Konotop

For other places with the same name, see Konotop (disambiguation).

Konotop Конотоп
City
Skyline of Konotop
Flag of Konotop Flag Official seal of Konotop Seal
Location of Konotop
Coordinates:
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Sumy
Founded	1635
Area
• Total	103 km2 (40 sq mi)
Elevation	171 m (561 ft)
Population (December 1, 2013)
• Total	92,687
Website	http://www.konotop-rada.gov.ua/

Konotop (Ukrainian: Конотоп, Ukrainian pronunciation: [konoˈtɔp]) is a city in northern Ukraine within the Sumy Oblast. Konotop is the center of the Konotop Raion (district), and is located about 129 km from Sumy, the Oblast capital. It is host to Konotop air base.

History

During the beginning of the 17th Century, Ukrainian Cossacks were first based in that area. The settlement was first mentioned in 1635 in various documents as Novoselitsa. In 1642 a Polish fortress was built in that place named after the river Konotopka. Probably the river disappeared, and another one was created, Yezuch. The fortification became a key point in the struggle against the Moscow state. Some historians suppose that Konotop was inhabited even before the Tatar-Mongolian invasion.

In 1659 the Battle of Konotop took place near the city, in which Ukrainian Cossacks led by Ivan Vyhovsky (allied with Poles and Crimean Tatars) defeated Muscovite forces. In 1782 Konotop was granted municipal rights.

During World War II, Konotop was occupied by the German Army from 3 September 1941 to 6 September 1943.

In 2015, the city elected a neo-Nazi mayor, Artem Semenikhin, who reportedly has the number "14/88" displayed on his car. Semenikhin has refused to display the city's official flag because it contains a star of David, and has implied that Jews were responsible for the Holodomor.

Economy and Transport

File:Konotop Zaliznychniy Vokzal 01 1 Svobody 23 (YDS 4419).JPG

Railway station

Konotop is an important mechanical engineering center, food production center, and an important transportation center. Various railroad connections from Konotop are: Moscow–Kiev, Simferopol–Minsk, Bakhmach–Kiev, Bryansk–Sumy/Belgrade. It is the smallest city in the country with its own tram system.

Gallery

• Konotop Mykolayivs'ka Tserkva 02 Petrovs'kogo 61 (YDS 4541).JPG

  St.Nikolas wooden Church

• Вознесенська церква Конотоп.JPG

  Ascension Church

• Konotop Sadyba Generala Dragomyrova Golovniy Budynok 01 Dragomyrova 18 (YDS 4528).JPG

  Mansion of general Mikhail Dragomirov

• Скульптура Коня на вул Бр. Радченків у Конотопі.jpg

  Horse statue in the downtown

• Konotop Myru 10 01 (YDS 4450).JPG

  Old town

• Konotop Likarnya Zaliznychnykiv Golovniy Korpus 04 Sadova 98 (YDS 4437).JPG

  Konotop Railway Hospital

• Buildings in Konotop (5).JPG

  School in Konotop

• Konotop Shkola 11 Svobody 8 (YDS 4411).JPG

  Old school in Konotop

• Trams in Konotop (16).JPG

  Konotop tram line

External links

• (Ukrainian) Official website
• JewUa.org – History of Jewish Community in Konotop