Nikopol city, Ukraine

Nikopol overview

Nikopol is a city situated in Dnepropetrovsk oblast of Central Ukraine. From the end of 19th century Nikopol was an important industrial center of the region. Nikopol is standing on the right bank of Kakhov water reservoir. The city is a river port. It is the oldest city of Dnepropetrovsk oblast of Ukraine.

Nikopol city population is about 126,000 (2010).

The phone code is +380 566(2); the postal code is 53200.

Nikopol city flag

Nikopol city coat of arms

Nikopol city map location

Nikopol history

First record of Nikopol refers to 1594. Peasants escaped to uninhabited steppe areas of the mid Dnieper. The need to defend themselves from the Tatars caused building Cossack fortresses which were called a “sech”. One of such “seches” which was located on the territory of current city was called Nikitinskaya.

Nikitinskaya sech was formed in 1638. On December 11th, 1647, Bogdan Khmelnitsky together with his son arrived to Nikitin Rog and on April 19th, 1648, he was elected a hetman of Zaporozhsky Army. Such was the beginning of Liberation war of Ukrainian people with Rzeczpospolita. On the place where the historical council meeting took place and Bogdan Khmelnitsky was elected a hetman, on current Nikitinskaya street a monument is erected.

At the edge of 18th and 19th centuries Nikopol became an important trade center in the Dnieper area. A convenient location at the crossroads of main ways and waterways promoted economical development of the town.

During Crimean war of 1853-1856 Nikopol and Nikitinskaya crossing were an important center where troops and medical carriages crossed the river. In 1864 the population of Nikopol was 7,046.

The industrial development of the town was considerable by the end of 19th century when manganese ore was found and worked near the town. Well developed river port also promoted development of industry and trade. Before World War I the population of Nikopol was 30,000.

In 1956 Kakhovskoe water reservoir was formed there and it also played an important part in further development of Nikopol. Gradually Nikopol turned into a big river port connecting cities located on the upper Dnieper with the Black Sea.

In 1962 a construction of a new industrial giant began in Nikopol - a plant of ferro alloys. This plant still remains the largest plant of ferro alloys in Europe and the former USSR and one of the largest industrial plants in Ukraine.

Nikopol marked its 230th anniversary in 2010, it is one of the largest industrial centers in Dnepropetrovskaya oblast and Ukraine.

There are 38 industrial plants in present day Nikopol in the following branches: metallurgy and metal working, machine-building, machines and equipment repairing, production of metal and plastic items, paper and pulp industry, polygraphic and food industries.

Nikopol streets

Nikopol city, Ukraine street

Author: Igor Moisejev

Nikopol city street view

Author: Igor Moisejev

Nikopol city central square

Author: Igor Moisejev

Nikopol features

The Scythians were the first settlers on the territory and surroundings of current Nikopol, they had rich and various culture. First of all these are burial mounds. There are about 100 of them today.

On June 21st, 1971, a unique event happened in the history of world archeology. 20 km to the north-west of Nikopol, in the steppe near Ordzhonikidze a group of archeologists excavated the Scythian burial mound Tolstaya Mogila. They found a unique work of world art - a golden decoration of the Scythian tsar. Its diameter is 30,6 cm and it weighs 1,15 kg.

7 km to the west of Nikopol among settlements Alexeyevka and Kapulovka there are a grave of a legendary ataman from Zaporozhye Ivan Sirko (in 1676 he signed the famous letter to Turkish sultan Mekhmet IV, this fact was depicted in famous Ilya Repin’s painting).

On May 30th, 1899, Osip Shor was born in Nikopol. This person is considered the main prototype of legendary literary character Ostap Bender.