Volyn Oblast

Volyn Oblast Волинська область Volyns’ka oblast’
Oblast
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Volyn, Wołyń
Country	Ukraine
Administrative center	Lutsk
Government
• Governor	Volodymyr Hunchyk[1] (Petro Poroshenko Bloc)
• Oblast council	80 seats
• Chairperson	Valentyn Viter (Batkivshchyna)
Area
• Total	20,144 km^2 (7,778 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 20th
Population (2006)
• Total	1,036,891
• Rank	Ranked 24th
• Density	51/km^2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	43xxx-45xxx
Area code	+380-33
ISO 3166 code	UA-07
Raions	16
Cities (total) — Regional cities	11 4
Urban-type settlements	22
Villages	1053
FIPS 10-4	UP24
Website	www.voladm.gov.ua

Volyn Oblast (Ukrainian: Волинська область, translit. Volyns’ka oblast’, Polish: Obwód wołyński; also referred to as Volyn’ or Wołyń) is an oblast (province) in north-western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Lutsk. Kovel is the westernmost town and the last station in Ukraine of the rail line running from Kiev to Warsaw. Population: 1,042,918 (2015 est.)^[2]

History

See also: Volhynia for earlier history

Volyn was once part of Kievan Rus' before becoming an independent local principality and an integral part of the Halych-Volynia, one of Kievan Rus' successor states. In the 15th century, the area came under the control of neighbouring Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in 1569 passing over to Poland and then in 1795, until World War I, to the Russian Empire where it was a part of the Volynskaya Guberniya. In the interwar period most of the territory, organized as Wołyń Voivodeship was under Polish control.

In 1939 when following the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact Poland was invaded and divided by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Volyn joined the Soviet Ukraine, and on December 4, 1939 the oblast was organized.

Volyn Oblast districts.

Many Ukrainians rejoiced at the "reunification", but the Polish minority suffered a cruel fate. Thousands of Poles, especially retired Polish officers and intelligentsia were deported to Siberia and other areas in the depths of the Soviet Union. A high proportion of these deportees died in the extreme conditions of Soviet labour camps and most were never able to return to Volyn again.

In 1941 Volyn along with the Soviet Union was invaded by the Nazi Germany's Barbarossa Offensive. Nazis alongside Ukrainian collaborators completed their holocaust of the Jews of Volhynia in late 1942.

Partisan activity started in Volyn in 1941, soon after German occupation. Partisans were involved in the Rail War campaign against German supply lines and were known for their efficiency in gathering intelligence and for sabotage. The region formed the basis of several networks and many members of the local population served with the partisans. The Poles in the area became part of the Polish Home Army, which often undertook operations with the partisan movement.

UPA initially supported Nazi Germany which had in turn supported them with financing and weaponry before the start of World War two. Many served in the various RONA and SS units. Once they became disillusioned with the Nazi program, they independently began to target all non Ukrainians (Poles, Jews, Russians, among others) for liquidation. Some 30,000 to 60,000 Poles, Czechs, remaining Jews, and Ukrainians who tried to help others escape (Polish sources gave even higher figures) and later, around 2,000 or more Ukrainians were killed in retaliation (see Massacres of Poles in Volhynia).

In January 1944 the Red Army recaptured the territory from the Nazis.

In the immediate aftermath of World War II the Polish-Soviet border was redrawn based on the Curzon line. Volyn, along with the neighbouring provinces became an integral part of the Ukrainian SSR. Most Poles who remained in the eastern region were forced to leave to the Recovered Territories of western Poland (the former easternmost provinces of Germany) whose German population had been expelled. Some of the Ukrainians on the western side, notably around the city of Kholm (Chełm in Polish), were also forcibly relocated to Ukraine.

The area underwent rapid industrialisation including the construction of the Lutskiy Avtomobilnyi Zavod. Nevertheless, the area remains one of the most rural throughout the former Soviet Union. It currently ranks amongst Ukraine's poorest areas, likely due to a lack of investment and a declining infrastructure.

Historical sites

The following historical-cultural sites were nominated in 2007 for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

• Upper Castle
• Volodymyr-Volynsky historical-cultural complex
• Villa-museum of Lesia Ukrainka
• Painting of the Holm's Virgin Mary

Politics

Former Chairmen of Oblast Council

• 2006 – Vasyl Dmytruk Lytvyn's Bloc
• 2006 – Anatoliy Hrytsiuk

Subdivisions

Detailed map of Volyn Oblast.

The Volyn Oblast is administratively subdivided into 16 raions (districts), as well as 4 cities (municipalities) which are directly subordinate to the oblast government: Kovel, Novovolynsk, Volodymyr-Volynskyi, and the administrative center of the oblast, Lutsk.

Raions of the Volyn Oblast

	In English	In Ukrainian	Administrative Center
	Horokhivskyi Raion	Горохівський район Horokhivs'kyi raion	Horokhiv (City)
	Ivanychivskyi Raion	Іваничівський район Ivanychivs'kyi raion	Ivanychi (Urban-type settlement)
	Kamin-Kashyrskyi Raion	Камінь-Каширський район Kamin'-Kashyrs'kyi raion	Kamin-Kashyrskyi (City)
	Kivertsivskyi Raion	Ківерцівський район Kivertsivs'kyi raion	Kivertsi (City)
	Kovelskyi Raion	Ковельський район Kovels'kyi raion	Kovel (City)
	Lokachynskyi Raion	Локачинський район Lokachyns'kyi raion	Lokachi (Urban-type settlement)
	Lutskyi Raion	Луцький район Luts'kyi raion	Lutsk (City)
	Lyubeshivskyi Raion	Любешівський район Lyubeshivs'kyi raion	Lyubeshiv (Urban-type settlement)
	Lyubomlskyi Raion	Любомльський район Lyubomls'kyi raion	Lyuboml (City)
	Manevytskyi Raion	Маневицький район Manevyts'kyi raion	Manevychi (City)
	Ratnivskyi Raion	Ратнівський район Ratnivs'kyi raion	Ratne (Urban-type settlement)
	Rozhyshchenskyi Raion	Рожищенський район Rozhyshchens'kyi raion	Rozhysche (City)
	Shatskyi Raion	Шацький район Shats'kyi raion	Shatsk (City)
	Starovyzhivskyi Raion	Старовижівський район Starovyzhivs'kyi raion	Stara Vyzhivka (Urban-type settlement)
	Turiyskyi Raion	Турійський район Turiys'kyi raion	Turiysk (Urban-type settlement)
	Volodymyr-Volynskyi Raion	Володимир-Волинський район Volodymyr-Volynskyi raion	Volodymyr-Volynskyi (City)

Age structure

0–14 years: 19.0% (male 101,739/female 95,332)

15–64 years: 68.2% (male 344,359/female 363,116)

65 years and over: 12.8% (male 42,221/female 90,463) (2013 official)

Median age

total: 35.7 years

male: 33.2 years

female: 38.3 years (2013 official)

References

1. "Poroshenko appointed the Volynsk governor the head of the local campaign headquarters Gunchik". NEWS.PN. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
2. "Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine)" (PDF) (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 1 March 2016.

External links

• Volyn Oblast State Administration (Ukrainian)
• Volyn Region (Newspaper) (Ukrainian)
• Picture album (Ukrainian)

Coordinates: 50°44′29″N 25°21′14″E / 50.74139°N 25.35389°E