Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

History | Pogroms | History : World War II | After World War II | 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine | Geography and natural resources | Education | Khmelnytskyi National University | Transport | Sport | Points of interest

🇺🇦 Khmelnytskyi (Хмельни́цький), until 1954 Proskuriv (Проску́рів) is a city in western Ukraine, the administrative centre for Khmelnytskyi Oblast (region) and Khmelnytskyi Raion (district). It hosts the administration of Khmelnytskyi urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Khmelnytskyi is located in the historic region of Podolia on the banks of the Buh River. The city received its current local government designation in 1941. The city is the second largest city of the former, archaic Podolia region after Vinnytsia and the largest city of the western part of the region.

The city was first mentioned in 1431 as a Polish military post, where it was known as Płoskirów under Polish rule. It was seized by Cossacks during the Khmelnytsky Uprising and later ruled by the Ottomans until 1699. It was passed to Russia in 1793 as a result of the Second Partition of Poland, and became part of the newly-formed Podolia Governorate, where it became known as Proskuriv or Proskurov. From 1917 to 1920, it was controlled by the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic before becoming part of Soviet Ukraine. The city's Jewish population fell from 42 per cent in 1939 to 10 per cent in 1959 as a result of the Holocaust in Ukraine. In 1954, it was renamed Khmelnytskyi in honor of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

Khmelnytskyi is the location of a rail junction and an important industrial centre, as well as a centre for higher education such as the Khmelnytskyi National University and the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater.

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History The city foundation date is uncertain. The territory where Khmelnytskyi is situated has been inhabited for a very long time. Many archaeological discoveries have been made in the city suburbs. For example, to the East of Lezneve district, there was a settlement from the Bronze Age 2000 B.C., and from Scythian times from 7–3 century B.C. The first mention of the city was written with Cyrillic alphabet. The earliest known mention in historical sources was in 1431, when it was known as Płoskirów (Ploskirov, Плоскиров) and was part of the Kingdom of Poland. It was a royal city.

Polish rule was briefly interrupted by Ottoman one between 1672 and 1699. During this period, it was nahiya centre in Mejibuji sanjak in Podolia Eyalet as Poloskiruf. After the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, the city was annexed by the Russian Empire and was renamed Proskurov (Проскурoв). According to the Russian census of 1897, Proskurov with a population of 22,855 was the fifth largest city of Podolia after Kamianets-Podilskyi, Uman, Vinnytsia and Balta. In 1920 it became part of Soviet Ukraine. In 1954 the city was finally renamed Khmelnytskyi (Хмельницький) in the honor of the 300th anniversary of a treaty negotiated by Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

After new archival sources presented at the 2006 conference City of Khmelnytskyi in the Context of Ukrainian History post-dated the city’s earliest mention from 1493 to 1431, it changed its official 513th anniversary commemoration to its 575th.

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Pogroms A series of anti-Jewish pogroms have been carried out in the region, known together as the Proskurov pogrom. According to Vinnytsia's city archives, the pogrom was conducted on the Friday night of February 15, 1919, by one of the otamans (generals) of the Ukrainian People's Army, Otaman Semysenko (also rendered as Semesenko). Estimates vary as to the number of victims, some putting the death toll at 1,500 Jews in Proskurov alone, with 600 more killed in nearby Filshtein.

The Chief Otaman Petliura had been appointed head of state just two days prior to the tragedy, on February the 13th. Petliura issued Order 131 in which he mentioned the fact that numerous Jewish parties in Ukraine (Bund, Poale Zion, Folks-Partei, Unificationists) rose to defend the sovereignty of the Ukrainian Republic and were cooperating with the Ukrainian government. He condemned such pogroms, calling those initiating them deserters and enemies of the State that must be liquidated. The order was co-signed by the Chief of Staff, Otaman Yunakiv. The order was published in the Ukraina newspaper on February 20 (March 4, old style). Later, Petliura issued a special order to execute Semysenko for being the pogrom initiator. According to sources the order was carried out on March 20, 1920. Other sources claim that he was released.

During the Schwartzbard trial, at the end of which Petliura's assassin was pardoned on the grounds of self-trail (revenge), the main argument of the defense was that Schwartzbard had acted as an avenger of the Jews killed in pogroms perpetrated during Petliura's rule.

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History: World War II A street corner during the German occupation

The town was occupied by the German Army from July 8, 1941 to March 25, 1944. On November 4, 1941, 5300 Jewish inhabitants of the town and surrounding villages were shot by an Einsatzgruppe. A ghetto was formed on December 14, 1941, where all surviving Jewish inhabitants had to resettle and were subjected to forced labor. They were subsequently killed in the fall of 1942. More than 9500 Jews were killed in the town in total.

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After World War II Khmelnytskyi was home to the 19th Division of the 43rd Rocket Army of the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces during the Cold War. The intercontinental ballistic missile silos of the division that were housed there were removed and destroyed, partially with U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction funding, during the 1990s.

Falling of Lenin statue in Khmelnytsky park, Ukraine

Until 18 July 2020, Khmelnytskyi was incorporated as a city of oblast significance and served as the administrative centre of Khmelnytskyi Raion though it did not belong to the raion. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Khmelnytskyi Oblast to three, the city of Khmelnytskyi was merged into Khmelnytskyi Raion.

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2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine The Russian forces did not attack Khmelnitskyi during the first 7 months of the invasion.

On 10 October 2022 however, the city has been targeted by Russian cruise missiles, causing a blackout in the city and limiting water supply.

During a missile attack on 31 December a gas station and a military facility inside the city have been hit by 2 Russian cruise missiles, wounding 10 civilians, causing a partial blackout and damaging more than a dozen cars and several residential buildigs, including a kindergarten. 8 of the 10 wounded had to be hospitalized with 2 being in a critical condition.

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Geography and natural resources Khmelnytskyi is the regional centre of the Khmelnytskyi region which is located in the western part of Ukraine in the middle of Podillia, its total area makes up 8,624 ha (21,310 acres). Khmelnytskyi has a favorable geographical position. Khmelnytskyi is crossed by one of the longest rivers of Ukraine – the Southern Bug. Coincidentally, through the western portion of the city flows the small river Ploska.

The climate of Khmelnytskyi is moderately continental. The average temperature of Khmelnytskyi in its warmest month (July) is 20 to 22 °C (68 to 72 °F), and the average temperature in the coldest month (January) is −5 to −6 °C (23 to 21 °F). The maximum temperatures in the summer on average reaches 36 to 38 °C (97 to 100 °F), and the minimum temperatures in the winter on average is −24 to −30 °C (−11 to −22 °F). Khmelnytskyi's average annual temperature is 7 to 8 °C (45 to 46 °F). Khmelnytskyi's average annual precipitation is 510 to 580 mm (20.08 to 22.83 in).

The most abundant make up for the ground in Khmelnytskyi are layers of the following overburden: loess and loess-type rocks. The ground-climatic conditions of Khmelnytskyi are favorable for the cultivation of winter wheat and rye, sugar beet, potato and other crops. Khmelnytskyi is also ideal for the development of gardening and vegetable growing. In the territory of Khmelnytskyi there are the vegetations of two geobotanical zones of Ukraine: Polissya and forest-steppe. Khmelnytskyi and its greater region supplies many rock products, particularly building materials such as limestone, plaster, chalk, tripoli powder, crystal layers (granites, gneisses), sand, sandstones, and also graphite, saponite, kaolin, phosphorite, lithographic stone, and roofing slate. There are also deposits of peat, bitumen, shale, and oil.

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Education Khmelnytskyi hosts 6 universities, 2 academies, 3 institutes, 12 colleges, 4 technical schools and 15 representative offices of other Ukrainian HEIs.

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Khmelnytskyi National University Khmelnytskyi National University is a Ukrainian university in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine.

Established on June 1962 with the development of a general-technical department of the Ukrainian Printing Institute, 250 students were accepted into the first year of evening courses and distance study. About 200 students were transferred from other higher educational establishments to upper courses of distance study.

In January 1966, the faculty was reorganized into the branch of the Ukrainian Printing Institute. Mechanical and General-technical faculties were functioning. 520 students were accepted to the first year of study, among them 90 full-time students. 30 more students were accepted to the second year of full-time study of Mechanical faculty.

In September 1967, the branch became an independent educational establishment - Khmelnytskyi Technological Institute of Domestic Services. 3 faculties: Mechanical, Technological and General-technical were functioning in the university. The general number of students reached 1500 people. 65 teachers and laboratory assistants worked in the 9 departments.

4 faculties were organized in the Institute in July 1969, including 2 general-technical: Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi. M. Karpylenko was the rector of the institute from July 1969 until December 1974. During this time Preparatory Department and Engineering and economic faculty were opened. 5639 students were studying in different educational modes. 254 teachers worked in 21 departments, with 100 of them having academic degrees and titles.

In December 1974, under the guidance of Prof. R.Silin, Khmelnytskyi Technological Institute of Domestic Services was transformed to multidisciplinary institution of higher education.

In September 1989 the higher educational establishment received the status of the Khmelnitsky Technological Institute. In these years building №4, dormitories №4, 5, modern library, canteen, sports complex, research and experimental building of research sector, 2 living houses had been built, and construction of building № 5 had started. Such faculties, as Business and Law, Radio Electronics, and Faculty of the Work with Foreign Students were opened. The Institute trained specialists for 47 countries. There were Postgraduate and Doctorate studies at the Institute.

In October 1994– the institute was accredited for the IV level and received a status of Technological University of Podillya. The Faculty of Work with Foreign Students was reorganized into Pedagogical faculty. Specialists training within 8 new majors was conducted. More than 11,000 students studied at the university on 1.01.2002, 6400 of them were full-time students, and 1500 were students of pre-university and post-university training. Achievements of the Technological University of Podillya created the possibility of establishing a Mukachevo branch with two faculties: Engineering and Economics, Technology Faculty in 1995. Today it is Mukachevo State University.

By Instruction of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 771, 17.12.2003 and Decree of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine № 261, 26.12.2003, Technological University of Podillya was reorganized in Khmelnytskyi State University in 2003.

In 2004, by Decree of the President of Ukraine № 954/2004, 08.21.2004 and by Decree of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine № 719, 13.09.2004, Khmelnytskyi State University was reorganized to become Khmelnytskyi National University.

Campuses and buildings There are 9 campus buildings and laboratories at the university, that occupy an area of 58 989 sq. m. The student quarter combines 5 dormitories and proposes 2 378 places.

Institutes and faculties There are 7 faculties and 46 departments in the university structure: • Faculty of economics and administration • Faculty of humanities and pedagogics • Faculty of engineering mechanics • Faculty of programming, computer and telecommunicational systems • Faculty of technology and design • Faculty of international relations • Faculty of distance studies, pre-university and post-university training.

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Transport Khmelnytskyi has infrastructure for transportation connections with Moscow, Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Budapest, Belgrade and all major Ukrainian cities. The distance from Khmelnytskyi to Kyiv by railway is estimated to be 366 km (227 mi), by highway it is estimated to be 384 km (239 mi). The highways Kyiv-Lviv, Odessa-Lviv and Chernivtsi-Kyiv pass through Khmelnytskyi. The city is served by the Khmelnytskyi Ruzhychna Airport. Khmelnytskyi's airport has a 2,200 m (7,217.85 ft) concrete runway; at the airport there is a check point for crossing the state border of Ukraine.

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Sport Khmelnytskyi is home to the competitive football team FC Dynamo Khmelnytskyi.

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Points of interest • Proskurivska street, a modern central pedestrian street of the city, preserved buildings of the end of the 19th - the beginnings of 20th century in the styles of modernist, eclecticisms, Baroque, stone (characteristic only for Proskuriv). • The house of the former Oleksiyivske real school (now it is the building of the City Executive Committee) • The house of O. Brusilov (now is the House of Ceremonial events) • The church of Nativity of the Virgin (the first stone construction in the city) • The Protection cathedral • St. George church • Andriy Pervozvannyi church in "Dubovo" district

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Europe/Kiev/Khmelnytskyy_Oblast 
<b>Europe/Kiev/Khmelnytskyy_Oblast</b>
Image: Zysko serhii

Khmelnytskyi has a population of over 274,582 people. Khmelnytskyi also forms the centre of the wider Khmelnytskyi Oblast which has a population of over 1,243,787 people.

To set up a UBI Lab for Khmelnytskyi see: https://www.ubilabnetwork.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/UBILabNetwork

Twin Towns, Sister Cities Khmelnytskyi has links with:

🇲🇩 Bălți, Moldova 🇷🇸 Bor, Serbia 🇮🇱 Carmel, Israel 🇵🇱 Ciechanów, Poland 🇸🇪 Kramfors, Sweden 🇪🇸 Manises, Spain 🇺🇸 Modesto, USA 🇨🇳 Shijiazhuang, China 🇱🇹 Šiauliai, Lithuania 🇧🇬 Silistra, Bulgaria
Text Atribution: Wikipedia Text under CC-BY-SA license

Antipodal to Khmelnytskyi is: -153,-49.417

Locations Near: Khmelnytskyi 27,49.4167

🇺🇦 Khmelnytskyy 26.999,49.417 d: 0.1  

🇺🇦 Kamianets-Podilskyi 26.581,48.692 d: 86.2  

🇺🇦 Khmilnyk 27.942,49.552 d: 69.7  

🇲🇩 Briceni 27.083,48.35 d: 118.8  

🇺🇦 Zhmerynka 28.109,49.038 d: 90.9  

🇺🇦 Mohyliv-Podilskyi 27.783,48.45 d: 121.8  

🇺🇦 Chortkiv 25.8,49.021 d: 97.7  

🇲🇩 Edineț 27.317,48.167 d: 140.9  

🇺🇦 Zviahel 27.633,50.583 d: 137.4  

🇺🇦 Novohrad-Volynskyi 27.625,50.59 d: 137.9  

Antipodal to: Khmelnytskyi -153,-49.417

🇵🇫 Papeete -149.566,-17.537 d: 16456.8  

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa -175.216,-21.136 d: 16309.8  

🇦🇸 Pago Pago -170.701,-14.279 d: 15788.8  

🇼🇸 Apia -171.76,-13.833 d: 15704.5  

🇺🇸 Hilo -155.089,19.725 d: 12324.1  

🇺🇸 Maui -156.446,20.72 d: 12208.8  

🇺🇸 Maui County -156.617,20.868 d: 12191.6  

🇺🇸 Kahului -156.466,20.891 d: 12189.7  

🇺🇸 Wailuku -156.505,20.894 d: 12189.2  

🇺🇸 Honolulu -157.85,21.3 d: 12137.1  

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