Vyshgorod
First mentioned in the 10th century, Vyshhorod is now a notable industrial center and a growing commuter town for Kyiv. Its population is approximately 33,109 (2022 estimate).
Geography
Vyshhorod is located on a hilly right bank of the Dnieper river adjoining the dam of the Kyiv Reservoir.
History
The earliest historical mention of Vyshhorod (the name translates as "the town upstream") dates from as early as 946 when it was described as the favourite residence of Saint Olga. Also mentioned in De Administrando Imperio, Vyshhorod served as the fortified castle and residence of the monarchs of Kievan Rus' on the Dnieper from that time until 1240, when the Mongols sacked it. At Vyshhorod Vladimir the Great (reigned 980 to 1015) kept a harem of 300 concubines. After the Mongol invasion, the location does not appear in the records again until 1523 – and even then it was documented as a poor village.
In 1934-37 and 1947, the archaeological remnants of the medieval town were excavated. The most striking find was the basement of the eight-pillared Church of St. Basil, founded by Vladimir the Great and named after his patron saint. As the church was one of the largest in Kievan Rus', it took twenty years to complete it. Before the Mongol invasion, the church housed the relics of the first East Slavic saints, Boris and Gleb, but their subsequent fate remains a mystery. The ancient Cossack military monastery, the Mezhyhirskyi Monastery, stood not too far away from the city.
Vyshhorod grew considerably following the construction of the hydroelectric Kyiv power plant and was incorporated as a town in 1968.
Industry
Vyshhorod has more than 1,500 enterprises and companies, the most important being the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Kyiv Pumped Storage Power Plant (both operated by Ukrhydroenergo) and a building materials factory owned by German firm Henkel.
Transportation
Vyshhorod is connected to Kyiv and other localities mainly by roads. There is also a non-electrified terminus rail connection to Kyiv used for both freight transport and peak hour commuter passenger service. The city's river port facilities are used for local industrial purposes only. Jitney buses run between Vyshhorod and the Heroiv Dnipra station of the Kyiv Metro's Obolonsko–Teremkivska line.
Sports
In 2011, Vyshhorod was the first Ukrainian city to host the F1 Powerboat World Championship motorboat race.
Twin towns – sister cities
Vyshhorod is twinned with:
See also
References
- ^ "Оголошено переможця на виборах мера Вишгорода" (in Ukrainian). Glavcom. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Вышгородская городская громада". Gromada.info (in Russian). Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Grand Prix of Ukraine: Kiev, 29 & 30 July". Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- ^ F1 motorboating Committee
- ^ "Міста побратими". Vyshhorod city council (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.