Zaporizhzhya region is the birthplace of the Cossack liberty, it is the land of freedom-loving, faithful to their Christian Orthodox faith Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, it is the cradle of the world’s first democratic republic.
The region was formed on January 10, 1939, its territory is 27200 square kilometers, and the population is 1548.2 thousand people, the administrative center — the city of Zaporozhye.
Good natural and climatic conditions contributed to the settlement of the territory in the early Paleolithic times. Archaeologists found sites and household items of ancient man near Fedorovka village; settlements of the late Paleolithic and Bronze Age were found near Zaporizhzhya. At different times this territory was inhabited by Scythians, who founded the capital of Scythia on the banks of the Dnieper — Kamenskoye settlement, Huns, Avars, Khozars, as well as Pechenegs. In the middle of XI century the Azov steppes were seized by Polovtsians, in the beginning of 12 century their tribes were defeated by Russian princes on the river Nolochnaya. Then for two centuries the population of the Zaporizhian region was under the oppression of the Golden Horde, and after its collapse Lithuania rushed to the territories of the south-eastern lands, to which the Golden Horde Khan Tokhmatysh in 1397 transferred a part of the Wild Field, the rest of the lands were considered to be no man’s land.
At the end of the XV century in the Zaporizhian region Cossacks emerged, the main base of which became the Dnieper island Khortitsa. The Turkic word «Cossack» had different meanings: it meant «guard», «robber», and «steppe hunter», and often it meant free, «no man’s land» people, who practiced arms. The bulk of Cossacks were peasants who had run away from their masters. In the lower reaches of the Dnieper, Cossacks built fortifications, united into armed detachments that repelled attacks of the Tatars and organized campaigns against towns and villages of the Crimean Tatars, as well as controlled trade navigation on the Dnieper. Zaporizhian Cossacks took an active part in peasant uprisings and national liberation struggle against Polish enslavers under the leadership of B. Khmelnitsky. The Tsarist government could not tolerate the freedom-loving republic on the Dnieper, and on his order Russian troops under the command of General Tekeliya in July 1775 insidiously destroyed the Zaporizhian Sich — a stronghold of Cossack freethinking. After the Zaporizhian region became a part of tsarist Russia in the period of formation of capitalist relations, the territory was intensively settled by German colonists, Russian settlers, Jews, Bulgarians and other peoples. Rich black earth lands gave generous harvests of grain, vegetable and melon crops, fruit orchards bore abundantly. From the beginning of the XIX century in the region began to develop an industry for processing agricultural products.
Accelerated development of the economic potential of the region took place in the XX century. In 1932, the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest power plant in Europe at that time, was put into operation, which triggered the development of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises based on raw materials imported from other parts of Ukraine.
Nowadays Zaporizhzhya region is a large industrial, agricultural region of the state. In the region works «Zaporizhzhya Aluminum Combine» — the only in Ukraine aluminum producer, known in the world
Zaporizhzhya Aluminum Combine — the only aluminum producer in Ukraine, world-known metallurgical plant «Zaporizhstal», «Titan-Magnesium Combine» — producer of sponge titanium, world-famous JSC «Motor Sich» — producer of aircraft engines for airplanes and helicopters and many other (over 160) large industrial enterprises.
Zaporizhzhya region occupies the leading position among the producers of agricultural products and food industry products. The central place in crop production is occupied by grain crops, sunflower, vegetables and melons. The network of scientific, cultural and medical institutions is widely developed: in the region there are more than 30 higher and secondary educational institutions, 5 theaters, concert halls, philharmonics, many palaces of culture.
Zaporizhzhya region is rich in historical sights. Undoubtedly, tourists will be interested in the amazing monuments of ancient Russian history. Hundreds of burial mounds dot the territory of the region, more than 20 monuments of the Neolithic era have been found, among which unique is the stone tomb near Melitopol — a hulk of sandy blocks, under which on the walls of the grottoes are embossed images of a sorcerer, bulls, horses and other amazing drawings. Among the Scythian monuments are the remains of the Kamensky settlement near Kamenka-Dneprovskaya. Many historical monuments are located on the territory of Zaporizhzhya, including the famous museum of the history of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks national reserve «Khortitsa», Lenin Dnepropetrovsk Hydroelectric Power Plant and other attractive sights.
In the region there are many historical-memorial and local history museums, there are 299 territories and objects of natural reserve fund, including 191 nature reserves, 95 natural monuments, 20 monuments of garden and park art.
Tourist services are provided by dozens of companies and many private entrepreneurs.
Come, you will be welcomed with hospitality and unforgettable acquaintance with the amazing history of the beautiful Zaporozhye region.