Kharkov - City Information

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Kharkov info

Kharkiv, city, capital of Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine, at the junction of the Kharkiv, Lopan, and Udy rivers. A large city and chief industrial and transportation center, Kharkiv (also called Kharkov) is located near the rich coal mines of the Donets Basin and is linked by railroad to the iron ore deposits of Kryvyy Rih.

Kharkiv was founded in 1656 as a fortress protecting Moscow from the Tatars. The city grew as a trade and cultural center, and in 1765 it became the administrative center of Ukraine. With the development of the vast mineral wealth of the region in the late 19th century, Kharkiv developed into an industrial and rail transportation center. During World War I Kharkiv was the scene of heavy fighting, first between German and Russian troops and later (1917-20) between opposing forces in the Russian Revolution. It was the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1920 to 1934, when it was replaced by Kyiv. During World War II Kharkiv was occupied (1941-43) by German troops and suffered severe damage. In the post-war period many of the destroyed homes and factories were rebuilt. Gas lines were installed for heating in government and later private homes. An airport was built in 1954. Following the war Kharkiv was the third largest scientific-industrial centre in the former USSR (after Moscow and Leningrad).

Kharkiv is a major industrial centter of Ukraine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the largely defence-systems-oriented industrial production of the city decreased significantly, however. In the early 2000s the industry started to recover and adapt to market economy needs. The enterprises form machine-building, electro-technologic, instrument-making, and energy conglomerates.

Kharkiv is one of the most prolific centres of higher education and research of Eastern Europe. The city has 13 national universities and numerous professional, technical and private higher education institutions, offering its students a wide range of disciplines. Kharkiv National University, National Technical University "KhPI", Kharkiv National Aerospace University "KhAI" are the leading universities in Ukraine.

The city has a high concentration of research institutions, which are independent or loosely connected with the universities. Among them are three national science centres: Kharkіv Institute of Physics and Technology, Institute of Metrology, Institute for Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine and 20 national research institutions of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, such as Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering and Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine.

Kharkiv is a city of broad avenues and large buildings; historical points of interest include Pokrovsky Cathedral (late 17th century), Uspensky Church (late 18th century), Patriarch's Church (19th century), and a bell tower (1812) built to commemorate victory over Napoleon. Of the many attractions of the Kharkiv city are the: Derzhprom building, Memorial Complex, Freedom Square, Taras Shevchenko Monument, Mirror Stream, Kharkov Zoo, Militia Museum, Annunciation Cathedral, T. Shevchenko Gardens, funicular, Children's narrow-gauge railroad and many more.

More about Kharkov at Wikipedia

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