Velykyy Bychkiv

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Velykyy Bychkiv (Ukrainian: Великий Бичків; Rusyn: Великий Бичков; Hungarian: Nagybocskó; Romanian: Bocicoiu Mare; Slovak: Veľký Bočkov, Bočková) is a town in the Rakhivskyi Raion (district) of Zakarpattia Oblast (Transcarpathian province), in the west-most part of Ukraine. It has a population of 9,423 and lies 36 kilometres east of Tiachiv, where the river Sopurka meets the Tisza River. 10% of its population is romanian.

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The village was first mentioned in 1358, by the name Buchku. Its name is derived from a Slavic word meaning "bull". From 1556 it belonged to the Báthory family. By 1711 a mansion already stood here. After the failed revolution led by Francis II Rákóczi, Germans settled down in the area. The village had three parts: Nagybocskó and Kisbocskó ("Greater" and "Smaller" Bocskó), which form today's Velykyy Bychkiv, and Németbocskó ("German Bocskó") across the river (this forms today's Bocicoiu Mare in Romania).

In 1910 the village had 5955 inhabitants: 3078 Ruthenians, 1646 Hungarians and 1177 Germans. It belonged to the Hungarian county of Máramaros. After World War I it belonged to Czechoslovakia, before being ceded to the Ukrainian SSR in 1945.

Velykyy Bychkiv has a chemical, sulfuric acid and table salt factory, as well as a sawmill. In 1930 a forest railway line was built. Velykyy Bychkiv was accorded the current urban-type settlement status in 1947.

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