Pervomaisk ( uk, Первомайськ, , ; russian: Первомайск) is a landlocked city in

Mykolaiv Oblast Mykolaiv Oblast ( uk, Микола́ївська о́бласть, translit=Mykoláyivsʹka óblastʹ, ), also referred to as Mykolaivshchyna ( uk, Микола́ївщина, Mykoláivshchyna, ) is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. The administra ...

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 the administrative center of the Pervomaisk Raion. It is located on the Southern Bug river which bisects the city. Pervomaisk hosts the administration of Pervomaisk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: In 2001, population was 70,170. The city is known for being a center (headquarters) of the Soviet

Strategic Rocket Forces The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation (RVSN RF; russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения Российской Фед� ...

during the Soviet period. Until 18 July 2020, Pervomaisk was incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It also served as the administrative center of Pervomaisk Raion even though it did not belong to the raion. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Mykolaiv Oblast to four, the city of Pervomaisk was merged into Pervomaisk Raion.

Etymology

The name derives from the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

''pervomay'' (первомай) meaning "the first of May," (

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

), referring also to the city's formation on 1 May 1919 from the merger of three neighbouring places. The name for one of the merged towns, Bohopil (or Bohopol), was derived from the name of a local river Southern Bug which in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

and

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 ...

is named Boh.

History

The city was formed when three neighbouring settlements: the village of Holta (Голта) and the town of Bohopil (Богопіль) around a county city of Olviopol (Ольвіополь) were merged. The merger was adopted by the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee on June 6, 1919. These cities existed from 1773 and the first settlement in the area was mentioned as early as 1676. In the 17th century Holta was part of

Zaporizhian Sich The Zaporozhian Sich ( ua, Запорозька Січ, ; also uk, Вольностi Вiйська Запорозького Низового, ; Free lands of the Zaporozhian Host the Lower) was a semi-autonomous polity and proto-state of C ...

, Bohopil was the customs point of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

and Olviopol was part of 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. ...

.No Holds Barred

The Ukrainian Week ''The Ukrainian Week'' ( uk, Український Тиждень, translit=Ukrainskyi Tyzhden) is an illustrated weekly magazine covering politics, economics and the arts and aimed at the socially engaged Ukrainian-language reader. It provides ...

(19 July 2013)

World War II

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 opposing ...

, Pervomaisk was occupied by the

Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

in 1941 and was divided between German occupation authorities on the east bank (Bohopol and Olviopol) and the Romanian-occupied region of Transnistria to the west (Holta). Holta served as the center of the Golta '' judeţ'' (district) of Transnistria. Pervomaisk had been more than 1/3

Jewish 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""The ...

before the war but most were murdered during the occupation.

Current history and Russo-Ukrainian War

Had the Russian-held Mykolaiv Military–Civilian Administration pushed northwards capturing

Nova Odesa Nova Odesa (, ) is a city in Mykolaiv Raion, Mykolaiv Oblast (region) of southern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Nova Odesa urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The population of Nova Odesa is Until 18 July 2020, Nova Odesa ...

Voznesensk Voznesensk ( uk, Вознесенськ, ; russian: Вознесенск) is a city in Mykolaiv Oblast (region) of Ukraine and the administrative center of Voznesensk Raion (district). It hosts the administration of the Voznesensk urban hroma ...

and

Yuzhnoukrainsk Yuzhnoukrainsk (, ) is a city on the Southern Bug river, in Voznesensk Raion, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine, about 350 kilometers (over 200 miles) south of the capital Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Yuzhnoukrainsk urban hromada, one of the hro ...

, Pervomaisk will be the ''de jure'' capital of the oblast.

Climate

Notable residents

Selig Brodetsky Selig Brodetsky, זליג ברודצק (10 February 1888 – 18 May 1954) was a Russian-born English mathematician, a member of the World Zionist Executive, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and the second president of the ...

(1888–1954), British mathematician, President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Remarkable buildings and structures

In Pervomaisk, there is at 48°4'0"N 30°51'29"E a 196 metres tall guyed TV mast, equipped with 6 crossbars running from the mast body to the guys. Pervomaisk was the former location of the 46th Rocket Division of the

43rd Rocket Army The 43rd Red Banner Rocket Army was an army of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces. It was formed in Vinnytsia from the 43rd Air Army of Long Range Aviation. In 1991, it came under the control of the Commonwealth of Independent States while statio ...

of the Soviet

, formed during the Cold War. One of the commanders of the division, appointed in 1991, was General Major Mikhail Filatov.Woff, Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, B39-16 The RT-23UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile silos based at Pervomaisk were destroyed, partially with

Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction As the collapse of the Soviet Union appeared imminent, the United States and their NATO allies grew concerned of the risk of nuclear weapons held in the Soviet republics falling into enemy hands. The Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program was ...

programme funding, during the 1990s.

Gallery

File:PervMR.jpg, Pervomaisk city council File:Bogopol.jpg, Orthodox church of the Intercession of Our Lady in Pervomaisk File:SS-24 silo destruction.jpg, Workers destroying a SS-24 silo at Pervomaisk

References

External links

Official website of Pervomaisk
{{Authority control Cities in Mykolaiv Oblast Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Populated places on the Southern Bug Populated places established in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Populated places established in 1919 Yelisavetgradsky Uyezd Soviet toponymy in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Ukraine