Khmelnitsky is a city in Ukraine, a regional center, standing on a river called the Southern Bug. Soon this settlement will celebrate its 600th anniversary. It is believed that in these places people have lived since time immemorial. Despite its turbulent and eventful history, Khmelnitsky is a city in which there are not many ancient attractions. Should I include it in my tourist route, what monuments and interesting objects can be seen here?
The beginning of the history of the glorious city
It seems that in the place of the modern Khmelnitsky region people lived at all times. During archaeological excavations in this area were found settlements of the Scythian period - VII-III century BC. e., Chernyakhov culture - III-V century A.D. e., as well as artifacts related to the early Iron Age (I century BC). When exactly the modern city was founded, it is not known for certain. The settlement with the name Ploskirov or Proskurov was first mentioned in historical documents dating back to 1493.
Much later, the modern name Khmelnitsky appeared. The city was called Proskurov for many centuries, often even today it is so called by old-timers. At the beginning of the 15th century, this settlement belongs to Poland. At that time, a wooden fortress was being built on the right bank of the river, in which only about 100 people constantly live.
War of Independence and Freedom
A small fortress was subjected to raids by the Tatars many times. There were in Proskurov and peasant uprisings directed against the Poles. From 1648 to 1654 The War of Independence lasted. At that time, all the inhabitants bravely fought for the freedom of the city under the leadership of the chieftain Bohdan Khmelnitsky. In 1672, the war with the Turks ended; few survived from the local population. In 1699, Proskurov again became a Polish city and the Poles actively moved here. And in 1795, the settlement was part of Russia.
A little later, Proskurov became the center of the Proskurovsky district of the Podolsk province. At this time, the city is actively developing trade and industry. Lush fairs were held here up to 14 times a year, and in 1870 a railway was launched. Khmelnitsky is a city in which many chic buildings built in the XIX-XX centuries have been preserved. It was also in the Soviet period, in 1954, that the city received its current name - in honor of the chieftain Bohdan Khmelnitsky.
Khmelnitsky during WWII
During the Great Patriotic War, the city was captured by the Germans. A concentration camp was created here, in which, according to preliminary estimates of experts, at least 65 thousand people died. Locals try not to recall those terrible times, but, nevertheless, this is the true history of the city. Khmelnitsky was badly damaged during the German occupation. Many citizens were killed, parks were cut down and most of the urban development was destroyed.
The concentration camp lasted about three years. March 25, 1944 the city was liberated from invaders by the Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front. The return of freedom - this was only the first step, the settlement (as well as the entire region) needed a long restoration. After all, during the war, residential buildings, administrative and public buildings, as well as other important facilities, were destroyed.
Second heyday of a liberated city
After the war ended, the resumption of the national economy became a priority. As soon as the local population returned to a peaceful and fairly prosperous life, the city was expanded and literally rebuilt. Along with new residential neighborhoods, large industrial facilities are appearing. These are plants of transformer substations, injection molding machines, radio engineering and “Traktorodetal”. At the same time, new educational institutions are opening up, in particular the Khmelnitsky National University.
At that time, Khmelnitsky was a promising city, an already established industrial center, in which enterprises of all-Union significance function. In 1991, the population unanimously supported the declaration of independence of Ukraine.
Khmelnitsky city: population and most famous people born here
According to 2006 data, the area of the city was 8600 hectares, and the number of its inhabitants was 256,000. The demographic situation in the region is good - the population is growing steadily, people from the region come here for permanent residence, birth and death rates are within normal limits. According to data for 2015, the population of the city is 300,100 people. A lot of people were born in the city, who became famous thanks to high achievements in various fields. This is a psychologist, philosopher and church leader Vasily Zenkovsky, People's Artist of the RSFSR Georgy Vereisky, an active participant in the Ukrainian revolution of 1917-1920. Kost Misevich, People's Artist of Ukraine Anatoly Molotay, Olympic champion in 1976, Honored Master of Sports Sergey Nagorny and many others.
Description and photos of the city today
Today Khmelnitsky is a large developed city. About 80 industrial facilities, an airport, two railway stations, an intercity bus station and two bus stations operate here. There are enough pre-school and secondary education institutions in the city, there are 15 universities, as well as professional lyceums and colleges. What does the city of Khmelnitsky look like today? You can see photos of its streets in our article.
The city is quite comfortable and clean. There are beautiful places for walking, majestic Soviet-era buildings have been preserved, and new interesting monuments appear.
Sights of Khmelnitsky
The history of the city is full of various events, often not the most pleasant. For this reason, there are not too many historical monuments in this region. Tourists can visit local local history and art museums today. Excursions to the Medzhibozh fortress, erected in the XIV century, are very popular. It is believed that it was here that Bogdan Khmelnitsky stayed . Modern monuments are also noteworthy: the only sculpture in the whole of Ukraine by Baron Munchausen, a monument to those who died during local military conflicts, and a composition composed of the wreckage of a real SS-19 intercontinental missile.
If possible, be sure to visit Khmelnitsky. The sights of the city make a special impression at the first acquaintance and make you think about the various stages in the history of this settlement and the whole country.
Travel Tips
Going specifically to Khmelnitsky from another country does not make sense. But residents of neighboring regional centers and tourists who come for the whole vacation to Ukraine are happy to spend time getting to know this ancient city. A popular question among beginners traveling for the first time in this direction: "Where is the city of Khmelnitsky?" Finding it is not difficult, since we are talking about the regional center.
Exact coordinates for the navigator: 49 ° 25'35.9``N, 26 ° 58'53.22''E. You can navigate to the Southern Bug River. If you plan to go on a trip by car - there are signs waiting for you on the track. You can also get by plane, train and intercity buses from other Ukrainian cities. Khmelnitsky has enough hotels and catering establishments, and in the vicinity of the city there are sports facilities and rest houses.