The first Slavonic memorials found on Kharkivshchyna date back to
the VI-VII centuries. Due to the fact that the tribes of siveryan
inhabited this land, it was called Sivershchyna. In the XI-XII centuries
on the right bank of the river Uda an old Slavonic city Donets’ was
situated, frequently mentioned in ancient chronicles, - one of the
outposts of Kyiv Rus’ in the struggle against nomads. The main river of
the region united both names since then it is called Sivers’ky Donets’.
In the first half of the XII century, at the time of Mongol-Tatar
invasion, the region was devastated and turned into the so called “wild
field”. Exactly here passed Muravs’ky shlyakh (rout) – a road from the Crimea
to Rus’, where Crimean and Nohajs’k Tatars used to pillage and take
prisoners. In order to protect people, first small fortifications began
to appear on the “wild field” – small fortresses and gaols: Tsare-Borysiv
(1600), Chuhujiv (1638), Valky (1646).
In 30s of the XVII century initiated active land-reclamation
taking on massive character during the liberation war of the Ukrainian
people in 1648-1654. At that time big territories of the present east
inhabited mainly resettlers from Zadniprov’ya. They called their lands
sloboda - from this it follows that it was called Slobids’ka Ukraine. The
center of Slobozhanshchyna became Kharkiv, founded in 1654 at the turn of
the rivers Kharkiv and Lopan’. Kharkiv rapidly developed into military
administrative and later trade - hack-working and economic center of the
whole Slobozhanshchyna.
In the XVII century Kharkiv obtains the status of principal town
of province. Because of it favorable location at the turn of ways from Petersburg,
Moscow, Kyiv to Crimea
and Caucasia the province develops in one of the
largest trade and economic centers (first textile mills appear at the
beginning of the XVII century) on the east of the Russian Empire. In the
middle of the XIX commodity circulation of Kharkiv fair constitutes
almost a half of all Ukrainian fairs.
At the same time increases the role of education. In 1727 Kharkiv
college was opened and in 1805 – the University that becomes the most
important educational centers of Slobozhanshchyna.
In 1869 Kurs’k-Kharkiv-Azov railway was built. In the city appear
the first big factories: agriculture machines, steam-locomotive building,
foundry iron and in the province – Hutyans’ky sugar-refinery (1869), Budyans’ky
whiteware factory (1885) and others.
In 1918-1934 Kharkiv was the first capital of Ukraine.
In 20-30s there was reconstruction of old enterprises and building
of new factory-giants: tractor plant, machine building, bearing factory,
turbogenerator pump and others. Today Kharkiv is one the most developed
industrial, scientific and cultural regions of Ukraine.
Political
division
Administrative-territorial units: number of districts – 27:
Balaklijs’ky, Barvinkivs’ky, Bluznyukivs’ky, Bohodukhivs’ky, Borivs’ky,
Valkivs’ky, V.Burluts’ky, Vovchans’ky, Dvorichans’ky, Derhachivs’ky,
Zachepylivs’ky, Zmijivs’ky, Zolochivs’ky, Izyums’ky, Kehychivs’ky,
Kolomats’ky, Krasnohrads’ky, Krasnokuts’ky, Kup’yans’ky, Lozivs’ky,
Novovodopaz’ky, Pervomajs’ky, Pecheniz’ky, Sakhnovshchyns’ky,
Kharkivs’ky, Chuhujivs’ky, Shevchenkivs’ky. Number of cities of regional
estate – 7.
Authority
Leadership of Kharkiv regional state
administration is composed of theHead, the first deputy of the
Head and deputies.
Borders
Kharkiv oblast’ is situated in the northeastern part of Ukraine.
Area is 31,4 thousand sq. km. The region borders upon Dnipropetrivs’k,
Donets’k, Luhans’k, Poltava
and Sumy regions. On the
north of Kharkivshchyna – the frontier with the Russian
Federation. Regional center is the city
of Kharkiv.
Population
Total number of the population – 2998 thousand people, density of
population – 95 people on 1 sq. km. There are 17 cities, 60 urban villages,
1694 villages. The largest cities are Kharkiv, Izyum, Lozova.
Economic
potential
Industry
In the structure of industry production of the region the greatest
relative density have food industry, mechanical engineering and
metal-working, power energy and fuel industry. Segment of foodstuffs in
the structure of ware production of national consumption is 49%. In
general there are 625 industry enterprises in the regional that have
their independent balance besides there are 2027 small industry
enterprises.
Agriculture
In 1999 the gross grain yield was about 1359,6 thousand tons,
sugar beets – 928,7 thousand tons, sunflower seeds – 258,4 thousand tons,
potatoes – 627,2 thousand tons. It also produced 132,5 thousand tons of
meat, 591,6 thousand tons of milk and 471,7 million eggs. At the
beginning of 1999 there were 1102 farms in the region.
Culture and traditions
Kharkivshchyna is considered to be one of the largest cultural
centers of Ukraine.
National and international competitions in honor of V.Krajnyev,
P.Lutsenko, V.Horovytsya, B.Kotorovych, K.Shul’zhenko, “Kharkiv
assembly”, international folklore festival “Pokut’”, international
competition of Ukrainian national instruments named after H.Khotkevych,
international festival for children competition of national dance
“Toloka”, international vocalist competition named after Alchevs’ky
originate and take place in the region. Highly skilled specialists
graduate from the Institute of Art
named after I.P.Kotlyarevsky and State Academy of Culture. Cultural
traditions historically are deeply rooted. Here lived and worked such
prominent figures as philosopher-humanist, poet Hryhorij Skovoroda,
painter Illya Ryepin, director Les’ Kurbas, architector Dmytro Beketov,
writer Hryhorij Kvitka-Osnov’yanenko.
Nature and
ecology
The major part of the territory is situated within the limits of
Prydniprovs’ka plain, on the north and northern east – ridges of the
Middle Russian Hills, on the southern east – ridges of the Donets’k
mountain-ridge. Water resources: the biggest river – Siversky Donets’
with inflows. Soil – mainly typical average humus black earth and other
types of chernozem. Climate: moderately continental. Rainfalls – 550-600
mm. Minerals: natural gas deposits, reserves of oil, brown coal,
ironstone and coal deposits; fuel gas production. There are also widely
spread construction material deposits and sources of mineral waters.
