Sumy
Sumy | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Location within the Sumy Oblast of the Ukraine | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast | Sumy Oblast |
| Founded | 1652 or 1653 |
| Area | |
• Total | 145 km2 (56 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 283,700 |
| • Density | 1,988/km2 (5,150/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (CEST) |
| Area code | +380 542 |
Sumy (Template:Lang-uk, Template:Lang-ru) is a city on the Psel River in the Ukraine, and the capital of the Sumy Oblast. As of 2004, the city's population is 283,700. It is served by Sumy Airport.
History
Sumy was founded in 1652 at the bank of the Psel River (a left tributary of the Dnieper) as a Cossack fortress. It was intended to protect Sloboda Ukraine from the Crimean Tatar attacks. After their attacks discontinued and the territory was incorporated into the Russian Empire, Sumy evolved into an important economical centre. During the German occupation of Ukraine during World War II (1941 - 1943), Sumy sustained heavy damage. The war over, destroyed parts of the city were rebuilt anew. Sumy is a twin town of Celle, Germany since January 17, 1990.
Sights
The city centre was once dominated by the large cathedral of the Saviour's Transfiguration. It is a Neoclassical structure of the 18th century, extensively repaired and reconstructed in 1858 and 1880s, when the belltower of 56 metres was added. The interior features frescoes by Vladimir Makovsky and Klavdiy Lebedev. The Resurrection Church (1702), the oldest structure in the town, is still in fair preservation, owing to recent restoration works (picture). The cathedral of the monastery of St. Pantaleon was erected in 1911 to a design by Aleksey Shchusev and is scored to resemble medieval monuments of Novgorod and Pskov.
Religion
The majority of residents are Christian.
Sports
Sumy is home to the Ukrainian First League football team FC Spartak Sumy.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 11,500 | — |
| 27,564 | 140% | — |
| 1913 | 50,400 | — |
| 83% | 1,926 | −96.2% |
| 44,000 | -12.7% | — |
| 1939 | 69,000 | — |
| 57% | 1,959 | −97.2% |
| 98,000 | 42% | — |
| 1970 | 159,000 | — |
| 62% | 1,979 | −98.8% |
| 231,558 | 46% | — |
| 1989 | 293,706 | — |
| 27% | 2,001 | −99.3% |
| 295,847 | 0.7% | — |
| [citation needed] | ||
Nationality Census
- 1897 - 70,53% Ukrainians, 24,1% Russians 2,6% Jews
- 1926 - 80,7% Ukrainians, 11,8% Russians 5,5% Jews
- 1959 - 79% Ukrainians, 20% Russians [citation needed]
Famous people from Sumy
- Lev Yefimovitch Kerbel, Soviet sculptor
- Oleh Husyev,Footbalist
External links
- Template:Uk icon Independent regional Web-portal - news, features, entertainment & tourism info
- Template:Uk icon Sumy administration
