What we haven't talked about yet is the names of cities. Let's get started!
And let's start, perhaps, with the 24 regional centers of Ukraine and Simferopol, the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Note: Cities are listed alphabetically. Since the text is written in Russian, I also give the names of cities in Russian. In brackets is the corresponding Ukrainian name.

Vinnitsa (Vinnitsa)
Old names: Vennitsa, Vinitsya. It was first mentioned as the Venitsa fortress in 1363.
There is no generally accepted version of the origin of the name, but there are several assumptions. Firstly, the city stands on the Vinnychka River (Vіnnichka) and could well have received its name from the name of the river. This is most often the case, and the names of rivers, as is known, are much older than the names of settlements.
The second version derives the word Vinnitsa from the word “wine” - dowry, acquisition.
Another assumption derives the name from the word “vinnitsa” - distillery.

Dnepropetrovsk (Dnipropetrovsk)
Old names: Ekaterinoslav (Katerinoslav), Novorossiysk. Founded in 1776 by order of Potemkin and named in honor of Catherine II. In 1926, it was renamed Dnepropetrovsk (in honor of the Dnieper, the river on which the city is located, and G.I. Petrovsky, a revolutionary, a former employee of one of the city’s factories).

Donetsk (Donetsk)
Old names: Yuzovka, Stalino. It is difficult to name exactly the year the city was founded. In 1869-72, with the construction of a metallurgical plant, a village arose, which then merged with the older mining village of Aleksandrovka and the Ovechy farm.
The name Donetsk comes from the name of the Seversky Donets River (via "Donbass" - Donetsk coal basin).
Its namesake is the city of Donetsk in Rostov region Russia and Ukrainian city Severodonetsk is also named after the Seversky Donets River. (Although the name Severodonetsk is more often perceived as “Northern Donetsk”).

Zhytomyr (Zhytomyr)
Old names: Zhitomer, Zhitomel, Zhitoml. The time of foundation is unknown. First mentioned in chronicles in 1240.
Like many fairly old cities, the origin of the name has not been definitively determined. According to various versions, the name of the city comes from the name of the Drevlyan tribe of Zhitich; from the word “Zhytomyrnik” - “measuring zhito”; on behalf of Zhitom.

Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhya)
Old names: Alexandrovsky Forstadt, Alexandrovsk. Founded in 1770 as one of the seven fortresses of the Dnieper fortified line and named in honor of Alexander Golitsyn. Modern name transparent - a city lying below the Dnieper rapids ("beyond the rapids"). The rapids themselves are flooded by the reservoir.

Ivano-Frankivsk (Ivano-Frankivsk)
Old name: Stanislav. The first mention was in 1611, in a charter from the Polish king Sigismund III, authorizing the founding of the city.
The city received its old name on behalf of Stanislav Pototsky, the modern one - on behalf of I.Ya. Franco.

Kyiv (Kiev)
Well, everyone probably knows this. It is generally accepted that Kyiv was founded in the 5th century, although disputes about the exact time of its foundation are still ongoing. It is also generally accepted that Kyiv received its name from the name of the legendary prince (carrier, according to the Novgorod chronicles) Kiya. There is also the so-called Kujava concept, according to which the name of Kyiv comes from the Old Russian word “kujava” - “top of the mountain”.

Kirovograd (Kirovograd)
Old names: Elisavetgrad, Kirovo. Founded in 1754 by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna as a fortress of St. Elizabeth.
The modern name is given in honor of S.M. Kirov.

Lugansk (Lugansk)
Old name: Voroshilovgrad. Founded in 1797, at first it was a factory village, which over time merged with the village of Kamenny Brod and received the name Lugansk. Thus, the modern name of the city is the returned original name.
The name Lugansk comes from the Lugan River, on the banks of which the city stands. The name of the river comes from the word “meadow”.

Lutsk (Lutsk)
Old names: Lchsk, Lucesk, Lucesk the Great. It was first mentioned in chronicles in 1085.
The name comes from the word "luka" - a bend in the river.

Lviv (Lviv)
Founded in 1247. Rare case, when the origin of the name of such an old city does not cause much controversy. The city was named after Leo, the son of the Galician-Volyn prince Danylo Galitsky.

Nikolaev (Mikolaiv)
The date of the official foundation of the city is August 5, 1790. That's it, accurate to the day - because it was on this day that the frigate "St. Nicholas" was launched. What does the frigate have to do with it, you ask? Despite the fact that it was built at the Nikolaev shipyard, around which the city arose. And the shipyard itself was named so in honor of the storming of the Turkish fortress of Ochakov on December 6, 1788 - on the day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Odessa (Odesa)
The city was founded in 1794. Whole year was called Hadzhibey - after the name of the fortress next to which it was built. Then it was renamed Odessa - from the name of the ancient Greek colony of Odessos. Later, however, it turned out that this Greek colony was located on the territory of modern Bulgaria, but they did not change the name...

Poltava (Poltava)
The time of foundation is unknown. The first written mention is in 1430.
It is generally accepted that the name Poltava comes from the name of the Ltava river (literally “according to Ltava”). The Vorskla actually had such a tributary, then it decreased to a stream, and then completely dried up. The city stands at the confluence of this tributary with the Vorskla.
Until today, I was sure that this was the only and generally accepted version of the origin of the city’s name. It turned out that no: there is still an opinion that the word “Poltava” comes from “Paltava” - with the root “raft” (wattle fence, fence). Then "Poltava" means "Enclosing place", which is well suited to the city standing on the border with the Wild Field.

Rivne (Rivne)
The time of foundation is unknown. The first mention is in 1283.
It is believed that the name of the city comes from the Old Russian "rovn". That is, a city standing out of the blue. I wonder what correct translation the words "rіvne" in Russian are "even", not "even".

Simferopol (Simferopol)
Founded in 1784 on the site of the Tatar settlement Ak-Mechet ("White Mosque"). The name comes from the Greek “symfero” - “to collect, unite” and “polis” - “city”. It turns out to be a “gathering city”. A less accepted version derives the name of the city from the Greek word "simferon" - "useful, profitable."

Sumy (Sumi)
The year of foundation is 1652. The name comes from the name of the Suma (Sumka) River, at the confluence of which the city is located with the Psel River.

Ternopil (Ternopil)
Founded in the sixteenth century as a defensive fortress. First written mention - 1540
The name comes from the Polish word "tarn" - "turn". The area on which the city was built (Tarnopolye, Ternopil region) was covered with thorn thickets; at least that's what they say.

Uzhgorod (Uzhgorod)
Old names: Ungvar, Ungorod.
The time of foundation is unknown. In VIII-IX centuries. on the site of Uzhgorod there was a Slavic settlement, the original name of which has not reached us. In the XI century. The city fell under the rule of the Hungarian feudal lords and received the name Ungvar (from “Ung” - the Hungarian name for the Uzh River and “var” - “city, fortress”). The modern name of the city comes from the name of the Uzh River, which is believed to be derived from the word "supper" - "bottleneck".

Kharkov (Kharkiv)
First mention - 1654. The name of the city comes from the name of the Kharkov River. But the name of the Kharkov river has not yet received a satisfactory explanation. There is a version that the name Kharkov comes from the name of the Polovtsian Khan Sharukan.

Kherson (Kherson)
Founded in 1778 as a shipyard and fortress. Named after the ancient Greek city of Chersonesos. The word "Chersonese" is ancient Greek dialect word, meaning "peninsula".

Khmelnitsky (Khmelnitsky)
Old names: Ploskurov, Proskurov. The time of foundation is unknown. The first mention dates back to 1493. In 1954 the city was renamed in honor of Bohdan Khmelnitsky.

Cherkassy (Cherkasy)
The first written mention is in 1394. The origin of the name is not precisely established; According to one version, the name comes from the word “Cherkasy” - “warrior, warlike person.” According to another version, in 1284 the Circassians founded the Circassian (Cherkasy) fort, which gave rise to the city. It is known from the chronicles that the Circassians took part in the campaigns of the Kyiv and Chernigov princes against the Polovtsians and Pechenegs.

Chernivtsi (Chernivtsi)
The first written mention is in 1407. It is believed that the city was founded in the 12th century. around the fortress built by Yaroslav Osmomysl.
The exact origin of the name is unknown. According to one version, the name comes from the word “chern” - “black”. According to another - from the surname Cherny. According to the third version, the city was founded by Chernivtsi - immigrants from the city of Cherna (Chernova).

Chernihiv (Chernihiv)
Founding date unknown. The first written mention is 907.
The origin of the name is unknown. According to different versions, it comes from the personal name Chernig; from the Black Forest; from blueberries; on behalf of the legendary Siversk prince Cherny... All these versions according to various reasons not very convincing, therefore it was suggested that the name Chernigov was assimilated from an older one, unknown form.

Used literature:
M.P. Yanko. Toponymic dictionary of Ukraine.
A.P. Koval. Known and unknown. Pokhodzhennya is the name of the settlement of Ukraine.

Old chronicles report that the city of Lviv was founded by Prince Danila Galitsky in 1256. However, Lviv residents like to tell a romantic legend about the origin of their city.
Once upon a time, on the site of the future Lviv, near high mountains small villages huddled together. The mountains were covered with large forests, and the peasants successfully took refuge there from enemy attacks.
But one day their luck turned away from them, people began to disappear. It turned out that the king of beasts, the lion, was stealing them. He lies in wait for those who dare to walk alone in the forest, stuns them with a blow of his mighty paw and eats them in his cave. Panic gripped all the villages in the area.
One day a brave knight appeared in the tavern and promised to kill the predator. He asked to forge his armor and sword of such strength that no force could break or bend them.
The village blacksmiths worked day and night, but to no avail. It seemed that the fate of the ill-fated area was predetermined.
A certain wanderer learned about this misfortune and wandered into a tavern near the forge to get some food. He said he knew how to defeat the beast. Let all the young girls prick their little fingers with needles and drop two or three drops of blood into a common vat, where they will need to dip their weapons and armor.
That's what the peasants did. And the lion’s fangs and claws with the enchanted armor could not do anything. And the knight cut off the head of the fierce and bloodthirsty lion with a magic sword, and then put it on the sword and showed it to the people.
- You are free!
Since then, the mountain where this story took place was nicknamed Leo Mountain, and the city that grew under the mountain was called Lvov.

Lutsk

City of Lutsk - administrative center Volyn region, with a population of 209.2 thousand inhabitants and covers an area of ​​more than 42 sq. km. The city of Lutsk is located in the north-west of Ukraine, 150 km from the borders with Poland and Belarus. One of the oldest cities in Ukraine, the first mention of the city of Lutsk dates back to 1085. The modern name of the city - Lutsk - comes from the older name Louchesk or Luchesk. There is no consensus on the origin of this word. but there are many versions of the origin of the name of the city of Lutsk, and here are some assumptions: the name comes from the word Luk, like a bend in the river; the name Lutsk is associated with the name of the leader of the East Slavic Duleb tribe - Luka, who founded this city; The name Lutsk is of Celtic origin, and just like Lyon and London comes from the name of the god Lugh.

Now the city of Lutsk is the core of the Lutsk industrial hub, which also includes the city of Kivertsi. City of Lutsk has many historical monuments, one of the most popular is the Intercession Church, built in the 13-15th centuries. Prince Witold. The church was reconstructed in 1873-76, where the icon of the Volyn Mother of God was located - a masterpiece of art of the 13-14th century. Hotel in Lutsk is always ready to accommodate city guests who come to Lutsk, either passing through, making a business trip or visiting the most ancient places in Ukraine. The local history museum of the city of Lutsk introduces not only the history of the Volyn region and its heroes, but also the present. The collection of the Volyn Icon Museum contains unique rarities; the oldest icon in Ukraine of the Kholm Mother of God is preserved there. In the Museum of Bells, which is located in the Lutsk Castle, you can not only view the exhibition of exhibits, but also listen to their magical chimes. The city of Lutsk has rail and road connections not only with Kiev, Lvov, Simferopol, Odessa, Chernivtsi, but also with Berlin and Warsaw. In the city itself there are more than 200 bars and restaurants, as well as cafes and Lutsk hotels, ready to offer to taste national and local dishes during your holiday in Lutsk.

Vinnitsa– founded in the 14th century. From Ukrainian Vinnitsa- "distillery".

Dnepropetrovsk- a city on the Dnieper River. A fortress was built in 1635 Koydak, after its destruction - Cossack villages Old Koydak, New Koydak And Floorboard, on the site of which, after annexation to Russia, arose in 1786 Ekaterinoslav(“the glory of Catherine”, in honor of the reigning Catherine II). In 1796-1801, during the reign of Paul, it was officially called Novorossiysk(from Novorossiya, as the steppes were called then Northern Black Sea region); Alexander I in 1802 returned the name Ekaterinoslav. In 1926, it was renamed after the name of the river and the surname of G.I. Petrovsky (1878-1958), party and Soviet leader. G.I. Petrovsky worked in the factories of this city, led the revolutionary movement there, and in 1919-1939 he was the chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Ukrainian SSR.

Donetsk– founded in 1862. Previously Yuzovka– the enterprises at which the settlement developed were owned by the English capitalist John Hughes. From 1924 to 1961 – Stalino.

Evpatoria- a city in Crimea. In the VI-V centuries BC. Kerkinitida(suggest the same root as in the toponym Kerch and the ethnonym Kerkets). Ancient Greek colonists gave the name Evpatoria from the Greek Evpator- “noble”, as is believed in honor of the Bosporan king Mithridates Eupator (132-63 BC). With the Turkish conquest in the 14th century it was renamed Gözlev; after the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1783, this name was rethought in Kozlov and, although the name Evpatoria was officially restored, it remained alongside it in the 19th century (one of the “Crimean Sonnets” by A. Mitskevich is called “View of the Mountains from the Kozlov Steppes”).

Zhytomyr- supposedly founded in 884, for the first time in the chronicle - 1240. The name comes from the personal name of the owner or founder. The legend tells about Zhitomir, a warrior of Askold and Dir, who went into the forests of Volyn after their murder and founded this city. This is probably an ordinary toponymic myth, personifying an incomprehensible name.

Zaporozhye- a city on the Dnieper River. In 1775, a fortress was founded on this site, called Alexandrovskaya, since 1906 – city Alexandrovsk. Renamed in 1921. Above the city, at the famous Dnieper rapids on the island of Khortytsia, there was previously Zaporozhye Sich- the center of the Ukrainian Cossacks.

Ivano-Frankivsk– the city was renamed on September 9, 1962 in memory of the outstanding Ukrainian writer and public figure AND I. Franco(1856-1916). Before renaming Stanislav (Stanislavov), named in the middle of the 18th century after one of the Potocki, major Polish magnates.

Kyiv- the capital of Ukraine. “The name is younger than the city,” noted A.I. Sobolevsky, identifying with Kyiv even Metropolis, mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. In the Middle Ages it was called Sambatas(mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, 10th century). This name caused a variety of guesses: some considered it the Finnish “border of the plain”; others suggested that for the help of Byzantium in strengthening the city, the Khazars named it after Emperor Leo the Armenian - Sembatas. Scientists of the 17th century rethought Sambat as a “gathering place for boats (boats).” Disputing this, N.M. Karamzin proposed the etymology “mother herself”; it came to the point that they assumed the etymology of “Xia is a mother.” Name Dnapstadir attributed to the Ostrogoths; the Scandinavians called it Dnieper city. The name Kyiv appears many times in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Yugoslavia. A.I. Sobolevsky had no doubt about the origin of the name Kyiv from a personal name (based on which he saw the Slavic word whoa- “stick, pole”). There is controversy in the chronicles about who he was Kyi, whose name Kyiv is named. The name still lived Kiev transportation, and legend claimed that Kyi was the carrier across the Dnieper, and the chronicler wanted to see him as a prince who went with Oleg to Constantinople. The dispute was renewed in connection with a new etymology, which denies the Slavic origin of the name Kyiv and defends the earlier one: in Prakrit the word koyava means “carpet”, the supposed meaning of the toponym is "seat of the throne".

Kirovograd– founded in 1754 under the name “Fortress of St. Elizabeth" by order of Empress Elizabeth for defense against the Turks. Since 1775 - a city Elizavetgrad. Since 1934 – Kirovo in memory of S.M. Kirov; since 1939 – Kirovograd.

Krivoy Rog– the village arose in the 70s of the 18th century; city ​​- since 1926. In Ukraine and southern Russia horn means “ravine” or “cape”.

Lugansk- city on the river Lugan, after which it is named. The etymology of the hydronym has not been studied; its form allows us to admit the possibility of Slavic origin with the meaning “meadow”.

Another version. Of the two roots “meadow-” and “an-,” the second often means “water,” “river,” or “supreme god,” which is not contradictory, since rivers, which give crops and life, were worshiped as gods. And the root “meadow” means not only “flooded forest”; the adjectives “golden” and “shining” also correspond to this root. It is known that the development of gold deposits in our area was carried out by the Scythians.

Lugan is not only a “shining” (“golden”) river, but also a “shining god” (let’s not forget about this possible option, which also has some basis). Lug-god is known in the mythology of various peoples. His mother is Arianrhod (a deity of Aryan origin). In the mythological dictionary we learn that Lug was not only a skilled warrior, but also skilled in many crafts. The idea of ​​Luga as a patron of arts and crafts is confirmed by another epithet, “skillful hand.” A student of the seer and magician Tvidion, Lugh was forbidden to “stoop to the use of weapons...” All martial arts have legends about their origin. In this myth, perhaps, lie the roots of our national system martial arts, most likely still of pro-Aryan origin, valued by the Japanese emperors more than others and reaching the 20th century in a simplified form, including in the form of martial arts of the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks.

Lutsk– in the “Elementary Chronicle” – Luchesk. It is a mistake to associate the origin of the name with the word “meadow”. Comes from onion - “river bend, river bay.” The Slavic suffix -sk forms a relative adjective. To toponymy Kievan Rus came from the northwest.

Lviv- for the first time in the chronicle - 1256. The name comes from a personal name Lion with the affiliation suffix -ov. It is associated with the name of the Galician Prince Leo, who erected city fortifications in the 13th century. According to legend, Prince Daniel named the city after his son. During the period of Austria-Hungary affiliation - Lemberg.

Mariupol- a city on the Azov Sea. The city was founded for Greeks who migrated from Crimea from Turkish persecutors. Named in 1779 in honor Maria Fedorovna, wife of Paul, then heir to the Russian throne; With Paul- fashionable in Russian toponymy of those years, from ancient Greek policy- "city". Since 1948, renamed Zhdanov in memory of A.A. Zhdanov (1896-1948), a leader of the CPSU, born in this city. Now the city has returned its first name - Mariupol.

Mukachevo- from personal name Mukach(based on a mixture of Slovak, Ukrainian and Hungarian speech) with the Slavic suffix of belonging -ev-, -ov-.

Nikolaev– in 1784, a Russian fortification was built on this site. The city soon became the center of Russian shipbuilding on the Black Sea. Named after the ship "St. Nikolay", which was the first to be launched from the shipyard.

Nikopol– founded in 1781 on the site of the village Nikitin Rog (Nikitin Perevoz, Nikitina Zastava) and named Slavyansk, but this name did not have time to come into use, since the then dominant “Greek fashion” in official toponymy gave birth to the name Nikopol: ancient Greek Niko- name of the goddess of victory, policy- "city".

Odessa- a city on the Black Sea. Built in 1795 on the site of a village. Hadji Bey, by order of Catherine II, in accordance with the then prevailing government fashion for ancient Greek toponymy, named the city after the ancient city Odessos. Odessos was located west of the Bug Estuary on the northern shore of the Black Sea and was a colony of Miletus.

Poltava– mentioned since 1618. Named from the hydronym. In the chronicle (1174), Igor Seversky transported troops through Vorskla and Ltava(in other sources - Oltava). The name is similar to the Latvian lutum - “swamp, mud”.

Pryluky- a common name for many settlements in Slavic lands with the meaning of settlement Luka's (Luke- “river bend”)

Smooth– has been mentioned since the 13th century. The name is Slavic, possibly derived from the word "ditch" with the suffix -n-, forming adjectives, and the neuter ending. Such names abound in Volyn, where Rivne is located; their basics are easily explained from Slavic languages(Dubno, Ratno, Berezno, etc.). According to another interpretation "even" for the flat terrain.

Sevastopol- a city on the Black Sea in Crimea. The port and fortress were founded in 1783 on the site of a Tatar village Akhtiar and in next year named after the fashion that then prevailed in the government toponymy of Russia, to give ancient Greek names. Ancient Greek sebastos- “majestic, royal” policy- "city". In ancient times, 6 cities with the name Sevastopol were known (for example, on the site of modern Sukhumi).

Severodonetsk– emerged as a village Leskhimstroy(during the construction of a timber chemical plant). Since 1958 the city has been named after the river Donets.

Simferopol– until 1784 – Tatar city Akmosque“white mosque” (ak – “white”, mosque – Muslim temple). After the liquidation of Turkish rule in Crimea in 1784, according to the then prevailing fashion of the Russian government to give ancient Greek names, the city received its name from simfero– “to bring together, to connect” or “to be useful, to bring benefit”, policy- "city".

Sumy– the origin of the name is unknown. The connection with the Slavic “suma”, suggested in amateur speculation, is certainly excluded. Origin from the Baltic languages ​​is not excluded (for comparison - the ancient Prussian lake Sumyn).

Ternopil- it is assumed that the name is associated with Tarnavsky’s possessions, which lay to the west, and Paul- the result of Latinization. However, from the earliest documentary mention (1550) the name is known in the form Tarnopole, which does not exclude origin from turn And field, i.e. in the meaning of “steppe overgrown with thorns” - it was in this area that the fortress was founded in 1540, where this city grew up.

Truskavets- resort in the Carpathians. Named after the river Truskava, on which it is located. Hydronyms in -ava are especially dense on both sides of the Carpathians. Their origin is controversial, but they could be Slavic feminine adjectives. in a written monument of 1472, the name of this river is interpreted from the name of the plant.

Uzhgorod- based on the name of the river Already, on which it is located, and city in the old meaning "fortified place". The Hungarian name of this city retained an earlier form - Ungvar(var – “city”).

Kharkov– originated in the 17th century. It was based on the name of the first Cossack settler Kharka, a diminutive of Khariton. According to the hypothesis of N.Ya. Marra, har-sar nothing more than the ethnonym Khazar. Since the Kharkov River flows in the city, it is possible that the hydronym is primary.

Kherson– founded in 1778 and named after the ancient Greek and Byzantine colony city in Crimea Chersonesos according to the then fashion of the Russian government for ancient Greek names. The ancient name of Chersonesos is the ancient Greek dialect word for “peninsula”.

Khmelnitsky– until 1954 Proskurov. Renamed to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia and named after Bogdan Khmelnitsky(1595-1657), hetman of Ukraine, leader of the liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people.

Cherkasy- arose in the 14th century as a settlement of Cossacks, who were called Cherkasy, Circassians. This name comes from the ethnonym Circassians, some of whom moved in the 13th century from North Caucasus to the Dnieper

Chernigov– the name appears for the first time in the form Chernigoga from 907 by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who brought an agreement between Rus' and Byzantium. Legends linking the name with the name of Prince Cherny, who fought against the Khazars, or Princess Cherny, who threw herself from the tower so as not to fall to the enemies, are unsubstantiated. The personal name Cherniga was assumed to be the basis, but stems with -a required the possessive suffix -in-, not -ov. The form is often found in monuments Cherngov. Perhaps the name was assimilated by analogy with numerous Slavic place names in -ov– from an earlier unknown form or it is based on a personal name Chernig (Chernig), not yet found.

Chernivtsi– the name is based on a personal name Black, with formant -sheep, denoting inhabitants, especially frequent in Podolia and adjacent territories. Previously Chernovsky Torg. The etymology of “black city” from the Slavic vits – “city” is strange, since such a Slavic word did not exist. Until 1944, the name was transmitted in Russian in the form Chernivtsi; derived adjectives now have this form (Chernivtsi region).

Yalta- a city on the southern coast of Crimea. In ancient times Yalita, from ancient Greek Yialos- "shore". The Greeks, who fled Crimea from Turkish persecutors, transferred the name to the northern shore of the Sea of ​​Azov, founding the village of Yalta there.

Hello! We are from Russia. - Why are you threatening from the doorway? * * * Oikonym(Greek οἶκος (dwelling) + Greek ὄνομα (name)) - view toponym, a proper name is the name of any settlement, from a city to a separate house. Oikonyms of the urban type are called “astyonyms”, and oikonyms of the rural type are called “komonyms”. Since the names of some city streets are formed from the names of villages and villages that were in this place, the names of streets are sometimes included in oikonyms.

Evpatoria- a city in Crimea. In the VI-V centuries BC. Kerkinitida(suggest the same root as in the toponym Kerch and the ethnonym Kerkets). Ancient Greek colonists gave the name Evpatoria from the Greek Evpator- “noble”, as is believed in honor of the Bosporan king Mithridates Eupator (132-63 BC). With the Turkish conquest in the 14th century it was renamed Gözlev; after the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1783, this name was rethought in Kozlov and, although the name Evpatoria was officially restored, it remained alongside it in the 19th century (one of the “Crimean Sonnets” by A. Mitskevich is called “View of the Mountains from the Kozlov Steppes”).

Zhytomyr- presumably founded in 884, for the first time in the chronicle - 1240. The name comes from the personal name of the owner or founder. The legend tells about Zhitomir, a warrior of Askold and Dir, who went into the forests of Volyn after their murder and founded this city. This is probably an ordinary toponymic myth, personifying an incomprehensible name.

Zaporozhye- a city on the Dnieper River. In 1775, a fortress was founded on this site, called Alexandrovskaya, since 1906 - city Alexandrovsk. Renamed in 1921. Above the city, at the famous Dnieper rapids on the island of Khortytsia, there was previously Zaporozhye Sich- the center of the Ukrainian Cossacks.

Ivano-Frankivsk- the city was renamed on September 9, 1962 in memory of the outstanding Ukrainian writer and public figure AND I. Franco(1856-1916). Before renaming Stanislav (Stanislavov), named in the middle of the 18th century after one of the Potocki, major Polish magnates.

Kyiv- the capital of Ukraine. “The name is younger than the city,” noted A.I. Sobolevsky, identifying with Kyiv even Metropolis, mentioned by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. In the Middle Ages it was called Sambatas(mentioned by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, 10th century). This name caused a variety of guesses: some considered it Finnish “border of the plain”; others suggested that for the help of Byzantium in strengthening the city, the Khazars named it after Emperor Leo the Armenian - Sembatas. Scientists of the 17th century rethought Sambat as a “gathering place for boats (boats).” Disputing this, N.M. Karamzin proposed the etymology "mother herself"; it got to the point that they assumed the etymology of “Xia is a mother.” Name Dnapstadir attributed to the Ostrogoths; the Scandinavians called it Dnieper city. The name Kyiv appears many times in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Yugoslavia. A.I. Sobolevsky had no doubt about the origin of the name Kyiv from a personal name (based on which he saw the Slavic word whoa- “stick, pole”). There is controversy in the chronicles about who he was Kyi, whose name Kyiv is named. The name still lived Kiev transportation, and legend claimed that Kyi was the carrier across the Dnieper, and the chronicler wanted to see him as a prince who went with Oleg to Constantinople. The dispute was renewed in connection with a new etymology, denying the Slavic origin of the name Kyiv and defending the earlier one: in Prakrit the word koyava is “carpet”, the supposed meaning of the toponym is "seat of the throne".

Kirovograd- founded in 1754 under the name “Fortress of St. Elizabeth” by order of Empress Elizabeth for defense against the Turks. Since 1775 - city Elizavetgrad. Since 1934 - Kirovo in memory of S.M. Kirov; since 1939 - Kirovograd.

Krivoy Rog- the village arose in the 70s of the 18th century; city ​​- since 1926. In Ukraine and southern Russia horn means "ravine" or "cape".

Lugansk- city on the river Lugan, after which it is named. The etymology of the hydronym has not been studied; its form allows us to admit the possibility of Slavic origin with the meaning “meadow”.

Lutsk- in the "Initial Chronicle" - Luchesk. It is a mistake to associate the origin of the name with the word “meadow”. Comes from onion - “river bend, river bay.” The Slavic suffix -sk forms a relative adjective. He came to the toponymy of Kievan Rus from the north-west.

Lviv- for the first time in the chronicle - 1256. The name comes from a personal name Lion with the affiliation suffix -ov. It is associated with the name of the Galician Prince Leo, who erected city fortifications in the 13th century. According to legend, Prince Daniel named the city after his son. During the period of Austria-Hungary affiliation - Lemberg.

Mariupol- a city on the Azov Sea. The city was founded for Greeks who migrated from Crimea from Turkish persecutors. Named in 1779 in honor Maria Fedorovna, wife of Paul, then heir to the Russian throne; With Paul- fashionable in Russian toponymy of those years, from ancient Greek policy- "city". Since 1948, renamed Zhdanov in memory of A.A. Zhdanov (1896-1948), a leader of the CPSU, born in this city. Now the city has returned its first name - Mariupol.

Mukachevo- from personal name Mukach(based on a mixture of Slovak, Ukrainian and Hungarian speech) with the Slavic suffix of belonging -ev-, -ov-.

Nikolaev- in 1784 a Russian fortification was built on this site. The city soon became the center of Russian shipbuilding on the Black Sea. Named after the ship "St. Nikolay", which was the first to be launched from the shipyard. = city of Nikolaev. The city stands at the confluence of the Bug River, which flows into the Black Sea, and its tributary Ingul. In 1789, a shipyard was founded on this site, which was named after the patron saint of sailors - St. Nicholas, and my city - Nikolaev - was named in his honor. In the 20th century, the city ranked second in the world (after the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg) in shipbuilding. Every year, 24 fishing trawlers left the slipways at the shipyard. This plant also carried out orders for the creation of aircraft carriers, in the construction of which the entire then Soviet Union participated. Nikolaev has a developed food and light industry, there is an alumina refinery, as well as a plant for the production of aircraft turbines. Two universities, three theaters, two museums. In 1970, the city was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

Nikopol- founded in 1781 on the site of the village Nikitin Rog (Nikitin Perevoz, Nikitina Zastava) and named Slavyansk, but this name did not have time to come into use, since the then dominant “Greek fashion” in official toponymy gave birth to the name Nikopol: ancient Greek Niko- name of the goddess of victory, policy- "city".

Odessa- a city on the Black Sea. Built in 1795 on the site of a village. Hadji Bey, by order of Catherine II, in accordance with the then prevailing government fashion for ancient Greek toponymy, named the city after the ancient city Odessos. Odessos was located west of the Bug Estuary on the northern shore of the Black Sea and was a colony of Miletus.

Poltava- mentioned since 1618. Named from the hydronym. In the chronicle (1174), Igor Seversky transported troops through Vorskla and Ltava(in other sources - Oltava). The name is similar to the Latvian lutum - “swamp, mud”.

Pryluky- a common name for many settlements in Slavic lands with the meaning settlement Luka's (Luke- "river bend").

Smooth- mentioned since the 13th century. The name is Slavic, possibly derived from the word "moat" with the suffix -n-, forming adjectives, and the neuter ending. Such names abound in Volyn, where Rivne is located; their foundations are easily explained from the Slavic languages ​​(Dubno, Ratno, Berezno, etc.). According to another interpretation "even" for the flat terrain.

Sevastopol- a city on the Black Sea in Crimea. The port and fortress were founded in 1783 on the site of a Tatar village Akhtiar and the following year they were named according to the fashion that then prevailed in the government toponymy of Russia to give ancient Greek names. Ancient Greek sebastos- "majestic, regal" policy- "city". In ancient times, 6 cities with the name Sevastopol were known (for example, on the site of modern Sukhumi).

Severodonetsk- arose as a village Leskhimstroy(during the construction of a timber chemical plant). Since 1958 the city has been named after the river Donets.

Simferopol- until 1784 - Tatar city Akmosque"white mosque" (ak - "white", mosque - Muslim temple). After the liquidation of Turkish rule in Crimea in 1784, according to the then prevailing fashion of the Russian government to give ancient Greek names, the city received its name from simfero- “to bring together, to connect” or “to be useful, to bring benefit”, policy- "city".

Sumy- the origin of the name is unknown. The connection with the Slavic “suma”, suggested in amateur speculation, is certainly excluded. Origin from the Baltic languages ​​is not excluded (for comparison - the ancient Prussian lake Sumyn).

Ternopil- it is assumed that the name is associated with Tarnavsky’s possessions, which lay to the west, and Paul- the result of Latinization. However, from the earliest documentary mention (1550) the name is known in the form Tarnopole, which does not exclude origin from turn And field, i.e. meaning “steppe overgrown with thorns” - it was in this area that in 1540 the fortress was founded where this city grew up.

Truskavets- resort in the Carpathians. Named after the river Truskava, on which it is located. Hydronyms in -ava are especially dense on both sides of the Carpathians. Their origin is controversial, but they could be Slavic feminine adjectives. in a written monument of 1472, the name of this river is interpreted from the name of the plant.

Uzhgorod- based on the name of the river Already, on which it is located, and city in the old meaning "fortified place". The Hungarian name of this city retained an earlier form - Ungvar(var - "city").

Kharkov- originated in the 17th century. It was based on the name of the first Cossack settler Kharka, a diminutive of Khariton. According to the hypothesis of N.Ya. Marra, har-sar nothing more than the ethnonym Khazar. Since the Kharkov River flows in the city, it is possible that the hydronym is primary. = The city of Kharkov, according to official sources, was founded in c. 1655-56 by Ukrainian Cossacks under the control of the porridge ataman Kharka, became a fortress in the south. borders of Rus. state for protection from the attacks of the Crimean Tatars. However, if we take into account that the city (camp, settlement) was formed at the confluence of the Lopan, Kharkov and Uda rivers, we understand that Kharko has nothing to do with the name of the Kharkov river. Arab chronicles dating back to the 3rd century AD mention the settlement of Khark with an approximate location coinciding with the current location of the city of Kharkov. An indirect confirmation of this is that in the Kharkov region there are smaller outpost settlements Chuguev (known since 1627) and Zmiev (1605) and others founded around the 16th century. Kharkov was also a shopping center, as it was located at the intersection of major trade routes, including the navigable Lopan River (unfortunately, today it is not navigable), along which merchant ships sailed “from the Varangians to the Greeks.” Therefore, the etymology of our city is not 100% clear. http://otvet.mail.ru/question/24931223/

Kherson- founded in 1778 and named after the ancient Greek and Byzantine city-colony in Crimea Chersonesos according to the then fashion of the Russian government for ancient Greek names. The ancient name of Chersonesus is an ancient Greek dialect word for “peninsula”.

Khmelnitsky- until 1954 Proskurov. Renamed to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia and named after Bogdan Khmelnitsky(1595-1657), hetman of Ukraine, leader of the liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people.

Cherkasy- arose in the 14th century as a settlement of Cossacks, who were called Cherkasy, Circassians. This name comes from the ethnonym Circassians, some of whom moved in the 13th century from the North Caucasus to the Dnieper.

Chernigov- the name appears for the first time in the form Chernigoga from 907 by Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who brought an agreement between Rus' and Byzantium. Legends linking the name with the name of Prince Cherny, who fought against the Khazars, or Princess Cherny, who threw herself from the tower so as not to fall to the enemies, are unsubstantiated. The personal name Cherniga was assumed to be the basis, but stems with -a required the possessive suffix -in-, not -ov. The form is often found in monuments Cherngov. Perhaps the name was assimilated by analogy with numerous Slavic toponyms on -ov- from an earlier unknown form or it is based on a personal name Chernig (Chernig), not yet found.

Chernivtsi- the name is based on a personal name Black, with formant -sheep, denoting inhabitants, especially frequent in Podolia and adjacent territories. Previously Chernovsky Torg. The etymology of “black city” from the Slavic vits - “city” is strange, since such a Slavic word did not exist. Until 1944, the name was transmitted in Russian in the form Chernivtsi; derived adjectives now have this form (Chernivtsi region).

Yalta- a city on the southern coast of Crimea. In ancient times Yalita, from ancient Greek Yialos- "shore". The Greeks, who fled Crimea from Turkish persecutors, transferred the name to the northern shore of the Sea of ​​Azov, founding the village of Yalta there.

Maps of Ukrainian cities

Republic of Kazakhstan

City Taraz (Dzhambul)
One of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan is Taraz, the remains of which are hidden under the buildings of the modern city of Taraz. Mention of this city was preserved in Chinese sources of the mid-1st century. BC and it is connected with the political history of one of the first states on the territory of Kazakhstan, called the “Kangyu Union”.
Already at this time, the city played an important trading role on the Great Silk Road. Thus, the age of the city according to written sources is determined at 2000 years. As one of the centers of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Taraz was known to Byzantine historians. It was here, to the city on the banks of Talas, that the embassy of Emperor Justinian was sent, headed by the strategist/military governor/of the eastern territories, Zemarkh of Cilicia, which was received by the Turkic kagan Dizabul /Istemi/. This happened in 568, at the height of the Iranian-Byzantine wars, when each of these great empires was looking for allies in the Turks. Xuan Jiang, who visited the city in 630, reports that Taraz is a significant shopping mall, merchants from different countries live in it. At that time, the city had a circumference of 8-9 li (i.e. 2.5-2.7 km).
In 751, near Taraz, in the area of ​​Atlah, the combined forces of the Turks and Arabs defeated the Chinese army, and in 893, Samanid Ismail ibn Ahmed took the city of Taraz.
Ancient Taraz reached its greatest prosperity in the 11th-12th centuries under the Karakhanids, with whose conquest of the region (in 999) the Samanid dynasty ceased to exist.

There is no written information about the conquest of Taraz by the Mongols, but, apparently, in 1220 the city offered significant resistance to the Mongols, which is why it was destroyed by them to the ground, as evidenced by the remains of fires discovered during excavations. The city, apparently, was renamed by the Mongols to Yany (New), since upon further mention of it, both European and Arab sources write: “... the city of Yany, called Taraz before the conquest.”
In the 13th - 15th centuries it was part of the Chagatai ulus of the Mongol Empire.

In the period 1465 to 1718 - one of the cities of the Kazakh Khanate.

In 1723, the Talas Valley, like most of the southern regions of Kazakhstan, was conquered by the Dzungars, who ruled it almost until 1756.

In the 18th - 19th centuries it was part of the Kokand Khanate.

In 1856 the city was renamed Aulie-ata - (Holy Father). It received this name in honor of Karakhan, the founder of the Karakhanid dynasty.

In 1864, it was captured by Russian troops under the command of Colonel Chernyaev during the conquest of Central Asia by Russia.
Enough full description cities at the beginning of the twentieth century is given in the work “Russia. A complete geographical description of our fatherland." It is noted that in Aulie-Ata there was a large bazaar, a fair and a number of transport offices. The city consisted of Russian and Asian parts. It had three churches, 21 mosques, a postal and telegraph office, a city school, a hospital, a military hospital, 17 factories and factories, and 19,052 residents.

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"MOSCOW"
The oikonym “Moscow” has an unclear origin, as does the age of the city.
However, many studies have been conducted on this topic, according to which the main versions of the origin of the city’s name are:
One version is that the word “Moscow” comes from the Finno-Ugric group of languages, and means “wet, swampy place.” It is also worth noting that the root mosk- existed in Old Russian language and meant “viscous, marshy” or “swamp, dampness, moisture, liquid.” The fact that the root mosk- in its meaning is associated with the concept of “moisture” is confirmed by its use in other Slavic and European languages: in Slovak language there is a common noun moskwa, meaning “wet grain bread” or “bread collected from the fields in rainy weather”; V Lithuanian language There is a verb mazgoti “to wash, rinse”, and in the Latvian language there is a verb mazgāt, which means “to wash”.
According to another version, this word also comes from the Finno-Ugric languages, but means “midges,” as if emphasizing the abundance of midges in the old days in these parts.
There is also a version according to which Moscow was named after two Mari words “Mask” (bear) and “Ava” (mother). This is what the ancient Mari called this place, who lived in these places before moving to the Volga.
There is a legend about the biblical origin of the name of the city, according to which the name of the river of the same name comes from the name of the biblical Mosoh, the grandson of Noah and the son of Afet, and his wife Kva - according to the biblical legend, the descendants of Mosoh settled the lands from the Vistula to the White Lake. This legend is connected with the well-known medieval theory of the monk Philotheus “Moscow is the Third Rome”: “That for Mosoch, after the flood of the summer of 131, walking from Babylon with his tribe, Abiye in Asia and Europe, over the shores of the Pontic or Black Sea, the people of the Moskhovites in their name and besiege: and from there I multiplied to the people, going day by day into the midnight countries beyond the Black Sea, over the Don and Volga rivers... And so from Mosoh the forefather of Slavenorossiysk, after his succession, not only Moscow was a great people, but all of Rus' or the above-named Russia came ..."

Foreign language transcriptions
One of the ancient versions of the name of the city “Moskov” has been preserved in foreign language transcriptions such as “Moscow”, “Moskau”, “Moscou”, etc.

Title distribution
Besides the capital Russian Federation, the name “Moscow” is also borne by a number of settlements in Russia, for example, villages of the same name in
Kirov region (Verkhoshizhemsky district), Pskov region (Porkhovsky district), Tver region (Penovsky district).

A number of villages include the name "Moscow":
New Moscow (village) - a village in the Shkotovsky district of the Primorsky Territory, New Moscow (Bryansk region) - a village in the Krasnogorsky district of the Bryansk region, New Moscow ( Nizhny Novgorod region) - a village in the Lukoyanovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Krasnaya Moscow (Tver region), Tver region, Penovsky district (village), Meneuz-Moscow, Republic of Bashkortostan, Bizhbulyaksky district (probably a village).

There are also a number of cities in the USA with English transcription (“Moscow”) of the name of the capital of Russia:
Moscow (Idaho), Idaho, Moscow (Iowa), Iowa, Moscow (Kansas), Kansas, Moscow (Maine), Maine, Moscow (Ohio), Ohio, Moscow (Texas), Texas, Moscow ( Pennsylvania), Pennsylvania, Moscow (Tennessee), Tennessee, Moscow (Washington), Washington, Moscow (Wisconsin), Wisconsin, Moscow (Vermont), Vermont

And other countries:
Moscow (Poland) - a village in Poland, Moscow (India) - a village in India

The name of the city is also used as the name of the football club of the same name, river, technical devices, ships and other objects.