Sarny

For other uses, see Sarny (disambiguation).

Sarny (Ukrainian: Сáрни, Russian: Сáрны, Polish: Sarny) translated as Does, is a small city in the Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Sarny Raion (district), and is a major railway node on the Sluch River.

The current estimated population is 28,604 (2011).

History

Sarny was a part of the Kingdom of Halych-Volhynia. It was later annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. From 1795 it was considered a part of the Russian Empire, as part of the Volhynian Governorate. In 1921, the city became part of the Second Polish Republic. In Poland it was the seat of a Sarny county, firstly in Polesie Voivodeship, then, since 1930 - in Wołyń Voivodeship.

In the 1930s Polish military authorities constructed a number of fortifications in the area of Sarny, known as Sarny Fortified Area (Sarnenski Rejon Umocniony), along the Sluch river.

After the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939 Sarny became a concentration point for units under command of gen. bryg. Wilhelm Orlik-Rückemann. Concentraction was taking place under cover of "Sarny" regiment commanded by ppłk. Nikodem Sulik. The regiment itself was stemming the attack of the Soviet 60th Rifle Division based on strong fortifications of Sarny Fortified Area. Crew of a single bunker, under command of ppor. Jan Bołbot, lasted out in its position up to 19 September, delaying advance of Soviet units.^[1] Some of the bunkers making up this line still exist.

During the Volhynian Genocide, Sarny was a shelter for ethnic Polish population of Volhynian countryside, massacred by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. In May 1943, German authorities created a Polish police unit, which defended the town from the Ukrainians. In 1944, most Poles were transported either to the General Government, or to the Third Reich as OST-Arbeiters.

In June 1941, Sarny was captured by Nazi Germany, and again reclaimed by Soviet forces in 1944. Since 1939, it has been a part of Ukrainian SSR and later independent Ukraine.

Polish economist Czeslaw Bobrowski was born in Sarny.