Velykyi Bychkiv

Velykyi Bychkiv (Ukrainian: Великий Бичків; Rusyn: Великый Бичкôв; Hungarian: Nagybocskó or Nagybocska; Romanian: Bocicoiu Mare; Slovak: Veľký Bočkov, Bočková) is a town in the Rakhiv 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.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1358, by the name Buchku. Its name is derived from a Slavic word meaning "bull". Before 1556 Bosckai family owned the village. 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 by the primary language, or 3374 Greek Catholic, 1266 Roman Catholic and 1163 Jewish people by religion. 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.

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

Famous people

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