Bila Tserkva

Bila Tserkva Бiла Церква
The "white church" of Bila Tserkva.
Flag Coat of arms
Bila Tserkva Location of Bila Tserkva
Coordinates: 49°47′56″N 30°06′55″E / 49.79889°N 30.11528°E / 49.79889; 30.11528
Country Oblast Raion	Ukraine Kiev Oblast Bila Tserkva City Municipality
Founded	1032
Magdeburg Rights	1589
Government
- Head of City Council	Vasyl Savchuk
Area
- Total	34 km2 (13.1 sq mi)
Population (01-01-2004)
- Total	203,300
	est.
Postal code	09100-09117
Area code(s)	+380 4563
Website	http://www.bilatserkva.info/

Bila Tserkva (Ukrainian: Бiла Церква, Russian: Белая Церковь, literally White Church) is a city located on the Ros' River in the Kiev Oblast (province) in central Ukraine, approximately 80 km (50 mi) south of the capital, Kiev. Population 203,300 (January 1, 2004 est.) Area 34 km².^[1]

Administrative status

Bila Tserkva, Oleksandriia and surrounding villages in 1889.

Serving as the administrative center of the Bilotserkivskyi Raion (district), Bila Tserkva is a city of oblast subordinance thus being subject directly to the oblast authorities rather to the raion administration housed in the city itself.

History

The town was founded in 1032 as Yuriev by Yaroslav the Wise, whose Christian name was Yuri. The present name of the city, literally translated, is "White Church" and may refer to the (no longer existing) white-painted cathedral of medieval Yuriev.

Monument to Yaroslav the Wise on Zamkova Gora (Castle Hill)

Since 1363 it belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and since 1569 to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Was granted Magdeburg Rights in 1620 by Sigismund III Vasa. A peace treaty between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Ukrainian Cossack rebels under Bohdan Khmelnytsky was signed here in 1651.

After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795 Bila Tserkva came into Imperial Russia. It was a significant market place in the 19th century. During the Soviet times it became a large industrial center (machine building, construction industry).

Preceding the Russian Revolution and until the 1930s, there was a significant Jewish community here. Some were driven out by Cossacks and Tzarist policies. Many were driven out in the Stalinist purges. Most remnants were destroyed during the Holocaust and other losses during the Second World War.

Sights

Notable buildings include the covered market (1809-1814) and the complex of post buildings (1825-31). There are also Palladian wooden buildings of the Branickis' "Winter Palace" and the district nobility assembly. The church of St. Nicholas was started in 1706 but was not completed until 1852. The Orthodox cathedral of the Saviour's Transfiguration was constructed in 1833-1839, while the Catholic church dates to 1812.

View of the so-called Ruins and the Laznevogo lake of the historical landscape park "Alexandria".^[2]

A historical landscape park "Alexandria" of 2 km² (0.77 sq mi) is situated in Bila Tserkva. It was founded in 1793 by the wife of the Polish hetman Franciszek Ksawery Branicki.

Activities

The city is home to the major automobile tire manufacturer "Rosava" and the football team FC Ros' Bila Tserkva. Ros is a team in the lower levels of the Ukrainian Football League.

Famous people

• David Bronstein - Leading chess grandmaster and writer.
• Volodymyr Dyudya- Ukrainian cyclist.
• Lyudmila Pavlichenko - World War II Soviet sniper
• Olexandr Medvid' - a famous Soviet/Belarusian wrestler.
• Yuriy Zagorodniy - Footballer
• Yuri Linnik- soviet mathematician
• Shmuel Yerushalmi - Israeli protest poet

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References

External links

Administrative divisions of Kiev Oblast, Ukraine Administrative center:  Kiev Raions Baryshivka · Bila Tserkva · Bohuslav · Boryspil · Borodianka · Brovary · Fastiv · Ivankiv · Kaharlyk · Kiev-Sviatoshyn · Makariv · Myronivka · Obukhiv · Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi · Poliske · Rokytne · Skvyra · Stavysche · Tarascha · Tetiiv · Vasylkiv · Volodarka · Vyshhorod · Yahotyn · Zghurivka Cities Berezan · Bila Tserkva · Bohuslav · Boryspil · Boyarka · Brovary · Bucha · Chernobyl · Fastiv · Irpin · Kaharlyk · Kiev1 · Myronivka · Obukhiv · Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi · Prypiat · Rzhyschiv · Skvyra · Slavutych2 · Tarascha · Tetiiv · Ukrainka · Uzyn · Vasylkiv · Vyshhorod · Vyshneve · Yahotyn Urban-type settlements Baryshivka · Borodianka · Hostomel · Ivankiv · Kotsiubynske2 · Krasiatychi · Makariv · Rokytne · Stavysche · Volodarka · Zghurivka · more Villages Dvirkivschyna · Hermanivka · Hornostaypil · Litky · more 1 Administratively separate from the surrounding Kiev Oblast.   2 Geographically located outside the borders of Kiev Oblast.