| Cherkasy | |||||
| Native Name: | Ukrainian: Черкаси | ||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Oblast | ||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Cherkasy Oblast | ||||
| Subdivision Type2: | Raion | ||||
| Subdivision Name2: | Cherkasy Raion | ||||
| Established Title: | First mentioned | ||||
| Established Date: | 1286 | ||||
| Established Title1: | City status | ||||
| Established Date1: | 1795 | ||||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||||
| Leader Name: | [1] | ||||
| Leader Party: | For the Future | ||||
| Area Land Km2: | 69 | ||||
| Population As Of: | 2022 | ||||
| Population Total: | 269,836 | ||||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||||
| Timezone: | EET | ||||
| Utc Offset: | +2 | ||||
| Timezone Dst: | EEST | ||||
| Utc Offset Dst: | +3 | ||||
| Pushpin Map: | Ukraine Cherkasy Oblast#Ukraine | ||||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Cherkasy | ||||
| Pushpin Label: | Cherkasy | ||||
| Coordinates: | 49.4444°N 32.0597°W | ||||
| Elevation M: | 110 | ||||
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code | ||||
| Postal Code: | 18000 – 18499 | ||||
| Area Code: | +380 472 | ||||
| Blank Name: | Licence plate | ||||
| Blank Info: | CA, IA | ||||
| Blank1 Info: | Bydgoszcz, Sumgait, Santa Rosa | ||||
| Blank1 Name: | Sister cities | ||||
| Website: | chmr.gov.ua/ | ||||
| Module: |
| ||||
| Subdivision Type3: | Hromada | ||||
| Subdivision Name3: | Cherkasy urban hromada | ||||
Cherkasy (Ukrainian: Черкаси, in Ukrainian pronounced as /tʃerˈkɑsɪ/) is a city in central Ukraine. Cherkasy serves as the administrative centre of Cherkasy Oblast as well as Cherkasy Raion within the oblast. The city has a population of
Cherkasy is the cultural, educational and industrial centre of Cherkasy Oblast and Central Economical Region of Ukraine. Cherkasy has been known since the 13th century and played a great role in the history of Ukraine. The city was the centre of the land of the Cossacks; its citizens took part in Khmelnychchyna and Koliivshchyna Cossack and peasant rebellions.
The city is located on the right bank of Dnieper River (specifically at the Kremenchuk Reservoir), about 2000NaN0 south of the nation's capital, Kyiv. Cherkasy is divided into 2 urban districts: Sosnivskyi (with Orshanets village) and Prydniprovskyi. It hosts the administration of Cherkasy urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.[2] In June 2011, the city celebrated its 725th anniversary.
Cherkasy is situated on the high right bank of the Dnipro River, in the middle of the Kremenchuk Reservoir. Relief of the historical part of the city was influenced by Zamkova (Castle) mountain, where Cherkasy Castle was situated.[3] [4] The major part of Cherkasy occurs as lowlands.
The city occupies an area of 691NaN1. The city's length is 17km (11miles) along the Kremenchuk Reservoir, while its widest point is only 8km (05miles).
From the north-west, Cherkasy is surrounded by forest. Known as Cherkasy Forest, it is the biggest (28500-2NaN-2) natural pine forest in Ukraine.[5]
The climate of Cherkasy is mild continental, with mild winters and warm summers.[6]
The average temperature in the city is 7.7C. Winters are usually cold and snowy (the average January temperature is -5.9C). Summers are dry and warm (the average temperature in July is 19.8C), with occasional highs reaching 35C.
The ecological situation in the city is quite stable. The cumulative pollution index is 7.56, average with other Ukrainian cities. The main pollutant in the city is "Azot" plant, so the nearby area (south-east part of the city) is the most polluted.[7] The downtown area is heavily polluted as well, due to high traffic volume. The city itself is mostly clean of nuclear pollution from the Chernobyl disaster, although the northernmost part of Cherkasy may have been influenced a little.[8]
According to the newest data, the number of inhabitants of Cherkasy is 284,479 as of 1 October 2015.[9] This number is decreasing because of rising mortality rate, socio-economic situation, and the suburbanisation process in the region.
This diagram shows the changes of population in Cherkasy:
ImageSize = width:620 height:330PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30DateFormat = x.yPeriod = from:0 till:350TimeAxis = orientation:verticalAlignBars = justifyScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:100 start:150ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:25 start:0BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondoBarData= bar:1897 text:1897 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1926 text:1926 bar:1939 text:1939 bar:1959 text:1959 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1977 text:1977 bar:1979 text:1979 bar:1984 text:1984 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2001 text:2001 bar:2003 text:2003 bar:2005 text:2005 bar:2007 text:2007 bar:2009 text:2009 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2011 text:2011 bar:2015 text:2015
PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left
bar:1897 from:0 till: 29.6 bar:1910 from:0 till: 39.6 bar:1926 from:0 till: 39.5 bar:1939 from:0 till: 51.6 bar:1959 from:0 till: 85 bar:1970 from:0 till: 158 bar:1977 from:0 till: 229 bar:1979 from:0 till: 230 bar:1984 from:0 till: 267 bar:1990 from:0 till: 297 bar:2001 from:0 till: 295.4 bar:2003 from:0 till: 294.1 bar:2005 from:0 till: 293.3 bar:2007 from:0 till: 290.7 bar:2009 from:0 till: 287.7 bar:2010 from:0 till: 285.5 bar:2011 from:0 till: 286.7 bar:2015 from:0 till: 284.5
PlotData= bar:1897 at: 29.6 fontsize:S text: 29.6 shift:(-8,5) bar:1910 at: 39.6 fontsize:S text: 39.6 shift:(-10,5) bar:1926 at: 39.5 fontsize:S text: 39.5 shift:(-10,5) bar:1939 at: 51.6 fontsize:S text: 51.6 shift:(-10,5) bar:1959 at: 85 fontsize:S text: 85 shift:(-10,5) bar:1970 at: 158 fontsize:S text: 158 shift:(-10,5) bar:1977 at: 229 fontsize:S text: 229 shift:(-10,5) bar:1979 at: 230 fontsize:S text: 230 shift:(-10,5) bar:1984 at: 267 fontsize:S text: 267 shift:(-10,5) bar:1990 at: 297 fontsize:S text: 297 shift:(-10,5) bar:2001 at: 295.4 fontsize:S text: 295.4 shift:(-10,5) bar:2003 at: 294.1 fontsize:S text: 294.1 shift:(-10,5) bar:2005 at: 293.3 fontsize:S text: 293.3 shift:(-10,5) bar:2007 at: 290.7 fontsize:S text: 290.7 shift:(-10,5) bar:2009 at: 287.7 fontsize:S text: 287.7 shift:(-10,5) bar:2010 at: 285.5 fontsize:S text: 285.5 shift:(-10,5) bar:2011 at: 286.7 fontsize:S text: 286.7 shift:(-10,5) bar:2015 at: 284.8 fontsize:S text: 284.5 shift:(-10,5)
TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Thousands of inhabitants.
According to the 2001 census, Ukrainians made up 83.31% of the population, Russians 13.14% and Jews 0.55%.[10] 46.4% are males, 53.6% are females.[11] According to the data provided by the municipal health care department, teens under 14 encompass 15% of the population while pensioners are 19%, which indicates the prevalence of aging citizens as compared to younger citizens.
Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:[12]
| Language | Number | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian | 231 441 | 79.05% | |
| Russian | 54 677 | 18.68% | |
| Other | 6 643 | 2.27% | |
| Total | 292 761 | 100.00% |
| Those who did not indicate their native language or indicated a language that was native to less than 1% of the local population. |
According to a survey conducted by the International Republican Institute in April-May 2023, 80 % of the city's population spoke Ukrainian at home, and 18 % spoke Russian.[13]
The history of Cherkasy has not been thoroughly explored. The year of establishment is considered by historians to be 1286 on the Kievan Rus' territory. There are few facts about the beginning of the city, but it is documented that Cherkasy existed in the 14th century. The first record about Cherkasy dates from 1305 in the Gustynskiy Chronicle, which is the Kievan Rus' chronicle. The city is mentioned as an existing city among other Kievan Rus' cities, including Kiev, Kaniv, Zhytomyr and Ovruch.
The city became one of the centres of the Cossack movement. Citizens took part in the Khmelnychchyna of 1648-1657 and in the Koliivschyna of 1768–1769. The city was influenced by the cruel social and economical experiments of Soviet authorities and by World War II. In 1954 Cherkasy became the administrative centre of Cherkasy Oblast (province), the youngest oblast of Ukraine.
In the 1360s the city entered a new period in its development, becoming a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Cherkasy became an important defender of the southern borders of the Grand Duchy. In 1384 the city was recognized as a fortified town on the southern edge (of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), forming along with Vinnytsia, Bratslav and Kaniv part of a defensive line against Crimean Tatars. The city started to be ruled by a headman (starosta).
From the end of the 15th until the beginning of the 16th centuries, the post of was held by the prominent persons of that time – (in office: 1488–1495), (in office: 1494–1500), Vasyl Dashkevych (Ukrainian: Василь Дашкович Глинський , in office: 1504–1507), Andriy Nemyrovych (in office: 1511–1514), Ostafiy Dashkevych (in office: 1514–1535), Vasyl Tyshkevych, Dmytro Baida-Vyshnevetskiy (in office: 1550–1553) etc.
During the 15th and 16th centuries Cherkasy was one of the main centres that helped the Cossacks in the peopling of the Ukrainian south. Citizens took part in military campaigns against Tatars and Turks, including operations led by Ivan Pidkova (died 1578). New Cherkasy Castle, built in 1549–52 on the place of the old one, was the centre of city life.
After the Union of Lublin in 1569 Cherkasy became a part of Poland. Cherkasy Regiment, which was created in 1625, played a big role in history of the city. During the Khmelnytsky Uprising the regiment became administrative-territorial subdivision (until 1686). During that time Cherkasy's Regiment was one of the most powerful military units and took part in all of the battles for Bohdan Khmelnytsky army. After a successful campaign, Khmelnytsky in 1654 signed an alliance with Muscovy at Pereyaslav. The war ended in 1667 with the Truce of Andrusovo. Cherkasy remained part of Poland, but territories east of the Dnieper River including left-bank Ukraine and Zaporizhia were secured for Muscovy.While in the Polish Kingdom the city was a seat of the county (powiat) which belonged to a greater unit – the Kyiv Voivodeship of the Lesser Poland Province until 1793. In 1768 during the Koliyivshchyna turmoils the city was severely damaged and pillaged. In 1791 the city gained Magdeburg rights. It was a royal city of Poland. After the Second Partition of Poland the city was incorporated into the Kievan Guberniya of Imperial Russia.
Since the beginning of the 19th century the city was planned by Russian architect, civil engineer and town planner of Scottish descent, William Heste. After the second division of Poland in 1793, Cherkasy became part of the Russian Empire. From 1797 it was a town of Kyiv Governorate. In the second half of the 19th century the city experienced a great economical growth. After the railroad appeared in the city, a lot of new industrial enterprises were built. Sugar, tobacco, metalwork, mechanical engineering and trade industries were at peak development at that time. Architect William Heste made a general development plan for the city, which involved building square blocks with straight streets.
After the October Revolution in 1917 Cherkasy fell under Bolshevik control. After that, however, the city changed its ruler at least 18 times – during the civil war it was conquered by hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi, then again by Bolsheviks, later by Nykyfor Hryhoriv. On 1 January 1920, the city finally and for a long period fell under Soviet rule. As with all villages and towns in the area, it was a victim of man-made famine in 1932–1933 (Holodomor) and a Great Purge (a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union organised by Joseph Stalin in 1936–1938).The Second World War damaged the city greatly. On 22 June 1941, German bombers attacked Cherkasy. For two months soldiers defended the city, but on 22 August, the invaders took the city. On 14 December 1943, Cherkasy was liberated from the German invaders. After the end of the war, the city began to recover after being almost obliterated. According to 5-year plans, the city began to re-develop its economy, infrastructure and socio-cultural sphere. In 1954 the city became the administrative centre of Cherkasy Oblast (province), the youngest among other oblasts in Ukraine. In the 1960s Cherkasy became the chemical giant of the Ukrainian SSR, after "Azot" (the biggest nitrogen fertilizer producing plant), "Khimvolokno" (artificial fiber manufacturing plant), "Khimreaktyv" (chemical reagents for military purposes) and many others were built in the city. In 1961 a Kremenchuk hydro power plant was built, forming the Kremenchuk Water Reservoir, which Cherkasy is now standing on. This makes the city a big transport hub, serving the longest dyke in Ukraine (15 km) with rail and road on it.
Since gaining independence, industry in the city has declined, along with the number of citizens and living standards. A lot of big and powerful factories and plants were privatized but couldn't survive in a competitive market. Some enterprises changed their profile – several (3) factories and plants around the city were united under the "Bogdan Corporation" and started production of buses and cars. Some of the companies remained working and became successful, like "Azot".On 28 November 2008, the monument of Lenin was removed from the central square. This caused different reactions in different people. Now the central square, formerly called "Lenin Square", is called "Soborna Square" (Cathedral Square). The square was recently renovated.In 2009, Cherkasy airport received International Airport status (IATA: CKC – ICAO: UKKE).
Until 18 July 2020, Cherkasy was designated as a city of oblast significance and belonged to Cherkasy Municipality but not to Cherkasy Raion even though it was the centre of the raion. As part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Cherkasy Oblast to four, the city was merged into Cherkasy Raion.[14] [15]
The city has occasionally seen Russian air strikes and missile attacks as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but has so far been untouched by ground-based warfare.
Public transportation is represented by trolleybuses and buses. Trolleybuses started serving the city in 1965, and now are operating on 10 routes, from approximately 6 am till 11 pm. The fleet is old, and mostly consists of ZiU-9 and ZiU-10 vehicles. Recently, 3 new trolleybuses (manufactured by LAZ) appeared in the city. Buses are mostly represented with "Etalon", "Bohdan", and "PAZ" buses. Cherkasy City Bus is the authority that controls the buses in the city, it consists of several private contractors which actually operate the transport system.
Cherkasy is a big transport hub due to its location in the centre of the country.Two major automobile routes go through the city –
H16 (Uman-Zolotonosha, national route) and P10 (Kaniv-Kremenchuk, regional route). There is a 4-lane highway between Cherkasy and Smila (which is a part of Cherkasy Urban Agglomeration). The roads are in poor technical condition and road maintenance is poor.The Cherkasy railway station is the main railway station that serves the city. The city also has a railway stop, and both are operated by the state-owned Ukrzaliznytsia company. Cherkasy has regular connections to neighbouring cities with small diesel trains. Major route Odesa-Moscow passes through Cherkasy. One of the most important railway junctions in Ukraine, is located 23km (14miles) from Cherkasy, in the city of Smila, where the Kyiv–Dnipro and Odesa–Moscow rail routes cross.
As Cherkasy is located on the bank of Kremenchuk reservoir, it has a small riverport. The previously extensive riverboat service along the Dnieper featuring the Raketa hydrofoil ships no longer exists, limiting river transport to cargo and tour boats and private pleasure craft. There is also a cargo port located in the city.
Cherkasy International Airport is located on the western edge of the city. It handles chartered flights around Ukraine, because Boryspil airport in Kyiv handles most of Ukraine's International flights. In addition, Cherkasy airport is used as the alternative airport for Boryspil in case of unforeseen situations and adverse weather conditions.
Cherkasy is an important economic centre of Ukraine. The city is presented with different industries, but traditionally the greatest development was reached in chemical industry, automotive industry and food industry. Total yield, generated by Cherkasy industries was near ₴7,894.3 billion, or 64% of total income of Cherkasy Oblast.
Main industry enterprises of Cherkasy:
Nowadays there are different types of educational institutions in Cherkasy – pre-school (kindergartens), schools, out-of-school and higher educational institutions. These institutions may be both state-owned and private property.
Pre-school education is represented with 50 kindergartens around the city.
City-owned schools are 21 general schools, 1 night school, and 14 new-type schools – 2 lyceums, 3 gymnasiums, collegiate, 8 specialized schools. This include First City Gymnasium, City Gymnasium No. 9 and No. 31, Cherkasy Physical and Mathematical Lyceum, Cherkasy Lyceum of Humanities and Law, Specialized School No. 17 (Associated UNESCO school), Cherkasy Collegiate "Berehynia", Specialized Schools No. 3, #13, No. 18, #20, No. 27, #28 and No. 33.Private schools are "Perlyna", school No. 770, and "Sofia".
Out-of-school institutions are Center of Youth Art, Young Sailors Club, Center of Tourism and Sports.
There is a number of post-secondary educational institutions:
There is a number of colleges (both state and private):
Several public libraries are serving the city –,, .
Cherkasy is a big cultural centre. Several theatres, philharmonic, 3 cinemas, numerous museums and clubs are serving the city. The city has 3 indoor skating rinks. People can relax in big parks and gardens around the city, they can also visit city's zoo. Cherkasy is among the cities in Ukraine that have their own planetarium.
The biggest museums of Cherkasy are:
There are several theatres in Cherkasy, such as:
The city has its own philharmonic, which was created in 1955. The big cultural centre is concert hall "Druzhba Narodiv" (Friendship of Nations), where all major concerts are held. Besides, there are numerous local cultural clubs.
The city has 4 modern movie theatres – "Salut" (a very old building, was the first cinema in Cherkasy), "Ukraine", "Dnipro Plaza" and "Lubava".[16]
Cherkasy is famous as a green city. The main parks are Park Peremohy (Victory Park) with a zoo, Sobornyi Park (Cathedral Park), Juvileyniy Park (Jubilee Park), Park Himikiv (Park of Chemists), Dolyna Troiand (Rose Valley), and two children's parks.[17] Traditional places of summer recreation are beaches of Dnipro River. The coastline of the city is as long as 15km (09miles), and is usually represented with sand beaches. Infrastructure of the beaches is under development right now, although several recreational complexes are already built.On the northern end of the city, in Cherkasy Forest, sanatorium "Ukraine" is situated, along with three-star hotel "Ukraine", and "Kosmos-Bowling" club. There are also several hotels in the city which can accommodate people with different tastes.
The city is famous for its sculpture festivals – "Kryzhtal" (held in winter, sculptures are made of ice), "Drevlyandia" (held in summer, sculptures are made of wood, then placed in parks around the city), and "Zhyvyi Kamin" (held in autumn, sculptures are made of stone). Along with the last, "Cherkasy's Singing Nights" are held in the open-air theatre in park. Since 2003, Cherkasy hosts international bike festival "Tarasova Gora", which gathers bikers from Ukraine, Russia, and other European countries. This is the biggest festival of this kind held in Ukraine.
The city also hosts a music festival (sponsored by Pentax-Richo), that takes the name "Takumar5555", that is the old Pentax brand name, and a play on the city's 55th year of independence.
Cherkasy is a big media market, which is served by several local TV stations, newspapers, and numerous radio stations.
The city is a home to numerous newspapers, among which are "Antenna", "Molod' Cherkashchyny", "Vechirni Cherkasy", "Akcent", "Nova Doba", "Misto", "Cherkasky Kray" etc.
Cherkasy has 5 TV stations – Vikka, Antenna-Plus, Media-Center, Expo-TV, and state-owned Ros'. The city is also covered with nationwide channel broadcasting, like 1+1, Inter, ICTV, STB, TET etc. .
City's radio stations are mostly nationwide networks broadcast on local frequencies, although some local stations exist. FM radio stations include KISS FM, Hit FM, Radio Luks, Radio Rocks, Shanson, Ros', Era FM, Love Radio, 101Dalmatin, Dobre Radio.
See also: Tsentralnyi Stadion (Cherkasy).
Sport life of the city is concentrated in several places, among which are the Central Stadium, Water Sport station, Sport Center "Spartak", "Ukraine"; Sport arena "Budivel'nyk"; "Astra", "Central", "Sokil" swimming pools; 2 ice rinks. Also, there are sport-entertainment centres, such as "Selena", "Bochka", and "Sportohota" which can usually be found on the bank of the Dnipro River.
Every year more than 200 sport events, contests, competitions, tournaments are held in the city, with total of 10,000 participants. Some contests that were held recently include:
Other sport achievements are:
During its whole history Cherkasy was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times. Only few buildings from the 19th century survived. The system of streets and squares in the old part of the city is one of the few monuments to the city-building art of 19th century Ukraine.[20]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Ukraine. Cherkasy is twinned with:[22]
Vagharshapat, Armenia[23]
Bydgoszcz, Poland
Fergana, Uzbekistan
Jilin City, China
Kuşadası, Turkey
Madaba, Jordan
Mazyr District, Belarus Orsha, Belarus
Petah Tikva, Israel
Rustavi, Georgia
Sumqayit, Azerbaijan Wanzhou District, China
Santa Rosa, California USA