City Spotlight

 

Steeped in history and one of the educational and cultural centers of the country, Chernivtsi shares much in common with other western Ukrainian cities while maintaining its own unique charm. The city architecture features a blend of European and Asian influences, unusual in the region. The harmony of mysterious antiquity and striking modernity affords the peculiar opportunity of strolling through the old town among 18th and 19th century buildings and unexpectedly coming across the Alley of Stars tribute to Ukrainian pop stars. Compact like its sister cities in the west of Ukraine, its 150 sq. km. and 240,000 inhabitants can boast of a rich sense of tradition, political vibrancy, and a reemerging industrial sector which is burgeoning after a period of decline and malaise.

 

The distinctive spirit and vitality of Chernivtsi was largely determined by the city’s history. Like many other cities in the region, Chernivtsi started as a fortress. The defenses were constructed of a black oak called Chern’ that lent its name to the environs. With the city in ruins after a 1259 Mongol invasion, residents settled on the right bank of the Prut River and founded the settlement which became Chernivtsi. The city commemorates its founding on October 18 based on the earliest written records which date back to 1408.

 

The city benefited economically and culturally from its location on the crossroads of trade routes between northwestern Europe through the Balkans to Turkey. During its long history, Chernivtsi and the Bukovyna region have come under the rule of various powers including Hungary, Moldova, and Turkey. Recent history has seen the city as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1774, under Romanian rule in 1918, and recognized as a regional seat in Soviet Ukraine in 1940. Today, Chernivtsi sits proudly within the borders of an independent Ukraine.

 

The city truly began to flourish and adopt a European flavor when, in 1864, it was granted the right of municipal self-government. Along with its bustling markets and upstart industrial endeavors, Chernivtsi also became an international transportation center. The city grew rapidly with modern infrastructure including water and sewage systems, a power plant, and tram service. Noteworthy architecture from the mid to late 19th century through the early 20th century includes the Town Hall (1848), the Post Office (1855), the Armenian Church (1875), the Jewish Synagogue (1877), the residence of the Bukovyna metropolitan (1882), the drama theater (1905), the Hall of Justice (1906), and the railway station (1908).

 

These years were also a time of educational and cultural growth. Emperor Franz Joseph‘s 1875 decree led to the founding of a university in the city. The central figure around Ukrainian literature in Chernivtsi and the Bukovyna region was local hero Yuriy Fedkovych. Indeed, many writers and poets who have enriched the Ukrainian literary world also have Chernivtsi roots among them Olga Kobylianska, Sydir Vorobkevych, Yevhenia Yaroshynska, Osyp Makovey, Ivan Bazhanskyi, Iryna Vil’de, Dmytro Zahyla. Other talented artists hailing from the area include renowned tenor Joseph Schmidt, the accomplished artists Sidi Tal and Danylo Narbuut, national award winner Nazaryi Yaremchuk, as well as composers Volodymyr Ivasiuk and Bohdan Kryzhanivskyi. The city continues to uphold its rich tradition of art appreciation through a variety of cultural centers such as a music and drama theater (named after Kobylianska), a regional philharmonic society, an organ music hall, a puppet theater, a museum of local lore, history, and economy, an art and literary memorial museum, a museum of folk life and architecture, as well as numerous movie houses, libraries, music and art schools.

 

The city has 18 institutions of higher education including the Bukovyna State Medical Academy, the Institute of Trade and Economy, the Institute of Economy and Law, the Bukovyna State Institute of Finance and Economy, and the city’s largest educational institution, the National University named after Yuriy Fedkovych. With thirteen departments offering a wide spectrum of disciplines from natural sciences to liberal arts, the university boasts an enrollment of over 12,000 students. It has become a national scientific center in the areas of theoretical and applied research in a variety of fields. Course offerings in technical areas include the science of semi-conductors; the development of new materials, microcircuits and devices for optic, radio-, and microelectronic; static optics, and holography. Studies related to Ukraine focus on the nation’s ecology, geography, literature, language, and history. A member of the International Organization of Universities Phi Beta Delta (USA), the university maintains contacts through student and teacher exchange programs with educational and research institutions in the US, Canada, Austria, Germany, Poland, Romania, China, the former Yugoslavian republics, Israel, and other countries.

 

Secondary education in Chernivtsi is provided by 53 schools, 46 providing instruction in the Ukrainian language with the balance offering it in Romanian and Russian; a breakdown which corresponds proportionally to the ethnic composition of the city. Indeed, national census figures from 2001 indicate that city residents represent 65 nationalities. The largest numbers are Ukrainians (189,000 or 79.8%), followed by Russians, Romanians, Moldavians, Poles, Jews, and Byelorussians. With a workforce numbering 198,600, 140,200 of whom work in the city, the average monthly income reached UAH 310.43 in 2002.

 

The Chernivtsi City Council Department of Economy lists 76 large enterprises operating in the area representing ten sectors of the economy. Overall, the economic condition is stabilizing with increased production in cellulose and paper, printing, metallurgy, machine building, food processing and agriculture. Joint-stock companies showing a significant rise in production include the meat processing and packing factory ChernivtsiMyasoPromService, the dairy MiskMolZavod, Trembita, along with machine-building and chemical plants, an oil-mill operation, a brickworks, and companies such as Akzent LTD, Voskhod, Industria, Kvartz, and Rozma. Joint ventures such as Konftrem, Suzirya have also contributed to the healthy economic outlook. The number of small and medium enterprises in the region continues to increase. Today, over 1500 SMEs employ about 17,000 people.

 

Good relations with neighboring Moldova and Romania contribute significantly to the city’s economy. Brisk trade between these countries and the Chernivtsi area is constantly growing, especially in the areas of woodworking and agriculture. The city governors hold high hopes for establishing cooperative lines of trade with other countries. In particular, during his last visit to the city, German ambassador Ditmar Schtuderman displayed interest in developing mutually beneficial ties focusing on tourism and transport opportunities.

 

Despite the optimism, there are a number of challenges that could disrupt future development prospects on both domestic and international fronts. Technical underdevelopment leads to the inefficient use of production capacity and an inferior and uncompetitive final product while light industry is heavily dependent on the volume of foreign orders. The economic potential of exploiting the city’s natural habitat for recreation remains unrealized. With ensconced political powers, particularly city and regional authorities, bickering over the right to control major enterprises, the local economy remains unstable. Still, analysts predict that, with the appointment of Mykhailo Romaniv as governor in July 2003, there is new hope for pursuing a focused policy of growth since both he and the city mayor belong to the same political group.

 

The politics of Chernivtsi resemble that of other western Ukrainian cities: the townspeople favor opposition parties but the SDPU(o) and the For Ukraine United (FUU) parties are in power. The FUU is not popular in the city; in the 2002 parliamentary elections, it failed to muster the critical 4% needed for representation. On the contrary, the popular city mayor Mykola Fedoruk has brought many of his supporters into the SDPU(o) fold, and the newly appointed Romaniv solidifies the party’s current status. Meanwhile the Communist Party of Ukraine has lost its popularity receiving 6% fewer votes during the last elections than in 1998 when it enjoyed the highest percent of popular vote. Viktor Yushchenko’s Our Ukraine bloc won the last parliamentary elections with almost as many votes as all other parties combined. Opposition parties enjoyed a second place finish in the region, too, as Yulia Tymoshenko’s bloc (YTB) finished in second-place, but a third Socialist opposition party failed to meet the required 4%.

 

Beyond economic ties, relations with Romania and Moldova are an important factor that influences political life of Chernivtsi. The city cooperates closely with Moldova in economic, cultural, and political spheres. For instance, in November 2003, Mayor Fedoruk acted as an observer from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe at local elections in the Gauzia region of Moldova. During her working visit to Chernivtsi, Yevhenia Ostapchuk, the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, characterized relations between the two countries this way: “We are united by family ties and by the political task of helping our people.” Unfortunately, relations between Chernivtsi and Moldova are clouded by recurring border incidents and minor territorial disputes. While on the whole, relations between Chernivtsi and Moldova can be characterized as positive, relations between Chernivtsi and Romania are much more complicated. Tensions tend to disrupt delicate ethnic issues throughout the region, but all parties remain cooperative in economic and educational efforts, and continue friendly political visits and cultural exchanges.

 

A rich historical heritage, natural resources and geographic location play a key role in the development of Chernivtsi. Like other Ukrainian cities, Chernivtsi has its problems, but thanks to abundant natural resources and their wise use, the economic situation in the region is stabilizing, as demonstrated by growing production rates and investment. An important factor in the economic revival is the policy of local authorities, which promotes international cooperation. The political situation in the city is stable because the different political forces cooperate for the benefit of the city. Chernivtsi has an established tradition as the educational and cultural center of Bukovyna and has always been receptive to innovation. This is why one can expect to see the city develop, and its economy and the well-being of its citizens to improve.