The appearance and development of cities is a historical chronicle of the life of the people who inhabited them, their culture and beliefs, aspirations and disappointments.
They built them, lived and died in them. In their place, new settlements arose and this historical process cannot be stopped, since man is a social being.
Nikolaev (Ukraine) celebrated its 220th anniversary, he is young and full of energy, like the people who inhabited him. To observe how a city with a population of more than a million people grew out of one shipyard, an exciting and useful activity that allows you to get an idea of how cities were born and developed throughout the history of mankind.
History of Nikolaev
The lands of Nikolayevshchina have always been inhabited by people, so here is a fertile land. It has everything you need for a prosperous life: the sea, rivers and lakes, forests and steppes, fertile land and a mild climate. The most ancient settlements found on the territory of the city date back to 5-4 centuries BC. e. At one time, Scythians and Greeks lived here, the ancient Slavs and raided tribes of the Turks.
The city of Nikolaev (Ukraine) became the successor of these lands when, in 1788, a shipyard was built at the mouth of the Ingul River by personal decree of Prince Potemkin. The construction was led by Colonel Faleev. When in December 1788, Suvorov and the army took the Turkish fortress Ochakov, it was decided to perpetuate this event. Since this happened on St. Nicholas, in his honor decided to name the working village that grew up near the shipyard. The small population of Nikolaev then did not suspect that the name received the future city, which is destined to become famous in the world.
The result of the shipyard’s work was the launch of the new frigate “St. Nicholas ”, and already in 1791 he participated in his first battle. Gradually, the city grew, the number of shipyards increased, as the country needed warships, beautiful avenues and parks appeared, houses and churches were erected, a commercial harbor opened, quickly making it the third largest trading port after St. Petersburg and Odessa.
Nikolaev today
Since the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet was based in the city for about a hundred years, his whole life was connected with marine affairs. For example, the first specialized educational institution in Nikolaev became the navigational school, opened as far back as 1798.
Nikolaev has become a real cultural and industrial center of the south of Ukraine. He had to survive the intervention in 1918 and 3 years of occupation during the Second World War. During these events, the Nikolaev patriots did not give the invaders the opportunity to launch at least 1 ship. After the victory, the city, like the rest of the Soviet Union, was rebuilding, and after a short time the population of Nikolaev increased significantly, as it developed at a rapid pace. For the Soviet period:
- Three shipyards were recreated and built;
- 1 river and three seaports began to function;
- enterprises producing equipment for ships and shipyards opened.
Today, the city center (Nikolaev) is a favorite vacation spot for citizens, since its cultural and spiritual life is concentrated here.
City districts
Today, this modern city is divided into 4 large areas:
- Central is located in the historical part of the city.
- In the factory part, the main industrial enterprises are concentrated.
- Leninsky district is a place of rest, railway and bus station.
- Ship - once the village of Zhovtnevoe, became part of the city in 1973 and is considered the youngest.
The central index of the city of Nikolaev 54000 refers to the post office №1 at the address st. Admiralskaya, 6. From the day the first frigate was launched, not only the population of Nikolaev, but also the size of the city, its political, economic and cultural life changed.
The location of Nikolaev
The uniqueness of the city in its location. The foundation of the settlement at the mouth of the Ingul River, on a peninsula also washed by the Southern Bug, the close location of the sea - all this played a role in its development.
The southern sun, fertile lands, and temperate climate turned it not only into the largest shipbuilding and port city even during the time of tsarist Russia, but also into a supplier of grain grown on its lands.
Today, the city’s area is 260 km 2, part of which (1184 ha) is occupied by objects of the nature reserve fund, which include:
- Nikolaev Zoo, a member of the international association of zoos.
- The reserve "Oaks".
- “Balabanovka” is a forest reserve where pines are grown.
- Botanical monuments and other objects.
A total of 18 natural complexes located within the city and available for viewing by tourists and visiting citizens. The mayor of Nikolaev organized a committee that monitors the preservation of unique natural sites.
Heavy industry
The city is a center of machine and shipbuilding, non-ferrous metallurgy, light and food industries. In total, 60 large enterprises are concentrated in it, most of which are associated with the production of products for shipyards and ports. There are productions that surpass even European ones in power, for example, Alumina Refinery. It is Europe's largest producer of raw materials for the production of aluminum.
Many factories of Nikolaev work not only in the domestic market, but also internationally, offering innovative products. For example, the Zorya-Mashproekt plant has developed a new environmentally friendly and energy-saving type of the Aquarius gas turbine unit, which is already used by gas pumping stations in the country. The enterprise is the only supplier of gas turbines for sea and river vessels in the post-Soviet space.
No less well-known products that descended from the shipyards of Nikolaev shipyards. For example, on one of them, even during the Cold War, the construction of aircraft-carrying ships began, which could equip American aircraft carriers with equipment.
Light industry
The population of Nikolaev today does not experience a shortage of jobs, since in the city, except for heavy, food and light industry enterprises are successfully operating. The most famous among them:
- The Yantar plant, whose beer has repeatedly received prizes for product quality.
- Nicotex is a manufacturer of non-woven textile materials.
- Sandora OJSC is an all-Ukrainian leader in juice production.
Many enterprises of the city cooperate with foreign investors. Private business and entrepreneurship are not far behind them.
Agriculture
The Nibulon company, together with foreign investors, is engaged not only in the cultivation of elite varieties of seeds, but also in the development of technologies that make the most efficient use of the land, growing high yields.
The company's specialists have created closed environmentally friendly energy-saving cycles in which everything has been thought out: from sowing, to harvesting, processing and delivery to the final consumer. These technologies are being introduced not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.
