Sumy, city in northeastern Ukraine, capital of Sumy Oblast, on the Ps'ol River, about 145 km (about 90 mi) northwest of Kharkiv. A cultural and industrial center in a rich agricultural region growing grain and sugar beets, Sumy is served by highways, rail, and an airport. Manufactures of Sumy include machines, instruments (including electron microscopes), fertilizers, and paints; alcoholic beverages, sugar, meat, consumer goods, and building materials are also produced. Institutions include five professional institutes, two art museums, two theaters, and a regional museum. Architectural monuments include a 17th-century guildhall (hall where a guild assembles), and churches from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Founded by immigrant Cossacks from Bila Tserkva in 1652, Sumy served as the center of a Cossack regiment from 1658 to 1765. It was the seat of administration of all the Cossack regiments of Slobids'ka Ukrayina, a zone of Ukrainian Cossack military fortifications against the Tatars on the southern Russian frontier from 1732 to 1743. Beginning in 1765, Sumy served as either provincial or county center until the establishment of Sumy Oblast in 1939, when it again became provincial capital. Population (1998 estimate) 300,000.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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