Volyn Oblast

Volyn Oblast () or simply Volyn (), is an oblast (province) in northwestern Ukraine. It borders Rivne Oblast to the east, Lviv Oblast to the south, Poland to the west and Belarus to the north. Its administrative centre is Lutsk. Kovel is the westernmost town and the last station in Ukraine on the rail line running from Kyiv to Warsaw. The population is

History

Volyn was once part of the Kievan Rus' before becoming an independent local principality and an integral part of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, one of Kievan Rus' successor states. In the 15th century, the area came under the control of the 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 Poland was invaded and divided by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union following the Molotov–Ribbentrop pact, Volyn was joined to Soviet Ukraine, and on December 4, 1939, the oblast was organized.

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 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 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 II. 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 extermination. 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 in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.

The area underwent rapid industrialisation including the construction of the Lutsk automobile factory (LuAZ). Nevertheless, the area remains one of the most rural throughout the former Soviet Union.

Demography According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, ethnic Ukrainians accounted for 96.9% of the population of Volyn Oblast, and ethnic Russians for 2.4%. Етнічний склад населення України, 2001 рікБанк даних, перепис 2001 року

Language

The Russification of Ukraine carried out during the Soviet era had little to no effect on the Volyn Oblast: the share of Ukrainian-speakers in the region in 1959—1989 fluctuated around 94—95%. Native language of the population of Volyn Oblast according to the results of population censuses:Итоги Всесоюзной переписи населения 1959 года: Украинская ССР, стр. 168—193Численность и состав населения СССР: по данным Всесоюзной переписи населения 1979 года. Центральное статистическое управление СССР, 1984Чорний С. Національний склад населення України в ХХ сторіччі (2001)Итоги Всесоюзной переписи населения 1970 года. Том IV — М., Статистика, 1973 1959197019892001 Ukrainian94.0%94.8%94.5%97.3% Russian5.0%4.8%5.1%2.5% Other1.0%0.4%0.4%0.2%

Native language of the population of the raions, cities, and city councils of Volyn Oblast according to the 2001 Ukrainian census: UkrainianRussian Volyn Oblast 97.3%2.5% City of Lutsk 92.9%6.8% City of Volodymyr 94.5%5.2% City of Kovel 95.8%3.9% Novovolynsk (city council) 94.4%5.2% Volodymyr-Volynskyi Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 98.8%1.0% Horokhiv Raion 99.2%0.6% Ivanychi Raion 99.0%0.8% Kamin-Kashyrskyi Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 99.6%0.3% Kivertsi Raion 98.6%1.2% Kovel Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 99.0%0.8% Lokachi Raion 99.4%0.5% Lutsk Raion(in pre-2020 borders) 98.8%1.0% Liubeshiv Raion 99.5%0.3% Liuboml Raion 99.1%0.8% Manevychi Raion 99.3%0.6% Ratne Raion 99.2%0.5% Rozhyshche Raion 99.0%0.8% Stara Vyzhivka Raion 99.5%0.4% Turiisk Raion 99.1%0.8% Shatsk Raion 98.7%0.9%

Ukrainian is the only official language on the whole territory of Volyn Oblast.

On 20 December 2018, a moratorium on the public use of Russian-language cultural products was imposed in Volyn Oblast by a decision of the Volyn Oblast Council.

According to a poll conducted by Rating from 16 November to 10 December 2018 as part of the project «Portraits of Regions», 85% of the residents of Volyn Oblast believed that the Ukrainian language should be the only state language on the entire territory of Ukraine. 10% believed that Ukrainian should be the only state language, while Russian should be the second official language in some regions of the country. 3% believed that Russian should become the second state language of the country. 2% found it difficult to answer.

On 13 July 2023, Volyn Oblast Council approved the «Comprehensive Programme for the Development and Functioning of the Ukrainian Language in Volyn Oblast for 2023—2026», the main objectives of which are to strengthen the positions of the Ukrainian language in various spheres of public life in the oblast and to Ukrainianize the refugees from other regions of Ukraine.

According to the research of the Content Analysis Centre, conducted from 15 August to 15 September 2024, the topic of which was the ratio of Ukrainian and Russian languages in the Ukrainian segment of social media, 89.5% of posts from Volyn Oblast were written in Ukrainian (88.3% in 2023, 88.8% in 2022, 51.3% in 2020), while 10.5% were written in Russian (11.7% in 2023, 11.2% in 2022, 48.7% in 2020).

After Ukraine declared independence in 1991, Volyn Oblast, as well as Ukraine as a whole, experienced a gradual Ukrainization of the education system, which had been RussifiedBarbara A. Anderson and Brian D. Silver, "Equality, Efficiency, and Politics in Soviet Bilingual Education Policy, 1934-1980," American Political Science Review 78 (December 1984): 1019-1039. during the Soviet era. Dynamics of the ratio of the languages of instruction in general secondary education institutions in Volyn Oblast:«Статистичний щорічник України за 1998 рік» — К., 1999. — — Language of instruction, % of pupils 1991—1992 1992—1993 1993—1994 1994—1995 1995—1996 2000—2001 2005—2006 2007—2008 2010—2011 2012—2013 2015—2016 2018—2019 2021—2022 2022—2023 Ukrainian 94.6% 95.6% 96.7% 97.3% 98.0% 99.0% 99.7% 99.8% 99.8% 99.8% 99.9% 99.9% 100.0% 100.0% Russian 5.4% 4.4% 3.3% 2.7% 2.0% 1.0% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% — —

According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, in the 2023—2024 school year, all 140,494 pupils in general secondary education institutions in Volyn Oblast were studying in classes where Ukrainian was the language of instruction. —

Historical sites The following historical-cultural sites were nominated in 2007 for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine. Upper Castle Volodymyr historical-cultural complex Villa-museum of Lesia Ukrainka

Relics Painting of the Kholm's Virgin Mary

Politics Former Chairmen of Oblast Council 2006 – Vasyl Dmytruk Lytvyn's Bloc 2006 – Anatoliy Hrytsiuk

Subdivisions

The Volyn Oblast is administratively subdivided into 4 raions (districts).

Name Center Center population (thousand people) Area(km2) Population (thousand people) Hromadas Volodymyr Raion Volodymyr38,9 2558,2 174,7 11 Kamin-Kashyrskyi Raion Kamin-Kashyrskyi12,5 4693,4 132,4 5 Kovel Raion Kovel68,2 7647,9 271 23 Lutsk Raion Lutsk221,1 5247,8 457,3 15

Hromada Type Center Raion Lutsk city Lutsk Lutsk Volodymyr city Volodymyr Volodymyr Kovel city Kovel Kovel Novovolynsk city Novovolynsk Volodymyr Ustyluh city Ustyluh Volodymyr Zymne village Zymne Volodymyr Ovadne village Ovadne Volodymyr Berestechko city Berestechko Lutsk Horokhiv city Horokhiv Lutsk Marianivka town Marianivka Lutsk Ivanychi town Ivanychi Volodymyr Lytovezh village Lytovezh Volodymyr Pavlivka village Pavlivka Volodymyr Poromiv village Poromiv Volodymyr Kamin-Kashyrskyi city Kamin-Kashyrskyi Kamin-Kashyrskyi Soshychne village Soshychne Kamin-Kashyrskyi Kivertsi city Kivertsi Lutsk Olyka city Olyka Lutsk Tsuman town Tsuman Lutsk Holoby town Holoby Kovel Lublynets town Lublynets Kovel Velytsk village Velytsk Kovel Dubove village Dubove Kovel Kolodiazhne village Kolodiazhne Kovel Povorsk village Povorsk Kovel Lokachi town Lokachi Volodymyr Zaturtsi village Zaturtsi Volodymyr Torchyn town Torchyn Lutsk Boratyn village Boratyn Lutsk Horodyshche village Horodyshche Lutsk Pidhaitsi village Pidhaitsi Lutsk Liubeshiv town Liubeshiv Kamin-Kashyrskyi Liuboml city Liuboml Kovel Holovne town Holovne Kovel Vyshniv village Vyshniv Kovel Rivne village Rivne Kovel Kolky town Kolky Lutsk Manevychi town Manevychi Kamin-Kashyrskyi Prylisne village Prylisne Kamin-Kashyrskyi Zabolottia town Zabolottia Kovel Ratne town Ratne Kovel Velymche village Velymche Kovel Zabrody village Zabrody Kovel Samary village Samary Kovel Rozhyshche city Rozhyshche Lutsk Dorosyni village Dorosyni Lutsk Kopachivka village Kopachivka Lutsk Stara Vyzhivka town Stara Vyzhivka Kovel Dubechne village Dubechne Kovel Serekhovychi village Serekhovychi Kovel Smidyn village Smidyn Kovel Lukiv town Lukiv Kovel Turiisk town Turiisk Kovel Shatsk town Shatsk Kovel

Notable people

Oleh Skvira (born 2000), Ukrainian professional football player Vitaliy Kvartsyanyi (born 1953), Ukrainian football manager and former player Lesya Ukrainka (born February 25, 1871), Ukrainian poet and playwright

Gallery

Volyn Oblast

Bron en licentie