Cherkasy, city in east central Ukraine, capital of Cherkasy Oblast. Situated on the western bank of the Kremenchuk Reservoir of the Dnieper River, about 160 km (about 100 mi) southeast of Kyiv, Cherkasy is an industrial and cultural center. Its industries produce petroleum products, synthetic fibers, and chemicals, clothing, knitted and leather goods, machines for the food industry, construction materials, and food products, including sugar, milk, beer, canned goods and meat. Cherkasy has a teacher training institute, a civil engineering institute, and several other technical schools. Cultural points of interest include drama and puppet theaters, a philharmonic society, a planetarium, and a regional museum. The city is served by a river port, an airport, railways and highways.
Known since 1394, Cherkasy was a fortified city in the Kyiv principality of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After 1569 it became part of Poland, and played an important role in the Cossack rebellion in 1648. Cherkasy was one of the principal Cossack cities; from 1648 until 1686 it served as a Cossack regimental city. Reverting to Polish rule in 1667, it became part of the Russian Empire in 1793. During the second half of the 19th century Cherkasy developed into an agricultural processing center. After it became an oblast capital in 1954, Cherkasy grew significantly and began to develop its chemical industry. Population (1998 estimate) 311,000.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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