Chernivtsi

**Chernivtsi** (, ; see an aw ither names) is a ceety in wastren Ukraine, situatit on the upper course o the River Prut. Chernivtsi is the admeenistrative centre o Chernivtsi Oblast (province) - the northren, Ukrainian pairt o the European historic region o Bukovina. At the time o the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population o the ceety wis 240,600.

Thegither wi the ceety o Lviv, Chernivtsi is viewed at present tae be a cultural centre o wastren Ukraine. The ceety is considered ane o modren Ukraine's greatest cultural, educational an airchitectural centres an aw. Historically in that role, Chernivtsi wis even dubbit "Little Vienna," "Jerusalem upon the Prut". The ceety is a major pynt o railwey an heich-gate crossins in the region, an hooses a internaitional airport.

## Name
Aside frae Ukrainian, Chernivtsi is kent bi mony different names an aw, which wur uised durin times o rule bi different kintras throuoot the ceety's history, or bi the respective population groups at the time: ; ; ; , , translit. *Chernovtsy* (till 1944: Чернови́цы, translit. *Chernovitsy*). In the times o Halych-Volyn Principality the ceety's name wis *Chern*.

## History
Aircheological evidence discovered in the aurie surroondin Chernivtsi indicates that a population inhabitit it syne the Neolithic era. Later dounsets includit those o the Cucuteni-Trypillian cultur, the Corded Ware culture; artifacts frae the Bronze and Iron Ages war an aa foond in the ceety.

A fortifee'd dounset locatit on the left (north-eastren) shore o Prut dates back tae the time o the Principality o Halych an is thocht tae hae been biggit bi Grand Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl. Legendar accoonts refer tae this fortress-ceety as *Chern’*, or *Black ceety*; it is said tae awe its name tae the black colour o the ceety waws, biggit frae daurk aik layered wi local black-coloured soil. This early stranghauld wis destroyed durin the Mongol invasion o Europe bi the Burundai in 1259. Housomeivver, the remainin rampairts o the fortress wur still uised for defence purposes; in the 17t century thay wur augmentit wi several bastions, ane o which is still extant.

Follaein the destruction o the fortress, later dounsets in the aurie centreed on the richt (sooth-wastren) shore o the Prut River, at a mair strategically advantageous, elevatit location. In 1325, whan Kinrick o Poland seisit control o Galicie, an came intae contact wi the early Vlach (Romanie) feudal formations, a fort wis mentioned unner the name *Țețina*; it wis defendin the ford an crossin pynt on the Prut River. It wis pairt o a group o three fortifications, the ither twa bein the fortress o Hotin on the Dniester tae the east, an a fort on the Kolachin River, a upriver tributar o Prut.

Atween 1359 an 1775, the ceety an its surroondins wur pairt o the Principality o Moldavie; the ceety bein the admeenistrative centre o the homonymous ''ţinut'' (coonty). The name Cernăuţi/Chernivtsi is first attestit in a document bi Alexander the Guid on 8 October 1408. In Ottoman soorces, the ceety wis mentioned as "Çernovi".

In 1775, the northwastren pairt o the territory o Moldavie wis annexed bi the Habsburg Empire; this region became kent as Bukovina. The ceety became the region's caipital, which in 1849 wis raised in status an became kent as the Duchy o Bukovina, a crounland o the Austrian Empire. The ceety receivit Magdeburg richts. The ceety began tae flourish in 1778 whan Knicht Karl von Enzenberg wis appointit the chief o the Militar Admeenistration. He invitit mony merchants, craftsmen an entrepreneurs tae help develop tred an ither businesses. Saunt Peter's Fairs (1–15 Julie) haed gien a new vibrant impulse tae the mercat development frae 1786. In the late 19t century the German leid—due tae the Habsburgian an the vera important Jewish influence—became the lingua franca an mair an mair newspapers wur editit in German, a remarkable leeterar production in German began in this period an aw, featurin maist prominently Karl Emil Franzos.

Durin the 19t an early 20t century, Chernivtsi became a centre o baith Romanie an Ukrainian naitional muivements. In 1908, it wis the steid o the first Yiddish leid conference, the Czernowitz Conference, coordinatit bi Nathan Birnbaum. When Austrick-Hungary dissolvit in 1918, the ceety an its surroondin aurie became pairt o the Kinrick o Romanie. In 1930, the ceety reached a population o 112,400: 26.8% Jews, 23.2% Romanies, 20.8% Germans, 18.6% Ukrainians, the remainder Poles an ithers. It wis ane o the five varsity centres o interwar Romanie.

In 1940, the Red Airmy occupee'd the aurie; the aurie aroond the ceety became kent as Chernivtsi Oblast, an wis allottit tae the Ukrainian SSR bi the Soviet Union. The ceety's lairge Romanie intelligentsia foond refuge in Romanie; while the Bukovina Germans wur repatriatit accordin tae a Soviet-Nazi greement. This promptit Romanie tae switch frae an allee o Fraunce an Breetain tae ane o Nazi Germany; in Julie 1941, the Romanie Airmy reteuk the ceety as pairt o the Axis attack on the Soviet Union durin Warld War II. In August 1941, Romanie militar dictator Ion Antonescu ordered the creation o a ghetto in the lawland pairt o the ceety, whaur 50,000 Bukovina Jews wur crammit, twa-thirds o whom wad be deportit tae Transnistrie in October 1941 an pairtly in early 1942, whaur the majority perished. Romanian mayor o the ceety Traian Popovici managit tae persuade Antonescu tae raise the nummer o Jews exemptit frae deportation frae 200 tae 20,000.

In 1944, whan Axis forces wur driven oot bi the Reid Airmy, the ceety wis reincorporatit intae the Ukrainian SSR. Ower the follaein years, maist o the Jews left for Israel; the ceety wis a important node in the Berihah netwirk. Bukovina Poles wur repatriatit bi the Soviets efter Warld War II an aw. The ceety became a predominantly Ukrainian ane.

Syne 1991, Chernitvtsi haes been a pairt o unthirlt Ukraine. In Mey 1999, Romanie opened a consulate general in the ceety. Contemporar Chernivtsi is a important regional centre, which is situatit on the picturesque banks o the Prut River an occupees a aurie o aboot .

## Geografie an climate
Chernivtsi is locatit in the historic region o Bukovina, which is currently shared atween Romanie (sooth) an Ukraine (north). The ceety lees 248 metres abuin sea level, an is surroondit bi forests an fields. The River Prut runs throu the ceety's landscape.



### Govrenment an subdiveesions
Chernivtsi is the admeenistrative centre o the Chernivtsi Oblast (province) an the ceety itsel haes awn govrenment athin the oblast unner direct subordination tae oblast.

The territory o Chernivtsi is dividit intae three admeenistrative ceety raions (destricts):

The mayor o Chernivtsi is Mykola Fedoruk, who haes held the poseetion syne 1994.

## Internaitional relations

### Twin touns—Sister ceeties

Chernivtsi is twinned wi:

## References

## Freemit airtins