Sumy
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| Sumy | |||
| Суми | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Ukraine |
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| Oblast | Sumy Oblast | ||
| Raion | |||
| Founded | 1652 or 1653 | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 145 km² (56 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2004) | |||
| - Total | 283,700 | ||
| - Density | 1,988/km² (5,148.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+2) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Area code(s) | +380 542 | ||
| Twin Cities | |||
| - Celle |  Germany |
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Sumy (Ukrainian: Суми, Russian: Сумы) is a city on the Psel River in Ukraine, and the capital of the Sumy Oblast. As of 2004, the city's population is 283,700. It is served by Sumy Airport.
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[edit] History
Sumy was founded in 1652 at the bank of the Psel River (a left tributary of the Dnieper) as a Cossack fortress. It was intended to protect Sloboda Ukraine from the Crimean Tatar attacks. After their attacks discontinued and the territory was incorporated into the Russian Empire, Sumy evolved into an important economical centre. During the German occupation of Ukraine during World War II (1941 - 1943), Sumy sustained heavy damage. The war over, destroyed parts of the city were rebuilt anew. Sumy is a twin town of Celle, Germany since January 17, 1990.
[edit] Sights
The city centre was once dominated by the large cathedral of the Saviour's Transfiguration. It is a Neoclassical structure of the 18th century, extensively repaired and reconstructed in 1858 and 1880s, when the belltower of 56 metres was added. The interior features frescoes by Vladimir Makovsky and Klavdiy Lebedev. The Resurrection Church (1702), the oldest structure in the town, is still in fair preservation, owing to recent restoration works (picture). The cathedral of the monastery of St. Pantaleon was erected in 1911 to a design by Aleksey Shchusev and is scored to resemble medieval monuments of Novgorod and Pskov.
[edit] Religion
The majority of residents are Christian, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholics and Protestants (Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists etc.). Also are represented Judaism, Islam and Buddhism.
[edit] Roman Catholics in Sumy
From the beginning of XX century, when in 1901 the Blessed Virgin Mary Annunciation Church had been founded in Sumy, town had become the center of North-East Ukrainian Catholicism.
After its consecration in 1911 and closing down by the authorities in two decades, the temple was used for unproper purpose. Only after the disintegration of USSR the temple had been retrieved to regenerate Roman-Catholic parish in May 1994 and had been solemnly reconsecrated in spring 1998.
First Masses (1911-1915) at the temple were lead by parish priest Fr. Theodor Ryllo. His successor (1916-1919) on the post had become chaplain Fr. A. Krzhivitsky.
The last registration had been in 1919, November 20. The last Mass, before the temple had been closed down, had been held in 1932 by Fr. Vagonis. First priest (September 1992-February 1995) of new parish had been appointed Fr. Vitaly Skomarovsky.
Next two parish priests had become Fr. Gennadius Bilinsky (March 1995-September 1997) and Fr. Felix Svintsitsky (September 1997-August 1999).
Fourth parish (September 1999-June 2006) had been Fr. Stanislav Tanatarov. His successor (since 2006) had become present parish priest Fr. Arthur Surovsky.
[edit] Sports
Sumy is home to the Ukrainian First League football team FC Spartak Sumy.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 11,500 | |
| 1897 | 27,564 | 140% |
| 1913 | 50,400 | 83% |
| 1926 | 44,000 | -12.7% |
| 1939 | 69,000 | 57% |
| 1959 | 98,000 | 42% |
| 1970 | 159,000 | 62% |
| 1979 | 231,558 | 46% |
| 1989 | 293,706 | 27% |
| 2001 | 295,847 | 0.7% |
| *[citation needed] | ||
[edit] Nationality Census
- 1897 - 70,53% Ukrainians, 24,1% Russians 2,6% Judaism
- 1926 - 80,7% Ukrainians, 11,8% Russians 5,5% Judaism
- 1959 - 79% Ukrainians, 20% Russians[citation needed]
[edit] Famous people from Sumy
- Lev Yefimovitch Kerbel, Soviet sculptor
- Oleh Husyev,Footbalist
[edit] External links
- (Ukrainian) Independent regional Web-portal - news, features, entertainment & tourism info
- (Ukrainian) Sumy administration
- The Blessed Virgin Mary Annunciation Parish in Sumy
- Roman-Catholic Religious Mission "Caritas Spes Sumy"
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