About the city and region

Chernivtsi is a modern Ukrainian city possessing thousands of friendly faces of its citizens. In its beautiful natural setting are buildings of fine architecture, many sculpted monuments, green parks and pleasant squares.

Chernivtsi keeps going on of holding an outstanding position among other Ukrainian and Eastern European cities. The city's ancient roots and significant history add to its charm and attraction for those interested in the Bukovynian Region.

It's said that at the beginning it was built as a fortress at the Southern border of the Halych-Volyn Kingdom on the left bank of the Prut River and was called Chern' or "a black town". The utilization of the name was because of the black color of the fortress walls made of oak and for the dark rich, fertile surrounding soil.

The early stronghold was completely destroyed by the Mongol conqueror Burundai and its citizens transported to the right bank of the river in Autumn of 1259. From 1359 the city became part of the Moldavian State.

Chernivtsi began to flourish at the end of XVIII century when Knight Karl Von Enzenberg was assigned as chief of the Military Administration of Chernivtsi. He invited many craftsmen, merchants, and businessmen to help to develop trade and other businesses. St.Peter's Fairs (July 1-15) had given a new great impulse to the market development from 1786.

From the middle of the XIXth century to the beginning of the 20th century many architectural monuments were erected and brought glory to the city: the Ratusha (the City Hall) (1848); the Telegraph (1855); the Armenian Cathedral (1875); the Jewish Synagogue (1877); the Drama Theater (1905); the Palace of Justice (1906); and the Train Station (1908).

New period of the city growth and development began in 1964-1972; when Mayor Vasyl Tolmach devoted his efforts to start the electronic and instrument-making industries, change the public transportation system. He also had made many other innovative changes.

Mayor Pavlo Kaspruk (1985-1991) was the first who tried more democratic changes during the hrad times in the 1980's. The Chernobyl explosion, the pollution of the Dnister River and other ecological and economic problems were very challenging to the people of the region during this time. Mayor Kaspruk has initiated the Sister-Cities Partnership Programs and Salt Lake City, Utah, USA was chosen as the first sister city.

Mykola Fedoruk was the first mayor of the city in the history of Chernivtsi elected by its citizens in 1994. In 2002 he was reelected for the second time.

Places of interest

The history of Chernivtsi culture and art is outstanding for its personalities who lived and worked here or came here to create new masterpieces. Chernivtsi is also famous for its architectural monuments.

Yuri Fedkovych is the originator of the Ukrainian literature in Bukovyna. The writers and poets from Bukovyna Olga Kobylianska, Sydir Vorobkevych, Yevhenia Yaroshynska, Osyp Makovey, Ivan Bazhansky, Iryna Vilde, Dmytro Zahul, Paul Celan, Eliezer Shtainbarg are well-known not only in Ukraine but throughout the world.

The city is also prominent for singer Joseph Shmidt (tenor), Actress of Ukraine Sidi Tal', the People's Artists of Ukraine Nazariy Yaremchuk (pop-singer), Vasyl Vasylko, Borys Borin, Volodymyr Sokyrko, Halyna Yanushevych, Petro Mikhnevych, Yuri Velychko, Volodymyr Grynych, Anatoliy Lytvynchuk, Valentyna Zymnia, composers Volodymyr Ivasuik, Bohdan Kryzhanivskyi.

The Bukovynian Folk Dance and Song Company under the leading of the People's Artist of Ukraine, National Shevchenko Prize Laureate Dr.Andriy Kushnirenko, group "Smerichka", Andriy Shkurgan (the soloist of the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Society), pop singers Pavlo Dvorsky, Ivo Bobul, Lilia Sandulesa and rejoice the hearts of people in Ukraine and abroad.

Very many Ukrainian famous singers and musicians started their work in Chernivtsi. Among them singers Dmytro Hnatiuk, Sofia Rotaru, Vasyl Zinkevych, Ian Tabachnyk, well-known art figure composer Stepan Sabadash, actor Ivan Mykolaichuk, artist Ivan Kholomeniuk.

There are many places that attract citizens of Chernivtsi and the visitors of this city: these are Drama Theatre, 41 libraries, Regional Philharmonic Society, Organ and Chamber Music Hall, puppet-theatre, Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy, Museum of Fine Arts, Bukovynian Diaspora Museum, Museum of Folk Architecture and Way of Life, memorial museums of writers, 5 cinemas, the Central Palace of Culture, 17 clubs, 4 music schools, fine arts school, 2 recreational parks.

The visitors who often come to this Western Ukrainian beautiful city admire the large buildings of the theatre, main post office, former chamber of commerce (currently - an administration building of the Bukovynian Medical Academy), former palace of justice, the city railway station, downtown streets, green parks and beautiful squares.

In order to find more information about the rest amenities in the city you can visit the following link: http://www.city.cv.ua/English/Useful/

How to get there:

By air - Chernivtsi has its own small International airport that has flights to Kyiv, Athens, Istanbul and Naples among others. Other nearby airports are Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Lviv and Suceava (Romania).

By Train - You can reach this city by train either from Romania or from the Ukraine.