Sumy Region

Sumy Oblast is an oblast (province) in the northeastern part of Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Sumy.

Other important cities within the oblast include Konotop, Okhtyrka, Romny, and Shostka.

As of 1 May 2004, the population is 1,255,866, which includes 886,100 urban and 483,700 rural residents.

Geography

The Sumy Oblast is situated in the northeastern part of Ukraine. It is situated on a border of two historical regions of Ukraine – Cossack Hetmanate (annexed by Russia in the 18th century as Little Russia, previously known as Severia) and Sloboda Ukraine. Elevation is 110-240m above sea level. The area of the oblast (23,800 km²), comprises about 3,95% of the total area of the country.

The oblast borders the Bryansk Oblast (Russia) on the northeast, the Kursk Oblast (Russia) on the east, the Poltava on the southwest, the Kharkiv Oblasts on the south, and the Chernihiv Oblast on the west.

Seven main rivers flow through the oblast, with the Desna River the largest.

History

The region was created on the ukase of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on 10 January 1939 as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The newly created Sumy Oblast included 12 former raions of Kharkiv Oblast, 17 former raions of Chernihiv Oblast, and 2 former raions of Poltava Oblast.

During the World War II in 1941-1943, it was occupied by the Nazi Germany under administration of the German Wehrmacht. After the German forces were driven out the Soviet Union regained control of the region under jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1965 one of former Chernihiv Oblast raions (Talalayiv Raion) was returned to Chernihiv Oblast.

Points of interest

The following historic-cultural sited were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

• Monument to mamonth (Kulishivka)
• Kruhliy dvir (Round court)
• Sofroniiv monastery

Environment

The Sumy Oblast contains 168 objects and territories of natural reserve. The oblast is rich in picturesque banks of numerous rivers, and sources of mineral waters. Major environmental problems are: soil erosion, pesticide pollution, air and water pollution. The city has a problem of garbage utilization. The only place for pesticide utilization in Ukraine is Shostka, Sumy region.

Nomenclature

Most of Ukraine's oblasts are named after their capital cities, officially referred to as "oblast centers" (Ukrainian: обласний центр, translit. oblasnyi tsentr). The name of each oblast is a relative adjective, formed by adding a feminine suffix to the name of respective center city: Sumy is the center of the Sums’ka oblast (Sumy Oblast). Most oblasts are also sometimes referred to in a feminine noun form, following the convention of traditional regional place names, ending with the suffix "-shchyna", as is the case with the Sumy Oblast, Sumshchyna.