| Volyn |
HISTORY«Volyn was in the front and beat enemies, because it is brave. That Volyn is the first kin»./Veles kniga/. Volyn has been wonderful with its forests, rivers and lakes, multitudes of game since ancient times. Not without reason knyaz (duke) Volodymyr, which was called equal to the apostles, had a winter residence near Volodymyr–Volynsky. Since ancient times Volyn lands stretched from polish Helm to almost Chernigiv, and they were inhabited by Skythians – Slavs – Dulibs – Volynyans. Those were Volynyans, who began organizing kozak troops in the ХV–th century in Ukraine. Folk of high moral standards with customs of many centuries, traditions and culture. The history of Volyn goes back with its roots into grey–haired antiquity. Archaeological excavations, conducted within the borders of Volyn, have given material proofs, that people lived here in the epoch of paleolith and neolith. Several versions exist relative to name «Volyn», but that one, which associates the name of the land and the people with Volyn town, which existed some time in the past 20 km to the west from Volodymyr–Volynsky In the beginning of the VII–th century Dulibs organized a political union for protection of their territory, and in the Х–th century Volyn united with Kyiv Rus. In the end of the Х–th century Volyn became an apanage duchy with the supremacy of Kyiv dukes. But Volyn gained bigger power in the year 1199, when duke Roman Mstislavovich joined Galych duchy to Volyn and conquered Kyiv in the year 1202. In the middle of the ХIV–th century Volyn became a part of Grand Duchy of Lithuania — Rzeczpospolita. Volyn guberniya (province) was formed in the year 1797, after the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was defeated, by a tsar’s decree, with the centre in Zhytomyr. After the First world war according to Riga treaty (1921г.) Volyn passed to Rzeczpospolita again, till the year 1939. Volyn voyevodstvo (province) was formed with the centre in Lutsk. Volyn became a part of the Ukrainian SSR in the year 1939, and in august of the year 1991 it became a part of the independent Ukrainian state. Geography.
NatureThe nature in Volyn oblast is extraordinary and magnificent, the lakes are nice and clean, which number more than two hundred and twenty. The most famous of them are Pulemetske, Svityaz and Luky. The flora and fauna of Volyn oblast impress with their richness and diversity. Coniferous and leaf–bearing forests occupy more than one third of all the territory. Elks, deers, goats, aurochs, boars and other animals can be encountered there. For preservation and keeping of the primordial cleanness and naturalness of the diversity of the nature of Volyn oblast a splendid park has been created — Shatsky national park, which occupies more than thirty–two thousand hectares. Population.The population numbered 1044,8 чел., including town population – 50.4%, country population – 49.6% on 01.01.2005. In Volyn oblast live people of such nationalities: Ukrainians (mainly), Russians, Polish, Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Jews, Karaites and other. Culture.Museums – 9, theatres – 2, monuments of history and culture – 1044, monuments of architecture – 150. The most well known are Lutsky castle (Castle of Lubert) – ХIII-ХIV centuries, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Shroud church in Lutsk, Svyato–Uspensky Svyatogorsky Pechersky stavropegial (patriarchal) women’s monastery (founded in the year 1001 by holy, equal to the apostles, duke Volodymyr) in Volodymyr–Volynsky and 4 more monasteries of the ХVI-ХVII–th centuries, John–Forerunner skit (small secluded monastery). International relationsVolyn oblast became a part of Euroregion, founded in the year 1995, województwa of the Polish republic (Zamoskie, Chełmskie, Tarnobrzegske, Lubelskie) became parts of it as well. Creation of this union was conditioned by interest in social and economic developments of the territories, the whole activity of the organization is directed at development of the border infrastructure and keeping of order in the environment. |
town, is the most trustworthy. That town was located on the left bank of Bug, ancient embankments are still here. A collecting depot for trade in oxen, which were driven from Lithuania to Poland, was located in Volyn in those ancient times, as a result of which allegedly the name of the locality and the region was formed.