Kakhovka
Encyclopedia
Kakhovka is a port
city
on the Dnieper River
in the Kherson Oblast
(province
) of southern Ukraine
. Serving as the administrative center
of the Kakhovsky Raion (district
), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located at around 46°48′37"N 33°28′36"E.
It is home to the KZEZO (Electro-Welding Equipment Plant) as well as the Tavria Games festival.
established a fortress near the site of today's Kakhovka called İslâm Kermen (later also called Shagin-Girei, presumably after Şahin Giray
). It was frequently attacked by Cossacks and was finally destroyed by them under the leadership of Ivan Mazepa
in 1695. In 1791 the Russian Colonel D.M. Kulikovsky founded the trade town of Kakhovka. In 1848 the town obtained city rights. In the 1870s–90s the town was renowned for having a huge population of low-income contractors (batraki).
In December 1918, by the decision of the administration of the Dnipro povit (uyezd
), Kakhovka was declared a city. In August 1920, during the final push in the Russian Civil War
to drive the Whites under Wrangel
out of the Crimea, Ieronim Uborevich
established a bridgehead at Kakhovka, which became the site of fierce battles, "probably the closest the Civil War came to world war trench fighting."
In 1972 the Verkhovna Rada
of the Ukrainian SSR
gave the city the rank of "city of oblast subordinance" within Kherson Oblast
.
and music by Isaak Dunayevsky
), which became very well known, especially the refrain "Мы мирные люди, но наш бронепоезд/ Стоит на запасном пути" ("We are peaceful people, but our armored train/ Stands [ready] on the siding"). Svetlov chose the site of the little-known Civil War battle for his song because he had grown up nearby and had known the town during the war.
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
on the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
in the Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson. The area of the region is 29000 km², its population is 1.12 million.Important cities in the oblast include:...
(province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) of southern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Serving as the administrative center
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the Kakhovsky Raion (district
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located at around 46°48′37"N 33°28′36"E.
It is home to the KZEZO (Electro-Welding Equipment Plant) as well as the Tavria Games festival.
History
In 1492 Meñli I GirayMeñli I Giray
Meñli I Giray , also spelled as Mengli I Giray, was a khan of the Crimean Khanate and the sixth son of the khanate founder Haci I Giray....
established a fortress near the site of today's Kakhovka called İslâm Kermen (later also called Shagin-Girei, presumably after Şahin Giray
Sahin Giray
Şahin Giray was the last Khan of Crimea. He was born in 1745 in Edirne.He studied in Greece and also in Venice.He reputedly spoke the Crimean Tatar language as well as Ottoman Turkish, Italian and Greek....
). It was frequently attacked by Cossacks and was finally destroyed by them under the leadership of Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Mazepa
Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa , Cossack Hetman of the Hetmanate in Left-bank Ukraine, from 1687–1708. He was famous as a patron of the arts, and also played an important role in the Battle of Poltava where after learning of Peter I's intent to relieve him as acting Hetman of Ukraine and replace him...
in 1695. In 1791 the Russian Colonel D.M. Kulikovsky founded the trade town of Kakhovka. In 1848 the town obtained city rights. In the 1870s–90s the town was renowned for having a huge population of low-income contractors (batraki).
In December 1918, by the decision of the administration of the Dnipro povit (uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
), Kakhovka was declared a city. In August 1920, during the final push in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
to drive the Whites under Wrangel
Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel
Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel or Vrangel was an officer in the Imperial Russian army and later commanding general of the anti-Bolshevik White Army in Southern Russia in the later stages of the Russian Civil War.-Life:Wrangel was born in Mukuliai, Kovno Governorate in the Russian Empire...
out of the Crimea, Ieronim Uborevich
Ieronim Uborevich
Ieronim Petrovich Uborevich was a Soviet military commander of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, and eventually attained the rank of Army Commander, 1st Rank, equivalent to General of the Army after old Imperial ranks were reintroduced in 1940....
established a bridgehead at Kakhovka, which became the site of fierce battles, "probably the closest the Civil War came to world war trench fighting."
In 1972 the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
of the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
gave the city the rank of "city of oblast subordinance" within Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson. The area of the region is 29000 km², its population is 1.12 million.Important cities in the oblast include:...
.
Cultural influence
The 1935 film Three Friends (Три товарища) included the song "Kakhovka" (words by Mikhail SvetlovMikhail Arkadyevich Svetlov
Mikhail Arkadyevich Svetlov , born Scheinkman , was a Soviet Russian poet.-Biography:Svetlov was born into a poor Jewish family. He has been published since 1917. A member of Komsomol since 1919, Svetlov was sent to the First Congress of Proletarian Writers in Moscow in 1920 and took part in the...
and music by Isaak Dunayevsky
Isaak Dunayevsky
Isaak Osipovich Dunayevsky was the biggest Soviet film composer and conductor of the 1930s and 1940s, who achieved huge success in music for operetta and film comedies, frequently working with the film director Grigori Aleksandrov...
), which became very well known, especially the refrain "Мы мирные люди, но наш бронепоезд/ Стоит на запасном пути" ("We are peaceful people, but our armored train/ Stands [ready] on the siding"). Svetlov chose the site of the little-known Civil War battle for his song because he had grown up nearby and had known the town during the war.