Ride the Tramway of Konotop to Expore its Historical Wonders

If you travel to the Sumy Oblast in Ukraine, you will discover an interesting city by the name of Konotop. The city is located approximately 130 kilometers away from the region’s capital, Sumy, and can be found at the center of the Konotop ‘Raion’ or district. While many cities in Ukraine are quite modern, Konotop is somewhat older – having first been established at a time when people still rode horses for transport and the Ukrainian Cossacks were a formidable threat to the ruling powers at the time. This gives the Konotop an interesting historical past that can only truly be explored by visiting this charming old city.

It would seem that Konotop in Ukraine may have initially been a Ukrainian Cossack settlement that was founded sometime in the early 17th century. This conclusion comes from the fact that the Ukrainian Cossacks were very much prevalent in the area around this time period. The first official mention of the settlement was in 1635 when it was mentioned in several different documents. It was again mentioned in government documents in 1642 when the decision was made to build a fortress near the settlement. It seems most likely that the name Konotop was derived from the nearby Konotopka River. In 1659 the city suddenly became much more prominent when the Battle of Konotop took place right outside the city. In this ferocious battle, Poles, Ukrainian Cossacks and Crimean Tatars joined forces under the command of the legendary Ivan Vyhovsky to defeat the Russian-Ukrainian forces. The battle not only engendered new rights and greater freedom for the people living in the area, but also helped to put Konotop on the map.

In 1782, Konotop was given municipal rights and became a city. It has since come to play and important role in the economy and transportation of the region. It currently serves as a massive center of food production and is an important center for mechanical engineering. It also enjoys a number of excellent railroad connections that further serve to boost the economy, and hosts the Konotop Air Base, which is located only four kilometers west of the city. Something that visitors today might find particularly interesting is the fact that the city has its own tramway system. As such, it is the smallest city in Ukraine to enjoy this service. So visit Konotop and discover this ancient city for yourself.

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