) January 1808 Zhytomyr - December 28, 1898 (9 January 1899 Odessa) - Polish-Russian and scientist, historian of Ukrainian descdent. He was a father of a journalist Constantine Skalkovsky.
Li ...
(1808-1898), Russian and Ukrainian scientist, historian, writer and publisher
* Andriy Slyusarchuk (born 1971) a Ukrainian mnemonist
The title mnemonist refers to an individual with the ability to remember and recall unusually long lists of data, such as unfamiliar names, lists of numbers, entries in books, etc. Some mnemonists also memorize texts such as long poems, speeches, o ...
and fraudster
* Mykola Stsiborskyi (1897–1941), leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists
The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists ( uk, Організація українських націоналістів, Orhanizatsiya ukrayins'kykh natsionalistiv, abbreviated OUN) was a Ukrainian ultranationalist political organization esta ...
* Vladimir Veksler
Vladimir Iosifovich Veksler (russian: Владимир Иосифович Векслер; ; March 4, 1907 – September 22, 1966) was a prominent Soviet experimental physicist.
Biography
Veksler was born in Zhitomir on March 4, 1907 in the ...
(1907–1966), an experimental physicist, pioneer of the particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams.
Large accelerators are used for fundamental research in particle ...
* Natalia Vlaschenko (born 1960), journalist, screenwriter, TV presenter, playwright and columnist.
* Bruno Zach
Bruno Zach (6 May 1891 – 20 February 1935) was an Austrian art deco sculptor of Ukrainian birth who worked in the early-to-mid 20th century. His output included a wide repertoire of genre subjects, however he is best known for his erotic scu ...
(1891–1935), an Austrian art deco sculptor of Genre art
Genre art is the pictorial representation in any of various media of scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, inn scenes, work, and street scenes. Such representations (also called genre works, ...
* Casimir Zagourski (1883–1944), a Polish photographer active in Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
1924–44
* Juliusz Zarębski
Juliusz Zarębski (3 March 185415 September 1885) was a Polish composer and pianist. Some of his manuscripts have been found in the National Library of Poland (BN).
Life
Juliusz Zarębski was born on March 3, 1854 in Zhytomyr, now Ukraine (then f ...
(1854–1885), a Polish composer and pianist.
* Zev Wolf of Zhitomyr
Zev Wolf of Zhitomyr (died 1798) was a Hassidic Rabbi. He studied under, and has been styled as a disciple of, Dov Ber of Mezeritch
Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch ( yi, דֹּב בֶּער מִמֶּזְרִיטְשְׁ; died December 1772 O ...
(died 1798), an Hassidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...
Rabbi.
Sport
* Anastasiya Chernenko
Anastasiya Chernenko (Ukrainian Анастасія Михайлівна Черненко, born 11 October 1990 in Zhytomir) is a professional Ukrainian triathlete, winner of the Ukrainian Triathlon Cup 2010, and reserve member of the National Te ...
(born 1990), a professional triathlete
* Aderinsola Eseola (born 1991), a Ukrainian footballer with over 200 club caps
* Ruslan Malinovskyi (born 1993) a Ukrainian footballer with over 300 club caps and 49 for Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
* Viktor Rudyi
Viktor Rudoy ( uk, Рудой Виктор Владимирович; born 11 February 1962) is a retired Soviet and Ukrainian football player. He spend most of his career to Desna Chernihiv the main club in Chernihiv.
Career
A pupil of the Chern ...
(born 1962), a retired Soviet and Ukrainian football player with 510 club caps.
* Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
Vyacheslav "Slava" Shabranskyy ( ua, В'ячеслав Вікторович Шабранський; born 1 May 1987) is a Ukrainian professional boxer who challenged for the WBO light-heavyweight title in 2017.
Amateur career
Vyacheslav Shabra ...
(born 1987), boxer, fought for the WBO light-heavyweight title in 2017.
* Danylo Sikan
Danylo Yaroslavovych Sikan ( ua, Данило Ярославович Сікан; born 16 April 2001) is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Shakhtar Donetsk.
Club career
Sikan started playing football in FC Polissya ...
(born 2001), a Ukrainian footballer with over 50 club caps and 6 for Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
* Andriy Tkachuk (born 1987), a Ukrainian football midfielder with over 400 club caps
* Yuriy Vernydub (born 1966), a Ukrainian football coach and former player with 462 club caps.
and from Zhytomyr Oblast
* Rustam Akhmetov (born 1950 in Berdychiv), a retired high jumper who represented the Soviet Union.
* Hayim Nahman Bialik
Hayim Nahman Bialik ( he, חיים נחמן ביאַליק; January 9, 1873 – July 4, 1934), was a Jewish poet who wrote primarily in Hebrew but also in Yiddish. Bialik was one of the pioneers of modern Hebrew poetry. He was part of the vangu ...
(1873 in Ivnytsia – 1934), Hebrew poet, educated in Zhytomyr
* Adolpho Bloch (1908 in Jitomir - 1995), Brazilian-Ukrainian media magnate
* Moisey Kasyanik (1911 in Novo-Zhitomyr – 1988), weightlifter
Gallery
File:Будинок, в якому народився Ярослав Домбровський, генерал Паризької комуни..jpg, Typical old Zhytomyr architecture
File:Житомир. Бывший особняк Филиппова..JPG, Former private residence in Zhytomyr
File:Будинок взаємного кредиту (міська рада) .jpg, City Hall
File:Житомир. Здание Областного суда..JPG, Court building in Zhytomyr
File:Житомир. Парк Гагарина..JPG, Fountains in Gagarin park, Zhytomyr
file:Кріха 2017.jpg, Chapel of the Lutheran Church
file:Житомир Кафедральний костел Св. Софії.jpg, Saint Sophia Cathedral
Churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom (''Hagia Sophia'', also rendered ''Saint Sophia'') include:
See also
{{commons category, Holy Wisdom churches
* Sophia of Rome#Churches, for churches named after Saint Sophia of Rome
* Sofia Church (disambiguati ...
.
file:Zhytomyr Stariy Bul'var 9 Okruzhniy Sud 01 (YDS 6520).JPG, The National University of Agriculture in Zhytomyr.
file:Zhytomyr Pushkins'ka 42 Druga Cholovicha Gimnaziya 01 (YDS 6538).JPG, Zhytomyr state technology university
file:Korolev-museum-zhytomyr.jpg, The Korolyov Museum.
file:Житомир, майдан Перемоги 12.jpg, Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy sobor.
file:Zhytomyr_Maydan_Peremohi2.JPG, Victory Square with tank monument and Cathedral in Zhytomyr.
file:Zhytomyr Kyivs'ka 4 Kostel Sv.Yoana z Dukli 02 (YDS 6340).JPG, The Catholic Church of St. John in the centre of Zhytomyr.
file:Хрестовоздвиженська Церква, Житомир, вул. Кафедральна, 18.jpg, Khrestovozdvizhensky Cathedral.
file:Церква Св. Михайла.jpg, Cathedral, St. Michael's Church.
file:Житомир. Ворота ВДНХ..JPG, A place in Kyiv Street.
file:Denkmal für die Opfer des Faschismus.JPG, Monument to the victims of fascism (Zhytomyr)
References
Sources
*
* Wendy Lower, ''Nazi Empire-Building and the Holocaust in Ukraine'', 2005, University of North Carolina Press.
Introduction (online)
accessed 19 July 2006.
Sources and external links
*
Zhytomyr Journal - news, photo, map and other
Zhytomyr business directory (in Russian or Ukrainian)
interesniy.zhitomir.ua
- a blog about history of Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr map - cafes, bars, restaurants
everything about the city
hotels of Zhytomyr
{{Authority control
Zhytomyr,
Cities in Zhytomyr Oblast
Zhytomyr Raion
Zhitomirsky Uyezd
Kiev Voivodeship
Shtetls
Cities of regional significance in Ukraine
Holocaust locations in Ukraine
880s establishments
Populated places established in the 9th century
Oblast centers in Ukraine