Konotop

Konotop (Ukrainian and Russian Конотоп ); is a city in Sumy Oblast in north- eastern Ukraine with about 90,000 inhabitants ( 2013). Konotop is located 137 km northwest of the Oblasthauptstadt Sumy and is the administrative center of the homonymous Rajons as well as a major transportation center. The town also includes the villages of Pidlypne (Ukrainian Підлипне, 4.015 inhabitants), Komsomolska Komuna (Ukrainian Комсомольська Комуна, 531 inhabitants) and Lobkiwka (Ukrainian Лобківка, 136 inhabitants).

History

The settlement Novoselicy ( Neusiedlung ) was founded in the early 17th century by the Ukrainian Cossacks. First mentioned in 1635, in 1642 a fort was built and named after the river Konotopka ( to German horses Moor ). In 1659 the Battle of Konotop took place here. 1782 Konotop received city rights conferred. 1897 lived in the town of 18,770 inhabitants, of whom 54.8 % Ukrainians, 23.5% Russians, 19.0% Jewish, 1.4% Belarusians, 0.7 % Polish and 0.35 % German.

After the city had in the 1980s still experiencing strong population growth of 82 278 (1979 ) to 95 549 inhabitants ( 1989), it has since been lost in the transformation crisis about 5 % of its population.

Economy and Transport

Economically, in particular the engineering of importance, followed by the light and food industries. Konotop is an important railway junction. From there, there are connections in the direction Bakhmach / Kiev, Bryansk and Sumy / Belgorod.

An important element in public transport of the city is the tram.