Chyhyryn, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine

Chyhyryn City is located more or less in the center of Ukraine, in Cherkasy Oblast. Its current population is around 11,000. It is similar in many ways to Sebastopol – it has its own police and fire department, several restaurants, parks, a medical clinic, a small university, two museums, and three K-12 schools. Chyhyryn is proud of its historical status and several Cossack structures have been restored. The famous statue of Bogdan Khmelnytsky on the top of the hill overlooking the town is a gathering place for weddings, festivals, graduations, and other celebrations.

Chyhyryn’s history stretches far back. It was a fortified winter station of the Cossacks in the first half of the 16th century. In the second half it was the center of the Chyhyryn region. In 1592 the town was granted status of a self-governing city and began to grow. In 1648 Chyhyryn became the residence of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the center of the Chyhyryn regiment, and the first true capital of the Hetman state and Ukraine. It remained the capital until 1663.

Historical information about Chyhyryn can be found here.

More about Bogdan Khmenytsky here.