In
the first century A.D. on the territory of present Kyivshchyna center polyan
tribe, inhabiting average current of Dnipro between the rivers of Ros’
and Irpen’ generated. Gradually other Slavonic tribes united with them.
As a result of this process the state Rus’ with the center in Kyiv was
established, named according to the chronicler as “the mother of Russian
cities”.
The
ingenious composition “The word about Igor’s Regiment”, written on old
Ukrainian language by one of the participants of fights with polovtsi
near Pereyaslav in 1187, is closely connected with Kyivshchyna. In this
work a word “Ukraine”
was mentioned for the first time that proves the beginning of Ukrainian
nation formation. Kiev was
the ethnographic center where a process of the Ukrainian Cossacks
developed.
Bright
page in a history of struggle of the Ukrainian and Byelorussian peoples
against exploitation amplification and enslavement of the peasants,
against expansion of the Polish feudal lords and Catholic Church was
antifeudal-cossack revolt in 1594-1596 under the leadership of brave
Severyn Nalyvajko.
The
inhabitants of Kyivshchyna actively participated in the revolt of
T.Fedorovych (Tryasyla) in 1630. Decisive triumphant struggle was
glorified at the work of T.H.Shevchenko “Taras’
night”.
The
inhabitants of Kyivshchyna participated in liberating war of the
Ukrainian people under the direction of Bogdan Khmelnytsky in 1648-1654.
In
80-90-s of the XVII - beginning XVIII centuries Kyivshchyna becomes the
center of a new liberating movement against Polish gentry domination,
which was headed by S.Palij, Z.Iskra, S.Samus’.
The
names of M.Shvachka, A.Zhurba, I.Bondarenko will be remembered for ever
in the history of Ukraine
as leaders of Hajdamaks’ movement of 1768.
For
a long time on the territory of the region lived industrious,
warm-hearted, poetic and musical people. Fascinating soul of our nation,
its traditions and songs have inspired such prominent creative figures
as: H.Skovoroda, T.Shevchenko, M.Vovchok, M.Hogol’, I.Nechuj-Levytsky,
Sholom-Alejkhem, Dniprova Chajka, M.Lysenko, K.Stetsenko, O.Dovzhenko.
Political division
The
region comprises 25 political divisions, 25 towns, including districts in
the towns, 30 urban villages, 1221 villages. The largest towns are:
Bila Tserkva, Brovary, Boryspil’, Fastiv.
Regional
center is Kyiv representing separate administrative unit of Ukraine.
Authority
Leadership of Kyiv regional state
administration consists of the Chairman, first
Chairman Deputy for economics,
budget and finance, Chairman Deputy of information, religion,
nationalities, culture, sport; deputy of the Head of energy, industry,
transport, and communication; deputy of the Head of building, communal
services and motor road economy; deputy of the Head on territory
development and foreign economic relations; deputy of the Head of
agriculture and food, trade, consumer services of the population;
deputy of the Head on political and legal issues and deputy of the Head
on organizational staff activity of regional state administration on
organization, legal, personnel and inspection work.
Heads of local state administrations according
to the Law of Ukraine on local state administrations form the
composition of local state administrations.
Within budget assignments, prescribed for
corresponding local state administrations support, their heads define
the structure of local state administrations.
Enumeration of offices, departments and other
structural subdivisions of local state administrations as well as
typical provisions are ratified by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
Borders
The Kyiv region was established on February
27, 1932, but since then its borders changed several times.
Today the region borders on the west upon Zhytomyr and Vinnytsya, on
the east – Poltava and
Chernihiv, on the south – Cherkasy oblast’ of Ukraine,
and on the north upon Homel’ oblast’ of Byelorussia.
By its shape the territory reminds of polygon, elongated from the south
to the north.
Population
General number of the population is 1850 thousand people,
density of the population – 66 people on 1 sq. km. There are 25 towns,
30 urban villages, 1218 villages in the region. The largest towns are: Bila
Tserkva, Brovary, Boryspil’, Fastiv.
Economic potential
Industry
In the structure of industry production the most important place
occupy power energy, food, chemical and petrochemical industries,
mechanical engineering and metal-working. National share of tire
production for automobiles constitutes – 63%, excavators – 53%, paper
and cardboard – 40%, hoisting cranes – 39%. Segment of foodstuffs in
the structure of ware production of national consumption is 54%. In
general there are 330 industry enterprises in the regional that have
their independent balance besides there are 742 small industry
enterprises.
Agriculture
The Kyiv oblast has a highly developed agriculture production.
In 1999 the gross grain yield in the region was about1118,6 thousand tons, sugar-beets – 1570,9
thousand tons, sunflower seeds – 18,1 thousand tons, potatoes – 669,2
thousand tons. It also produced 156,9 thousand tons of meat, 738,5
thousand tons of milk and 855,2 million eggs. At the beginning of 1999
there were 1130 farms in the region.
Culture and traditions
For the present moment
there 848 clubs, 30 881public libraries of all departments with 855
filial branches, 3 parks, 15 state museums and 222 museums based on
social costs, 56 schools of aesthetic education, college of culture,
extension courses of culture workers. Professional art is represented
by the regional concert-creative organization “Kyivshchyna”,
Bilotserkva Ukrainian Theater of Music and Drama named after
P.K.Saksahansky, Organ and Chamber Music House.
Administration of culture
and 35 regional and town departments of culture insure administrative
and organizational activity of this sphere.
Nowadays 6,6 thousand people,
including 5,3 thousand culture workers, work in the regional
institutions of culture. Among them 1,7 thousand workers of clubs, 57,5
% of them are certified specialists. 1,6 thousand people are
librarians, 76,3% of them have special education.
Deciding directions in the
activity of bodies of culture are rebirth and development of national
culture, besides, folklore, traditional occupations, national
traditions, holidays and rites, restoring wrongly forgotten names of
prominent figures of the world and Ukrainian culture, organization of
leisure time of people. For the purpose of further stimulation of
vocal–chorus genre once in two years examination-competition, after the
name of our compatriot, classicist of Ukrainian chorus music Kyryl
Hryhorovych Stetsenko, is organized with the regional department of
All-Ukrainian music union. As a result, for the last 7 years a number
of chorus groups has been increased, significantly raised their
performing manner.
In order to preserve
historical traditions of song culture of Kyivshchyna, popularization of
unique exemplars of vocal song and choir, search of talented singers,
groups of small song genre competition of chamber and vocal forms has
been already organized twice in the region.
Nature and ecology
Natural resources of
Kyivshchyna take a special place among the variety of Ukrainian nature.
Transparent water of lakes, gorgeous willows at the ponds (there are
about 1500 of them) symmetrical sycamores by two sides of roads, oak
woods and groves, green valleys, azure shine of rivers, velvet blankets
of flower meadows, -the region is rich in marvelous colors and charms!
A real pearl of Kyivshchyna is a well-known park “Oleksandriya” (Bila
Tserkva) which is 200 years old.
Favorable climate
conditions, combination of various vegetation, a number of water
objects, as well as mineral water resources characterize the region.
The region is rich in cultural and historical memorials, determining
the Kyiv oblast’ as an important recreation region. On the territory of
the region function 18 health centers and clinics, 7 rest homes,
numerous recreation departments, rest camps for children, 9 resorts.
