Ukraine is a country with a rich history, on the territory of which ancient civilizations lived, which built settlements and cities thousands of years ago. Then thousands or tens of thousands of inhabitants lived in them, and now millions live in some cities. And which cities of Ukraine are the largest? Find out now.
List
- 10. Mariupol, 440 thousand people.
- 9. Nikolaev, 483 thousand people.
- 8. Kryvyi Rih, 625 thousand people.
- 7. Lviv, 725 thousand people.
- 6. Zaporozhye, 739 thousand people.
- 5. Donetsk, 913 thousand people.
- 4. Dnipro, 998 thousand people.
- 3. Odessa, 1013 thousand people.
- 2. Kharkov, 1446 thousand people.
- 1. Kiev, 2951 thousand people.
10. people
Mariupol located in the Donetsk region on the shores of the Sea of Azov at the mouth of the Kalmius and Kalchik rivers. Due to this, it is a large seaport and health resort, and it also has developed the metallurgical and engineering industries.
Since ancient times, the area at the mouth of the Kalmius River has attracted people. Monuments from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods were discovered in this region. In the Copper-Bronze, Bronze and Iron Ages in the northern Azov region there lived such peoples as Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians.
From the 4th century, numerous nomads passed through this territory: the Huns, Goths, Avars, and later - the Pechenegs, Polovtsians. Such medieval states as Kievan Rus and the Golden Horde, after the Mongol invasion controlled this region.
At the beginning of the 16th century, a Cossack outpost of Domakhi appeared in the area of present-day Mariupol. The first documents on the existence of permanent settlements in this area date back to the late 16th century.
9. people
Nikolaev founded by Grigory Potemkin in 1789. The once modest city at the mouth of the Ingul River was conceived as a shipyard on which most of the ships of the Russian Navy were built. This is an industry that is still very developed in the city today. Prince Potemkin ordered the city to be named after St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.
8. people
Krivoy Rog - a working city that does not accept many tourists. The main employers are the mining and metallurgical industries due to the rich deposits of iron deep underground. You can see this ore on the surface in shale rocks near the Ingulets River, and in summer red dust sometimes settles even on automobile windows.
7. people
Lviv - The most unusual and colorful city in the country. Only Kiev can be compared with its beauty, grandeur and the number of amazing sights.
Different eras, architectures, traditions, temperaments and stories were woven into a common thread - Lviv. On the one hand, the greatness of Lviv inspires awe, and on the other hand, its openness, elegance and unique warm atmosphere make this city one of the warmest and most hospitable in Ukraine.
The capital of the western part of the country, the city owes its charming appearance, reminiscent of Prague, Krakow and Vienna, its vibrant and dynamic history, which has changed and developed over more than seven and a half centuries.
It is believed that Prince Daniel of Galicia founded the city in the 13th century, naming it in honor of his son Leo. A hundred years later, Lviv was ruled by Poland, taking into account the Magdeburg rights, and subsequently developed very quickly, since its diverse population was constantly growing.
6. people
The city grew around the Alexander Fortress, which was built in 1770 and formed a connecting link in the defensive front against the Crimean Khanate.
The surroundings in the southern part of the Dnieper rapids have long been a stopping point for travelers and traders on the route through the Dnieper. The Zaporizhzhya Cossack stronghold of the island of Khortytsya was located on the island opposite the new settlement.
The agricultural economy grew slowly: the population of the city increased from 1700 in 1824 to 3700 in 1861. The rapid growth of Aleksandrovsk (the old name of the city) began only in the 1870s. After rail transportation to Moscow in 1873 and to Sevastopol in 1875, the city became the main transshipment point at which goods (in particular grain) were transported from rail to river barges for shipment downstream to seaports.
At the same time, its own industry was developing, in particular, agricultural engineering. By 1910, there were three large engineering plants in Aleksandrovsky. The completion of the railway from Donbass to Krivoy Rog in 1902 stimulated the growth of metallurgy. The city's population grew from about 7,000 in 1885 to 19,000 in 1897 and 38,000 in 1910. The city in 1897 was 43% Ukrainian, 28% Jewish and 25% Russian.
5. people
Center of the whole Donbass, Donetsk appeared thanks to the Welsh industrialist John Hughes, who in 1868 bought land from Prince Paul Liven. A year later, 164 people lived in the village, now more than 900,000. However, due to military operations in the Donbass, many left the city, so this figure is not 100% reliable.
4. people
Presumably in the 9th century, on the island (in the center of the present city) Byzantine monks founded their monastery. Most likely, the monastery was destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240.
In the first half of the 15th century, Lithuanians pushed nomads from the right bank The Dnieperand the border between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crimean Khanate, which arose in 1443, passed along the Dnieper, in the city. These were not the best of times.
In the XVI century, a gradual revival of the region began - especially after the formation of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. In 1635, the Polish authorities built the Kodak fortress to control the movements of the Cossacks. Today it is the village of Old Kodak, located on the southern outskirts of the city with the remains of earthen ramparts, which tourists like to visit.
3. people
This city, located on the shores of the Odessa Gulf of the Black Sea, is the largest commercial sea port of Ukraine. People began to live in what is now Odessa since the Upper Paleolithic (about 50 thousand years ago).
In the VI-II centuries BC, the ancient Greeks founded twelve colonies here. In the second half of the 4th century AD, this territory was occupied by the Huns during the period of migration, and the colonies fell into decay.
At the end of the 14th century, the Genoese trading post of Ginestra, who traded with nomads, appeared on the site of the former Greek colony. At the end of the 15th century, the Lithuanian-Polish authorities in these lands weakened. In 1484, these lands passed under the control of the Crimean Tatars. By the beginning of the 17th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had lost control of the Black Sea coast in favor of the Ottoman Empire.
At the beginning of the 18th century, it was a small trading city of the Ottoman Empire called Kachibey or Hajibey. In 1765, the Ottoman authorities restored the old Lithuanian fortress due to increased pressure on the region from the Russian Empire. In 1774, the fortress was first captured by the joint Cossack-Russian troops.
2. people
In the early Middle Ages, nomadic tribes lived in the Kharkov region: Goths, Alans, Khazars, Pechenegs, Polovtsy. In the 8th century, the Slavs founded their settlement on the site of the future Kharkovwhich in the 10th century became known as a city Donets. It was not only a fortress, but also a center for crafts and transit trade.
The city was first mentioned in chronicles in 1185. He is also mentioned in the "Word on Igor's Regiment", an epic poem from the era of Kievan Rus. However, the official age of Kharkov is not based on archaeological finds and burials, but solely on the first written mention in official sources.
1. people
Now the capital of Ukraine is not so impressive in its size, but once everything was different: Kiev was the largest city in Europe of the XI century, 50 times more than London and 10 times more than Paris.
Interesting fact: Khreschatyk is the shortest main street in the world! You need to take a little more than 2800 steps to completely go through it. Moreover, among the remaining 2300 streets, it is also the widest street in Kiev.