Chernigiv, Chernihiv, & Chernigov

[Kathy]

This is interesting, because any diaspora Ukrainian makes a distinction between г and "g" (the hard "g" Ukrainian font won't appear for me - it appears as an asterisk *).

I was taught by educated Ukrainians, all emigres, almost all university educated, who were DP's who left Ukraine during WWII. Most were from Western Ukraine, but some were from Eastern Ukraine as well.

All of them pronounced г as closer to an "h" sound in English, not a "g" sound. I understand it can be a "soft" "g", but that pronunciation was rare. That is not the case now.

The Ukrainian hard "g" was not even found in the alphabet of Soviet printed Ukrainian language texts. The Ukrainians I knew who had emigrated claimed this was a Russification.

[IreneLviv]

And have you heard about several attempts by Austrians in the 19th c to introduce Latin alphabet in the Ukrainian language instead of the Cyrillic? Where would we be now with Latin alphabet - probably, away from Russia and nearer to Europe!

[Kathy]

I think both Ukraine and Russia would have been closer to Europe had there never been a USSR.

[Hannia]

Transliteration/sounds like:

Chernihiv = Чернігів in Ukrainian
Chernigov = Чернигов in Russian
Chernigaj = Чарнігай in Belarusyn

What time frame are you researching?

Chernihiv borders have changed many times in the last 2000 yrs.

TODAY Chernihiv is the official name of the oblast/region, the name of
the raion/county and the name of the regional capital in what is Ukraine.

Would you like a map of the region, the county or the city?

[lisaparx]

As far as my research shows,
my grandfather, Hryhory Parkhomenko, was born in a suburb of Chernihiv.
Nobody is sure of which suburb

The last time any family here saw him was about 1944.
Although they heard from him many years later.
He had 2 sisters Halya? and Luba.

If anybody ever comes across a 'Parkhomenko' in a suburb of Chernihiv...
it just may be a relative of mine.
eternally searching.

[IreneLviv]

Parkhomenko is a very poplular name in Chernihiv - hundreds of them within the region. One of them even designed the site of The Chernihiv State Archives...

[lisaparx]

Originally Posted by IreneLviv

Parkhomenko is a very poplular name in Chernihiv - hundreds of them within the region. One of them even designed the site of The Chernihiv State Archives...

Thanks for posting this!
I have been told before that 'Parkhomenko' is a popular last name...
it was just so hard to believe considering I have never met another
I believe now! thanks again~