Zaporizhia Oblast

Zaporizhia Oblast (Ukrainian: Запорізька область, translit. Zaporiz'ka oblast’; also referred to as Zaporizhzhya – Ukrainian: Запоріжжя) is an oblast (province) of southern Ukraine. Its capital is Zaporizhia.

This oblast is an important part of Ukraine's industry and agriculture.

Geography

The area of the province is 27,200 km²; its population (as of 2004-05-01) is 1.9 million.

Important cities include:

• Berdyansk
• Enerhodar – home of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
• Melitopol
• Zaporizhia

History

The Zaporizhia Oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on January 10, 1939.

The territory of the oblast came under the dominion of the Golden Horde after the fall of Kievan Rus'. The steppes off of the Dnieper River were subsequently ruled by the Crimean Khanate, beginning in 1445.

From the 15th century to the 18th century, the northern parts of the province belonged to the Zaporizhian Sich – a self-governed military republic of the Ukrainian Kozaks.

Points of interest

The following sites were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

• Kamyana Mohyla, prehistoric "Stone Tomb" site (museum-preserve)
• Khortytsia
• Dniprostroy

Subdivisions

The Zaporizhia Oblast is administratively subdivided into 20 raions (districts) as well as 5 cities (municipalities) which are directly subordinate to the oblast government: Berdiansk, Enerhodar, Melitopol, Tokmak, and the administrative center of the oblast, Zaporizhia.

Education

679 daytime and 11 evening state schools plus 6 daytime schools that are non-budget supported secondary schools involved 271400 pupils in 2001. 22 classical schools, 8 Lyceums, a Sichovy Collegium and 54 education-breeding complex bodies aren't out of reach to gifted children. New style 38 complex kindergarten-schools work too^[2].

Over 60000 children develop their talents through out-of-school institutions. They attend 30 creative centres, 6 science-technical stations and four young naturalists stations, five tourists clubs, three training flotillas, 11 children's sport clubs and 20 sport schools. Extra-scholastic education system has such a unique body as the Small Academy of Science. Boys and girls work there in six main disciplines: physics-mathematics, chemistry-biology, history-geography, philology, industrial and information technologies. The Small Academy young members maintain close friendship relations with scientists of big institutes and universities. 26 youngsters became winners of the All-Ukrainian Academy contest, so Zaporizhia regional team gained the 1-st place.

325 secondary schools, five classical schools, a Collegium and three complex-schools use the Ukrainian language. Nevertheless, the minorities have a free choice — 193 schools are Russian, a large Jewish school «Alef» works in Zaporizhia and smaller ones exist in other points, a Ukrainian-Bulgarian Lyceum is in Primorsky district. The Greek, Czech, Bulgarian languages are very popular in Yakimivsky, Berdyansky, Priazovsky and Melitopole rural districts. One may learn Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Polish, Tatar and other languages attending option courses anywhere.

Specialists keep on looking for an adaptive school model. 26 institutions develop the humanization process using new teaching technologies. The Khortitsky multi-profile teaching-rehabilitation centre has worked out methods for complete support of sanatorium-boarding-schools' children. Berdyansk is the town where a Regional boarding school for orphans works out active socialization programs.

42 institutions provide vocational education. This system distribute well-trained workers to regional industry and business. The list of specialities includes over 100 names. Vocational schools give courses for improving qualification in cooperation with unemployment centres. More than 1500 jobless persons get new professions every year due it.

The higher education system is the most flexible and advanced. Today 25 state-controlled technical colleges have I-II class rank and 8 higher institutions have III-IV class certificates. These are University and the Technical University, the Medical University, the Engineering Academy and the Institute of Law with Ministry of Internal Affairs in Zaporizhia City, the Pedagogical University, the Agricultural Academy in Melitopole and the Pedagogical Institute in Berdyansk. There are also five higher education private bodies — the Institute of Economics and Information Technologies, the State and Municipal Government Institute and the others. Over 65000 people are the students in this region. There are 212 Doctors of Science and 1420 Candidates of Science among their lecturers. Zaporizhia City is one of the biggest centres for foreigners' education in Ukraine.

The International Astronomic Union named two minor planets «Khadzhinov» and «Vikchemov» in honour of our countrymen who made a significant contribution in science and education.

See also

• Subdivisions of Ukraine

Further readings

• (Ukrainian) Запорізька область: Ілюстрована енциклопедія. [Т.2]: Архітектура і містобудування. Культура. Економіка. Райони області / К.С. Карафін, О. І. Красюк. -Запоріжжя : Дике Поле, 2004. - 293 с.

References

External links

• Zaporizhia Oblast Administration – official website (Ukrainian)
• Zaporizhia Oblast Rada – official website (Ukrainian)