KHARKIV

UKRAINE

UKRAINEIs a country in Eastern Europe It has an area of 603,628 km2, making it the largest country in Europe. Ukraine borders Russia to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland and Slovakia to the west, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea to the south and.

KHARKIV Geography

History

Government and administrative divisions

Demographics

Economy

Science and Education

Culture

Cuisine

KHARKIV (UKRAINIAN: ХАРКІВ) KHARKOV

(RUSSIAN: ХА�РЬКОВ)

Is the second-largest city ofUkraine. Located in the north-east of the country, it is the largest city of the historical

region.

GEOGRAPHYKharkiv is located in the northeastern region of Ukraine. Historically, Kharkiv lies in the Sloboda Ukraine region, in

which it is considered the main city.

The city rests at the confluence of the Kharkiv, Lopan, and Udy rivers, where they flow into the Seversky Donets

watershed.

WEATHERKharkiv's climate is humid continental, with cold and

snowy winters, and hot summers.

The seasonal average temperatures are cold in winter, not too hot in summer: −28.6 °C in January, and +21.3

in July.

The average rainfall totals 513 mm (20 in) per year, with the most in June and July.

HISTORYThe city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv was the

first city in Ukraine to acknowledge Soviet power in December 1917 and became the first capital of the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic until January 1935, after which the capital was relocated to Kiev.

During World War II, four battles took place for control of the city:

First Battle of Kharkov

Second Battle of Kharkov

Third Battle of Kharkov

Fourth Battle of Kharkov (Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev)

30,000 people (slightly more than half Jewish) were killed and buried in a mass grave by the Germans in a ravine outside of town

named Drobitsky Yar.

The territory of Kharkiv is divided into 9 administrative raions

Leninsky (Ukrainian: Ленінський район); namesake Vladimir Lenin

Dzerzhynsky (Ukrainian: Дзержинський район); namesake Felix Dzerzhinsky

Kyivsky (Ukrainian: Київський район); namesake Kiev

Moskovsky (Ukrainian: Московський район); namesake Moscow

Frunzensky (Ukrainian: Фрунзенський район); namesake Mikhail Frunze

Ordzhonikidzevsky (Ukrainian: Орджонікідзевський район); namesake Grigol Ordzhonikidze

Kominternіvsky (Ukrainian: Комінтернівський район); namesake Communist International

Chervonozavodsky (Ukrainian: Червонозаводський район); namesake "red factory"

Zhovtnevy (Ukrainian: Жовтневий район); namesake October Revolution

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS

DEMOGRAPHICSAccording to the 2013 Census, the population

of the city was 3,300,200.

The nationality structure of Kharkiv is: Ukrainians 50.38%, Russians 43.63%, Jews 3%,

Belarusians 0.75%, and all others 2.24%

ECONOMYDuring the Soviet era Kharkiv was the capital of industrial production in Ukraine and the

third largest centre of industry and commerce in the USSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the largely defence-systems-oriented industrial production of the city decreased

significantly.

State-owned industrial giants, such as Turboatom and Elektrotyazhmash occupy 17% of the heavy power equipment construction (e.g., turbines) market worldwide.

Multipurpose aircraft are produced by the Antonov aircraft manufacturing plant. The Malyshev factory produces not only armoured fighting vehicles, but also harvesters. Khartron is the leading designer of space and commercial control systems in Ukraine and the former CIS.

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION 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 (12,000 students), National Technical University “KhPI” (20,000 students), Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics (12,000 students), Kharkiv National Aerospace University "KhAI" (50000) are the leading universities in Ukraine

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, such as the Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering, Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine, State Scientific Institution “Institute for Single Crystals”, Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics, Institute of Radio Astronomy, and others. A total number of 26,000 scientists are working in research and development. A number of world renowned scientific schools appeared in Kharkiv.

CULTUREKharkiv is one of the main cultural centres in Ukraine. It is home of 20 museums, over 10 theaters and a number of picture galleries. Large music and cinema festivals are

hosted in Kharkiv almost every year.

CUISINE The traditional Ukrainian diet includes

chicken, pork, beef, fish and mushrooms. Ukrainians also tend to eat a lot of potatoes, grains, fresh, boiled or pickled vegetables.

Popular traditional dishes include varenyky (boiled dumplings with mushrooms, potatoes, sauerkraut, cottage cheese, cherries or berries).

Nalysnyky ((pancakes) with cottage cheese, poppy seeds, mushrooms, caviar or meat).

CUISINE

Kapuśniak (soup made with meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, millet, tomato paste, spices and fresh herbs)

Borsch (soup made of beets, cabbage and mushrooms or meat), holubtsy (stuffed cabbage rolls filled with rice, carrots, onion and minced meat)

Pierogi (dumplings filled with boiled potatoes and cheese or meat).