Uman
Умань

Flag Coat of arms
Location
Map of Ukraine with Uman highlighted.
Government
Country Oblast Raion	Ukraine Cherkasy Oblast Umanskyi Raion
First mentioned	1616
City rights	1795
Mayor	Yuri Bodrov
Geographical characteristics
Area  - City	41 km²
Population  - City (2004)    - Density	88,730   2,154/km²
Coordinates	48°45′0″N 30°13′0″E / 48.75, 30.21667Coordinates: 48°45′0″N 30°13′0″E / 48.75, 30.21667
Elevation	166 m
Other Information
Postal Code	20300
Dialing Code	+380 4744
Website: www.uman.kiev.ua

Uman (Ukrainian: Умань, translit. Uman’; also referred to in Polish as Humań and in Yiddish as Imen' with palatized n) is a city located in the Cherkasy Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. The city rests on the banks of the Umanka River at around 48°45′N, 30°13′E, and serves as the administrative center of the Umanskyi Raion (district), however the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast.

The current estimated population is 88,730 (as of 2004).

History

Uman is known since 1616 as a defensive fort built against Tatar raids and a prominent Cossack regiment was stationed in the town. In 1670–1674, Uman was a residence of the Hetman of right-bank Ukraine.

In 1768 Massacre of Uman occurred after Cossack (Haydamak) rebels Maksym Zalizniak and Ivan Gonta captured Uman during anti-Polish uprising known as "Koliyivschyna" in the area (Uman's modern coat-of-arms commemorates the event depicting a "Koliy" rebel armed with a spear). In 1793 Uman became part of the Russian Empire and a number of aristocratic residences were built there. Uman's landmark is a famous park complex Sofiyivka (Софiївка; Polish: Zofiówka) founded in 1796 by Count Stanislaw Szczesny Potocki, a noble Polish szlachcic, who named it for his wife Sofia. The Sofia Park has a number of waterfalls and narrow, arching stone bridges crossing the streams and scenic ravines. These bridges may have been the inspiration for the famous quote by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (see below): "All the world is just a narrow bridge, but the main thing is not to fear." This was set to music in both Hebrew and English, and is still sung by Jews around the world.

A large Jewish community lived in town in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the Second World War a battle of Uman took place in the vicinity of the town, where the German army encircled Soviet positions.

Uman is the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, the Rebbe of the Breslov group of Hasidic Jews. Rabbi Nachman spent the end of his life in Uman, and specifically requested to be buried there. During Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year) there is a major pilgrimage by Breslov Hasidim and others to visit the grave in Uman on average just over 37,000 chassidim attend each year. This practice dates back to 1811, the year after Rabbi Nachman was buried in Uman. During the Soviet regime the pilgrimage was forbidden by the authorities, but was resumed in 1989 before the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The Soviet general Ivan Chernyakhovsky and a Yiddish writer Hershl Polyanker were born in Uman.

See also

• Sofiyivsky Park - a landscape park near the city

References

• (Ukrainian) (1972) Icтopia мicт i ciл Укpaїнcькoї CCP - Черкаськa область (History of Towns and Villages of the Ukrainian SSR - Cherkasy Oblast), Kyiv.
• (English) Uman in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine

External links

• (Ukrainian) Uman informational portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Uman

Administrative divisions of Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine
Cherkasy (capital)
Raions	Cherkaskyi · Chornobaivskyi · Chyhyrynskyi · Drabivskyi · Horodyshchenskyi · Kamianskyi · Kanivskyi · Katerynopilskyi · Khrystynivskyi · Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi · Lysianskyi · Mankivskyi · Monastyryschenskyi · Shpolianskyi · Smilianskyi · Talnivskyi · Umanskyi · Zhashkivskyi · Zolotoniskyi · Zvenyhorodskyi
Cities	Cherkasy · Chyhyryn · Horodysche · Kamianka · Kaniv · Khrystynivka · Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi · Monastyrysche · Shpola · Smila · Talne · Uman · Vatutine · Zhashkiv · Zolotonosha · Zvenyhorodka
Urban-type settlements	Babanka · Buky · Chornobai · Drabiv · Irdyn · Katerynopil · Lysianka · Mankivka · Shramivka · Stebliv · Tsvitkove · Tsybuliv · Verkhniachka · Vilshana · Yerky · more...
Villages	Moryntsi · Subotiv · more...

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