HISTORY OF THE REGION

Nowhere else in Ukraine, except Zaporizhzhya region, you can fi nd such strong traditions based on the glorious history of the region.

300,000-100,000 B.C. the territory of Zaporizhzhya was pre-ice age steppes, penetrated all through with mighty rivers. There were dense forests alongside the rivers, and the valley slopes gaped with deep caves. It is exactly place where the signs of an ancient man can found.

Favourable climate and geographical position of Zaporizhzhya attracted people from the immemorial times. The oldest settlements of the primitive people in a Dnipro river valley are dated back to the middle Paleolithic period (100-40 thousand years ago). For many centuries the territory was a sort of corridor, through which different peoples passed and where different cultures met. Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Goths, Huns, Avars, Khasars, Pechenegs and Slavs left various archaeological memorials here.

In ancient historical writings the area between the Dnipro Rapids and Azov seashore and from the Donets Ridge to the Dnipro Rivervale was known by many names. “Hyperborea”, “Royal Cimmeria”, “Herros”, “Hilea”, “Royal Scythia”, “Land of Amazons”, “Sarmatia”, “Kingdom of Hermanarich” – all these names are known to us from the Bible and Assyrian and Babylon clay tables, from the works of ancient Greeks – Homer, Herodotus, and Claudius Ptolemy, Stratton and later works of other authors.

“Weliky Lug” and “Zaporozhzhya” are the poetic names given by the Cossacks to their free domains. The latter became the actual name of the city.

After the Tatar-Mongolian invasion (1237-1240) the territory of Zaporizhzhya region was included into the structure of the Golden Horde for two centuries. This invasion gave rise to politic-economic assimilation of Zaporizhzhya population with the conquerors.

In 1445 Zaporizhzhya steppes on the left bank of the Dnipro River were included into the structure of the Crimean Khanate. From the end of XV to the middle of XIX century nomadic and half-settled Nogays occupied this territory.

The natural, geographical and historical conditions of XV-XVI cc. favoured the formation within region of the “Zaporizhzhya Cossacks”. Khortitsya Island , which is known since the Old Slavonic times, became one of its strongholds and symbols. The Cossacks presence behind the Dnipro rapids influenced the settlement of fertile lands and stimulated economic activity here.

Great signifi cance for Ukraine had the formation from separate Cossack detachments and industrial artels of social, political and military organization of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks – Zaporizhzhya Sich.

Zaporizhzhya Sich was the fi rst political formation within the territory of Ukraine having the attributes of a republic. It remained independent for a long time and played an outstanding role in international relations. European countries established the diplomatic relations with Cossacks in search of military assistance. It is exactly the place where the first in the world democratic constitution (the Constitution of Philip Orlik) was written, up to now it is seen as the paragon of democratic society. In 1770 the Fortress of Alexander was build, later on it became the city of Zaporizhzhya.

At the end of the XVIII century the lands in the south of Ukraine were included into the Russian Empire. Two armlets of the Dnipro river which came together near the rapids and two important land routes contributed to the fact that Zaporizhzhya became a centre of trade. Each year four trade fairs were held in the town.

The process of settlement and development of the present Zaporizhzhya region was a complicated one. The representatives of many nations took part in that process, and it resulted in multinational structure of the region. It also promoted the merge of cultural and economic traditions. The population of modern Zaporizhzhya region was partly formed by the Mennonites, the Germans, the Bulgarians, by immigrants from Poland , Serbia , Greece and Albania. The Jews, the Gagauses created their settlements here as well.

Zaporizhzhya became one of the experimental grounds, where the strategic plans of industrialization of the USSR were implemented. In March 1927 the construction of DniproGES began. It is the most powerful hydro electric power station in Europe at the time. Rapid construction of a whole complex of new energy-consuming enterprises followed the new power plant.

The region was founded on the 10th January 1939. Zaporizhzhya became one of the largest industrial centres of Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Rapid economic and cultural development of the region was interrupted by the Second World War. One of the brightest moments in the history of the region was the restoration of Zaporizhzhya industrial complex – DniproGES and the enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. By 1950 all of the 670 factories and plants had been restored. In 1950-1970 enterprises of the new branches of industry (electrotechnical and chemical) were created in the region. The power potential of the region continued to grow. Alongside with putting Dnipro-GES-2 into operation, Zaporizhzhya TPS and Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant were constructed.