Cherkasy (, ) is a city in central Ukraine. Cherkasy serves as the administrative center of Cherkasy Oblast as well as Cherkasy Raion within the oblast. The city has a population of
Cherkasy is the cultural, educational and industrial center of Cherkasy Oblast and Central Economical Region of Ukraine. Cherkasy has been known since the 13th century and played a great role in the history of Ukraine. The city was the center of the land of the Cossacks; its citizens took part in Khmelnychchyna and Koliyivschyna (cossacks' and peasants' rebellions).
The city is located on the right bank of Dnieper River (specifically at the Kremenchuk Reservoir), about south of the nation's capital, Kyiv. Cherkasy is divided into 2 boroughs (raions): Sosnivskiy (with Orshanets village) and Pridniprovskiy. It hosts the administration of Cherkasy urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. In June 2011, the city celebrated its 725th anniversary.
Geography
Location
Cherkasy is situated on the high right bank of the Dnipro River, in the middle of the Kremenchuk Reservoir. Relief of the historical part of the city was influenced by Zamkova (Castle) mountain, where Cherkasy Castle was situated. The major part of Cherkasy occurs as lowlands.
The city occupies an area of . The city's length is along the Kremenchuk Reservoir, while its widest point is only .
From the north-west, Cherkasy is surrounded by forest. Known as Cherkaskiy Bir, it is the biggest () natural pine forest in Ukraine.
Climate
The climate of Cherkasy is mild continental, with mild winters and warm summers.
The average temperature in the city is . Winters are usually cold and snowy (the average January temperature is ). Summers are dry and warm (the average temperature in July is ), with occasional highs reaching .
Ecology
The ecological situation in the city is quite stable. The cumulative pollution index is 7.56, average with other Ukrainian cities. The main pollutant in the city is "Azot" plant, so the nearby area (south-east part of the city) is the most polluted. The downtown area is heavily polluted as well, due to high traffic volume. The city itself is mostly clean of nuclear pollution from the Chernobyl disaster, although the northernmost part of Cherkasy may have been influenced a little.
Demographics
According to the newest data, the number of inhabitants of Cherkasy is 284,479 as of 1 October 2015. This number is decreasing because of rising mortality rate, socio-economic situation, and the suburbanisation process in the region.
This diagram shows the changes of population in Cherkasy:
According to the 2001 census, Ukrainians made up 83.31% of the population, Russians 13.14% and Jews 0.55%. 46.4% are males, 53.6% are females. According to the data provided by the municipal health care department, teens under 14 encompass 15% of the population while pensioners are 19%, which indicates the prevalence of aging citizens as compared to younger citizens.
Language
Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:
According to a survey conducted by the International Republican Institute in April-May 2023, 80 % of the city's population spoke Ukrainian at home, and 18 % spoke Russian.
History
Early history
The history of Cherkasy has not been thoroughly explored. The year of establishment is considered by historians to be 1286 on the Kyivan Rus territory. There are few facts about the beginning of the city, but it is documented that Cherkasy existed in the 14th century. The first record about Cherkasy dates from 1305 in the Gustynskiy Chronicle, which is the Kyivan Rus chronicle. The city is mentioned as an existing city among other Kyivan Rus' cities, including Kyiv, Kaniv, Zhytomyr and Ovruch.
The city became one of the centers of the Cossack movement. Citizens took part in the Khmelnychchyna of 1648-1657 and in the Koliyivschyna of 1768–1769. The city was influenced by the cruel social and economical experiments of Soviet authorities and by World War II. In 1954 Cherkasy became the administrative center of Cherkasy Oblast (province), the youngest oblast of Ukraine.
Under the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
In the 1360s the city entered a new period in its development, becoming a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Cherkasy became an important defender of the southern borders of the Grand Duchy. In 1384 the city was recognized as a fortified town on the southern edge (of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), forming along with Vinnytsia, Bratslav and Kaniv part of a defensive line against Crimean Tatars. The city started to be ruled by a headman (starosta).