Sumy Oblast

The Sumy Oblast is situated in the northeastern part of Ukraine. It is situated on a border of two historical regions of Ukraine — Cossack Hetmanate (annexed by Russia in the 18th century as Little Russia, previously known as Severia) and Sloboda Ukraine. Elevation is 110–240m above sea level.[4] The area of the oblast (23,800 km²), comprises about 3.95% of the total area of the country.

The oblast borders Bryansk Oblast (Russia) on the northeast, Belgorod Oblast and Kursk Oblast (Russia) on the east, Poltava Oblast on the southwest, Kharkiv Oblast on the south, and the Chernihiv Oblast on the west.

Seven main rivers flow through the oblast, with the Desna River the largest.[4]

The region was created on the ukase of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on 10 January 1939 as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The newly created Sumy Oblast included 12 former raions of Kharkiv Oblast, 17 former raions of Chernihiv Oblast, and 2 former raions of Poltava Oblast.

During the World War II in 1941–43, it was occupied by the Nazi Germany under administration of the German Wehrmacht. After the German forces were driven out the Soviet Union regained control of the region under jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1965 one of former Chernihiv Oblast raions (Talalaivka Raion) was returned to Chernihiv Oblast.

The following historic-cultural sited were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

• Monument to mamonth (Kulishivka)
• Kruhliy dvir (Round court)
• Sofroniiv monastery

It comprises 18 raions (districts), 15 cities, 7 city municipalities, 20 urban-type settlements, 384 village councils, and 1500 villages.

The following data incorporates the number of each type of administrative divisions of the Sumy Oblast:

• Administrative Center – 1 (Sumy)
• Raions – 18;
• City raions – 2;
• Settlements – 1526, including:
  • Villages – 1491;
  • Cities/Towns – 35, including:
    • Urban-type settlement – 20;
    • Cities – 15, including:
      • Cities of oblast subordinance – 7;
      • Cities of raion subordinance – 8;
• Selsovets – 384.

The local administration of the oblast is controlled by the Sumy Oblast council. The governor of the oblast (chairman of state regional administration) is appointed by the President of Ukraine.

Detailed map of Sumy Oblast.

Note: Asterisks (*) Though the administrative center of the rayon is housed in the city/town that it is named after, cities do not answer to the rayon authorities only towns do; instead they are directly subordinated to the oblast government and therefore are not counted as part of rayon statistics.

The Sumy Oblast contains 168 objects and territories of natural reserve. The oblast is rich in picturesque banks of numerous rivers, and sources of mineral waters. Major environmental problems are: soil erosion, pesticide pollution, air and water pollution. The city has a problem of garbage utilization. The only place for pesticide utilization in Ukraine is Shostka, Sumy region.

• Viktor Yushchenko – 3rd President of Ukraine (2005–2010); Khoruzhivka village
• Yevhen Adamtsevych – a Ukrainian bandurist, the author of Zaporizhian March
• Oleksi Berest – one of the soldiers who hoisted the Victory Banner in Berlin and a posthumous Hero of Ukraine.
• Dmitry Chechulin – architect; born Shostka 1901
• Andrei Chikatilo – murdered at least 52 people between 1978 and 1990
• Thomas de Hartmann, composer
• Oleh Husyev – Ukrainian internal footballer
• Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub – WW2 ace and air marshal of the Soviet Union.
• Natalia Ivanovna Sedova – Wife of Leon Trotsky, born Romny 1882
• Stephen Timoshenko – the father of modern engineering mechanics (1878-1972)

Most of Ukraine's oblasts are named after their capital cities, officially referred to as "oblast centers" (Ukrainian: обласний центр, translit. oblasnyi tsentr). The name of each oblast is a relative adjective, formed by adding a feminine suffix to the name of respective center city: Sumy is the center of the Sums’ka oblast (Sumy Oblast). Most oblasts are also sometimes referred to in a feminine noun form, following the convention of traditional regional place names, ending with the suffix "-shchyna", as is the case with the Sumy Oblast, Sumshchyna.

• Subdivisions of Ukraine

• State Administration of Sumy Oblast – official site (in Ukrainian)
• Information Card of the Region – official site of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
• Independent regional Web-portal – news, features, entertainment & tourism info (in Ukrainian)