Discover the past and present of Chernovtsy
Chernovtsy (Chernivtsi) is a city which is situated in Northern Bukovina, Ukraine. It is the capital of the Chernivtsi Oblast and is a city with a long and interesting history. According to archealogical remains, the area has been populated since Neolithic times. Some of the most interesting artifacts found here are those that relate to the Trypillian and Corded Ware cultures. Bronze and Iron Age relics are numerous and evidence of Slavic tribes and Tiverians is also present.
However the real history of Chernovtsy starts with a fortified settlement on the left shore of the Prut River which was built sometime in the mid 1100s. The fortress-city soon became the subject of legend as the blackened appearance of oak covered with chernozem which was used for the city walls resulted in the nickname ‘the Black City’. However, despite its daunting appearance, the fortress-city was destroyed by Mongol hordes in 1259. What was left continued to be used for defense but most people moved to the higher, right shore of the river. From there the city began to grow. It became part of the Principality of Moldavia in 1359.
Control of the city shifted continually – from Moldavia to Austria to Austria-Hungary to Romania. In 1940 it was occupied by the Red Army and then it was eventually attached to the USSR. It swapped hands numerous times during the First and Second World Wars and it eventually became a part of Ukraine in 1991. Most visitors today will be able to find a few places of historical interest such as the bastion which was augmented to the remains of the original fortress walls of the Black City. Chernovsty is also considered by many Romanians to be on of Romania’s greatest cultural and educational centers so you will find many things of cultural interest in the city.
Most people would not plan to spend a large portion of their holiday in Chernovsty as there is relatively little to attract people to the city for a holiday. It is, however, a pretty city to live and work in.
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