The capital city of Sumy oblast.
Sumy is a city and administrative center of Sumy oblast, northeastern Ukraine, on the Psyol River. Sumy is a highway and railway junction of the region. There is an airport in the city.
Sumy city population is about 270,000 (2010).
The phone code is +380 542; the postal codes are 40000-40030.
In 2nd-6th centuries A.D. Slavic tribes lived in the area of present Sumy, remnants of their settlements and burial mounds are found in the south-western part of the city, on Pavlov street. In 8th-10th centuries there was a settlement of northern people in the area of Topol settlement (now Topolyanskaya street in Sumy city).
There is no common opinion on the foundation date of Sumy. 1653 and 1655 are considered possible dates. 1655 is considered the most exact. It is thought that the town was inhabited by several waves of migrants arriving from the opposite bank of the Danube, but the town was founded by colonel Gerasim Kondratyev who arrived to the Russian state together with a group of Cossack migrants in 1655. Moscow allowed them to settle there and during 1656-1658 they constructed a fortress there headed by Russian voivode K.Yu.Arsenyev.
Sumy was constructed in an oak forest, walls of the fortress were built of oak, under the fortress there was an underground way to water, a rampart and a deep moat were formed around the fortress. The fortifications were supplemented by natural ones: the rivers Psyol, Suma and Sumka surrounded the town.
Ukrainian peasants who were ruled by Rzeczpospolita at that time began migrating to southern steppes in mid 16th century. Ukrainians migration process lasted till mid 18th century. The political situation in the second half of 17th century caused the town foundation.
In 1651 Ukrainian Cossacks headed by Bogdan Khmelnitsky were defeated near Berestechka and it was the start of the Polish yoke over Ukrainian population. In 1658 Sumy became the center of Slobodsky Cossack regiment which defended southern boundaries of Russia from the Crimean Tatars’ attacks. There were 2,740 people (1660 est.) in the town.
It was attacked by Crimean Tatars in 1659, 1663, 1668. In spite if a siege the Tatars failed to occupy the town. Sumy fortress served as a ground where Russian army gathered during expeditions to the Crimea in 1687 and 1689.
During the Northern war of 1700-1721 the town played an important strategic part. On December 26th, 1708, Peter I transferred his headquarters from Lebedin to Sumy. Peter I spent the whole winter there and headed the fortress reinforcing (in case of a defeat in battle with Swedish army of Karl XII), he issued a manifest to Ukrainian people denouncing hetman Mazepa’s actions.
There were 7,700 people in Sumy in 1732, 9,380 in 1773 and 10,256 in 1850. In 1780 Sumy received the status of a town. In 18th-19th centuries Sumy city was major commercial center of the region. Soviet power was established in Sumy in 1918.
Main industries of Sumy are machine building, metal processing, food and chemical industries. Present day city industries produce machinery for the chemical industry, electron microscopes, pumps, and fertilizers and other chemicals. Light industries of Sumy include sugar refining and other food processing and the production of clothing, footwear and furniture.
Sumy city, Ukraine scenery
Sumy city view
Sumy view
Sumy received its name after the rivers Suma and Sumka which washed the city from 2 sides. There is a legend that hunters’ bags (“suma” in Russian) were found in the area. This fact is reflected in the city coat-of-arms adopted in 1781: in it there are 3 black bags with golden buttons on the four-angle shield.
A teacher-training institute is located in Sumy. Famous Russian writers A.P.Chekhov and A.I.Kuprin lived in the city. Sumy was visited by composer P.I.Chaikovsky, writer V.G.Korolenko, poet A.N.Pletsheyev.
Among survivals of Sumy city past are the Cathedral of the Transfiguration (1776-1788) and the Church of Resurrection (1702).
Sumy Sobornaya (Cathedral) street
Sumy city stadium
Sumy World War II memorial
Sumy city tank T-34
Sumy city Altanka
Sumy Voskresenskaya church
Sumy Spaso-Preobrazhensky cathedral
ask a question about Sumy city to our Expert
contact us by email, if you have any proposals
Rate this page:
