Mykolaiv

This article is about the shipbuilding port in southern Ukraine. For the smaller town in Lviv Oblast of Ukraine, see Mykolaiv, Lviv Oblast.

For other uses, see Nikolayev.

Mykolaiv (Миколаїв) Nikolayev (Николаев)
Lenin Avenue in Mykolaiv.
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname:  City of shipbuilders
Map of Ukraine with Mykolaiv highlighted
Country Oblast Raion	Ukraine Mykolaiv Oblast Mykolaiv City Municipality
Founded	1789
City rights	1789
Government
• Mayor	Volodymyr Chaika
Area
• Total	260 km2 (100 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	498,748
• Density	1,918/km2 (4,970/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	54000
Area code	+380 512
Licence plate	BE
Website	gorsovet.mk.ua

Mykolaiv (Ukrainian: Миколаїв Ukrainian pronunciation: [mɪkoˈlɑjiu̯]), also known as Nikolayev (from Russian Николаев), is a city in southern Ukraine, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv is the main ship building center of the Black Sea, and, arguably, the whole Eastern Europe; also a riverport.

Mykolaiv's orderly layout reflects the fact that its development has been well planned from the founding of the city. Its main streets, including the three main East-West Avenues, (including Lenin Prospect shown in the photo to the right) are very wide and tree lined. A significant part of Mykolaiv's land area is beautiful parks. Park Pobedy (Victory) is a large park on the peninsula just north of the city center of Mykolaiv, on the North side of the Inhul river.

Mykolaiv has a population of about 500,000.

Name of city

There are several variations of the city's name. In Ukrainian, the city is named Микола́їв, for which the transliteration is Mykolaiv, or, more rarely, Mykolayiv. The Russian name is Никола́ев, which transliterates as Nikolaev or Nikolayev.

During the first year of the construction of the warf at the mouth of the Inhul river, the settlement did not have a definite name. In correspondence between Prince Grigory Potemkin and Mikhail Faleev and other people, the warf was variously called the Ingul Warf, the Warf on the Ingul, the Mouth of the Ingul, and other names. The name Mykolaiv is known from legal order (writ) Number 1065 by Prince Potemkin to Mikhail Faleev on the 27th of August (7 September per the old calendar), 1789.

In 1920 the Nikolaev council decided to rename the city Vernoleninsk, but the new name was not approved by the Government of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, in German encyclopedic dictionaries in 1927 and 1932 on the map of European USSR, the city was named Vernoleninsk.

To distinguish Mykolaiv from the much smaller western city of Mykolaiv in Lviv Oblast, the latter is sometimes called “Mykolaiv on Dniester” after the major river it situated on, while the former is located on the Southern Buh, another major river, and may be called “Mykolaiv on Buh” as well.

Administrative status

Mykolaiv is the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast (province), as well as that of both the Mykolaivskyi and Zhovtnevyi raions (districts) within the oblast. However, Mykolaiv is also a city of oblast subordinance, and is thus subject directly to the oblast authorities rather to the raion administration housed in the city itself.

Geographic characteristics

Geographical position

Mykolaiv is located on a peninsula in Ukraine's steppe region 65 kilometers (40 mi) from the Black Sea along the estuary of the Southern Buh river (where it meets the Inhul River).

Both the Inhul River and the Southern Buh river follow very winding courses just before they join at the north west corner of Mykolaiv. This has created several long and narrow peninsulas just north of Mykolaiv, and the main part of Mykolaiv is itself on a peninsula at a 180 degree bend in the Southern Buh River.

Mykolaiv is in a primarily flat terrain area (the steppe grain producing region of southern Ukraine). The nearest mountains to Mykolaiv are 300 kilometers south, at the Southern end of the Crimean Peninsula. The lack of any mountain barriers north of Mykolaiv means that very cold Arctic winds can blow South, unimpeded by any terrain elevation, to Mykolaiv in Winter.

The area of the city is 260 square kilometers.

Mykolaiv is in the second time zone (Eastern European Time).

Ecology

Mykolaiv’s environmental issues are typical for many cities in Ukraine: pollution of water, the air, and groundwater; drinking water quality, noise, waste management, and conservation of biological diversity in the city.

One of Mykolaiv’s most urgent problems is the disposal of solid household waste.

The city has 18 preserved sites, totaling about 12 km²:

• The Mykolaiv Zoo (considered one of the best zoos in Ukraine);
• The monuments of landscape art: Park Pobedy, Petrovsky park, 68 Paratroopers Park, Square, The Sivašskij, The Boulevard Bunker, Linea (Line) Park, Pioneer Parque; Lenin Komsomol (Communist Youth League);
• The Botanical Natural Monument Memory Square;
• The Dubki Reserved Nature boundary;
• The Balabanovka Forest Reserve;
• The October Reservoir Hydrological Reserve;
• The Turkish Fountain Hydrological Natural Monument;
• The Dubka (oak) 4 Botanical Nature Monument.

Climate

The city's climate is moderately continental with mild winters and hot summers. Mykolaiv’s average temperature is 10 °C. The lowest average temperature is in January (-3.1 °C); the highest in July (22.3 °C).

Mykolaiv has an average of 472 millimeters of precipitation per year, with the lowest precipitation in October, and the most in July. Mykolaiv has snow cover every year, but its height is low.

Average relative humidity is 73% for the year; the lowest humidity is in August (60%); the highest in in December (86%). The lowest cloud are seen in August; the highest are in December.

The prevailing winds come from the North, the least frequent source of wind is the Southeast. The maximum wind speed is in February, the lowest is from July through September. In January, the average wind speed is 4.1 m/s (meters per second); in July, the average is 3.1 m/s.

History

The history of the city has always been closely connected to ship building. The town was founded in 1789 by the Russian Governor General of Novorossiya, Prince Grigory Potemkin, initially as a shipyard called simply a New Shipyard on the Ingul river. Prince Potemkin signed an order to construct a shipyard on August 27, 1789, which is considered to be the city's birth date. The shipyard was to undertake the repair of naval ships in the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). Later Potemkin ordered the shipyard to be named Nikolaev to commemorate the date when Ochakov fell to the Russian troops under his command on December 6, 1788, close to the day of Saint Nicholas (Nikolay) December 19, in the Russian Orthodox Church calendar.

The Russian Empire's Black Sea Navy Headquarters was in Mykolaiv for more than 100 years until the Russian Navy moved it to Sevastopol, near the Southern tip of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. During the Crimean War Mykolaiv became the main rear base to support Russia’s efforts in the war. Most businesses that were created in the city belonged to the military industrial complex, and, in this regard, Mykolaiv, was closed to foreign visitors for many decades.

In March 1816, Admiral Aleksey Greig was appointed to the post of Governor of the city. While in that post until 1833, he did much for Mykolaiv. Port facilities were built. A credit society (cooperative) was established, and Mykolaiv increased its seaborne trade. Morskoii (Marine) Boulevard was built in the city, along with sidewalks. In addition, open men's and women's colleges were, built, as was a shelter. In 1820, Admiral Greig founded the Marine Astronomical Observatory in Mykolaiv. In 1826, he, for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy, set up the Russian Naval headquarters in Mykolaiv. The headquarters included fleet combat training during peacetime and the development of plans for military operations during wartime.

From 1860 to 1871, the military Governor of Mykolaiv was Bogdan von Glazenap. His highest command in the town was in 1862. He encouraged foreign vessels to call at the commercial port and encouraged foreigners to come to Mykolaiv to live. Therefore foreign governments established foreign consulates in Mykolaiv. This led to the transformation of Mykolaiv into a large commercial port.

By the late 19th century, Mykolaiv’s port ranked third in the Russian Empire, after Saint Petersburg and Odessa, in terms of trade with foreign countries. In addition, grain export suppliers of the steppe region (of Ukraine and Southern Russia) were first in the Russian Empire. Mykolaiv had become a great industrial center in the South of Ukraine.

Mykolaiv was major Jewish centre of Russian Empire in 19th century. In the 19th century, the Czarist governments had largely banned Russian Empire Jews from living East of the Dnieper River. Mykolaiv is in the area west of the Dnieper, which was were Jews were legally allowed to reside (the legal area of Jewish residence was known as the Pale of Settlement). The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson (the seventh leader in the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty) was born in Mykolaiv on April 18, 1902.

In 1918, Mykolaiv survived its first occupation by foreign troops. In 1920, Soviet power was established there.

With the beginning of World War II Mykolaiv was occupied on August 16, 1941. During the occupation, an underground partisan sabotage group, the Mykolaiv Center conducted guerilla activities. On March 28, 1944 the city was liberated, in part because of Soviet Coronel Olshansky's paratroopers and their daring raid, during which the majority of his troops were killed.

In the post-war period Mykolaiv became one of shipbuilding centers of the USSR, with three shipbuilding plants: the Black Sea Shipyard, Shipyard named after 61 Communards, and the Okean Shipyard.

An asteroid discovered by the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory was named in honor of the city.

Awards

The Soviet Government awarded Nikolaev the Order of the Red Banner of Labour on the 31st of December, 1970, for successfully fulfilling its assignments for the development of industrial production, in the USSR's five year economic plan.

Administrative districts

Mykolaiv is divided into four districts:

The Central District is located in the northwest of the city. It includes the historic center of Mykolaiv, Rocket tract, Temvod, Salt, Northern, Ternovka (in Ternovca also acts village council), Matveevka, Varvarovka.

The Zavodskiy District is located in the west of the city. In this area, many industrial enterprises are concentrated. It also includes neighborhoods Lescaut and Alluviation, as well as towns of Velykaya Koreniha and Malaya Koreniha.

The Leninskiy District is located in the east of Mykolaiv. Among other things, it includes the new Horticulture, YUTZ, New Watering, Old Watering. The district has a zoo, bus and railway stations.

The Korabelniy District is located in the south of the city. It includes a broad beam, Zhovtneve, Balabanovka, Kulbakino.

Official symbols

Mykolaiv adopted its current coat of arms on September 26, 1997. Mykolaiv had adopted its previous coat of arms in 1883. In creating its modern coat of arms, the city removed the coat of arms of neighboring Kherson Governorate.

Mykolaiv adopted its current flag on July 2, 1999. It is a white flag with the city’s coat of arms and two wavy horizontal bars.

Mykolaiv adopted its anthem on September 11, 2004.

Economy

Shipbuilding

Today Mykolaiv is a major shipbuilding center of Ukraine (as, earlier, of the whole Soviet Union) and an important riverport. The city has three major shipyards one of which is capable of building large navy ships. Other important industries are mechanical engineering, power engineering, metallurgy and last 10 years - food industry.

Mykolaiv was closed to foreign visitors until the late 1980s because of many clandestine Soviet Navy projects (as well as the Mykolaiv Air Force base, turbine plant and military port). The majority of the Soviet Navy's surface ships including its only aircraft carrier, the Kuznetzov were built in Mykolaiv.

Other industries

Electronic industries are located in the city. The enterprise “Zoriya - Mashproekt” manufactures equipment used in ships and products used for transportation of natural gas and generation of electricity.

One of the largest enterprises in the city is Mykolaiv Aluminia Factory, which produces aluminia, raw material for the production of aluminum.

In addition to heavy industry, the city has a developed food processing industry, including a juice maker, Sandora, a dairy products maker, Laktalis-Mykolaiv, and a brewery, Yantar. The enterprise Nibulon is one of the leaders in the Ukrainian agrarian market.

Ukranian military presence in Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv, being an important strategic city in southern Ukraine has a significant Ukranian military presence, including the shipbuilding plants that build Ukraine's surface navy ships, the Mykolaiv Navy base, the “MARP” aircraft repair plant (Mykolaiv), the Kulbakino Army Base (in the Mykolaiv Oblast, outside of the city of Mykolaiv).

Transportation

Mykolaiv is one of Ukraine's most important transportation junctions. It is a major commercial river and sea port, and a major highway and rail junction. Mykolaiv also has a dual-function passenger and freight airport, but passenger service at the airport is not significant, compared to Ukraine's major airports. In addition to the airport and sea and river port, Mykolaiv has two train stations, and an intercity bus station.

Long distance transportation

Air travel

Mykolaiv Airport (IATA code NLV), one of the largest and most technically well-equipped airports in the South of Ukraine, serves the city. The airport, located South East of Mykolaiv, is mainly used for air freight and only has limited passenger service. UTAir, UTAir Aviation, a regional Russian airline, offers flights from Mykolaiv to Moscow (Vnukova - VKO airport). In addition, there are one-hour passenger flights from Odessa (the nearest major airport) to Mykolaiv. Almost all airline passenger service in the South West of Ukraine (where Mykolaiv is located) is through Odessa International Airport: to reach Mykolaiv by airplane, tourists generally reach Odessa by plane, and then take a bus, taxi or train, for approximately 2 hours, to Mykolaiv. Odessa, the largest city in South West Ukraine, is 132 kilometers from Mykolaiv.

Mykolaiv has 3 weekly flights to Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 weekly flights to Istanbul, Turkey.

Daily flights to and from Odessa are provided by one or more the following airlines: Ukraine International Airlines, Aerosvit (a Ukranian airline), Austrian Airlines, Polish Airline LOT, Czech Airline CSA, and Malev Hungarian Airline.

Bus travel long distance

Mykolaiv is an 8.5 hour bus ride from Kiev's main bus station. Ukranian private national bus companies Gyunsel and Avtoluks operate overnight buses from Kiev to Mykolaiv seven nights per week. The bus station in Mykolaiv is located at Prospekt (Avenue) Oktyabrskii 21 (Prospekt Zhovtevny 21 in Ukranian).

Mykolaiv has direct daily passenger bus service to Kiev (10 hours), Kharkiv (12) (North Eastern Ukraine), Odessa (2) (South West Ukraine), the Crimea (6) (the peninsula at the southern tip of Ukraine), Cishinau (Kishinov), Moldova (7) (bordering the South West of Ukraine), Khmelnytsky (Western Ukraine) (11), Donetsk (12) (South Eastern Ukraine), Rostov-na-Donu (in Russia, just east of the South East corner of Ukraine) (17), and Minsk, Belarus (North West of Ukraine) (23).

Inter-city highways and long-distance auto travel

The quality of highways in Ukraine tends to be much lower than Western standards. Highways may have very uneven surfaces and be strewn with potholes. These conditions may make for a very noisy and uneven auto ride and significant wear and tear on autos and especially on their tires.

The main north-south highway that passes through Mykolaiv is H (or M)-14.

The main East-West Highway that passes through Mykolaiv is E-58 M-14 (West and then South to Odessa), and South East to Kherson, a major port on the Dneper River, just before it flows into the Black Sea. The E-58 M-14 then continues East to the major industrial city and port in South Eastern Ukraine, Mariupol'.

Auto travel

The main highways to and from Mykolaiv are from Kherson (65 kilometers), Odesa (120 km), Uman' (320 km), Chishinau (Kishniev), Moldova (325 km), the Crimean Peninsula (350 km), Kiev (500 km), Kharkiv (520 km), Lviv (950 km) (Western Ukraine). Gasoline is less expenseive than than in W. Europe. Mykolaiv's gasoline prices are approximately the same price as in N. America. Ukraine's roads, including those leading from Mykolaiv, tend to be poorly maintained and can be very dangerous.

Bridges

Mykolaiv, being located at the confluence of two major rivers, has two main bridges.

Varvarovsky Most (Bridge) (in Russian Варваровский мост) is Ukraine's Southern-most bridge that crosses the Southern Buh River. The bridge leads from the North coast of Mykolaiv North-North West to the Central District (in Russian Центральный район), which is on the West side of the Southern Buh River. The Odessa Highway (Russian: Одесское шоссе) crosses the bridge and then continues West and then South to Odessa.

The second major bridge in Mykolaiv crosses the Inhul river. The bridge leads from the North coast of Mykolaiv, and goes North-North East to the pensinsula on the North side of the Inhul, just north of Mykolaiv. On the North Side of the Inhul river, the highway that crosses on the bridge is called Героев Сталинграда (Heroes of Stalingrad - the location of decisive World War II Soviet victory over the invading German and Romanian armies). On the South Side of the Bridge, (in the center of Mykolaiv), the highway that crosses the bridge is called Ulitsa (Street) Pushkinskaya (in Russian: улица Пушкинская).

Train travel

Overnight train travel in sleeper-berth passenger trains is a very common way to travel long distances in Ukraine. There are nightly trains from Kiev's main Passenger Train Sation to Mykolaiv. Train trips from Mykolaiv to Kiev take 14 hours and 35 minutes. (Passenger trains are significantly slower in Ukraine than buses).

In addition to Kiev, trains from Mykolaiv regularly run to the two closest major cities to Mykolaiv: Odessa (south west of Mykolaiv); and Kherson (south of Mykolaiv). Direct trains to Moscow (26 hours), Kiev (10), Lviv (18), Odesa (5), the Crimea (8 hours) depart every day. Train departures timetable. All trains have coach cars.

Mykolaiv's passenger train station is called Mykolaiv - Passenger (in Russian: Николаев-пассажирский). It at at the intersection of Mira Avenue and Prospekt (Avenue) Novzavodskaya 5 (in Ukraine and Russia, street address numbers are placed after the street name).

The Mykolaiv Railway Station has lockers, food for sale, a medical center, and two waiting rooms. From the city square outside the railway station, buses depart to all other parts of Mykolaiv.

Mykolaiv's freight train station is called Mykolaiv-Gruzovoi (Freight) (in Russian: "Николаев-грузовой"). It is located at Privokzalnaya Ploschad' (Square).

Water-borne travel

Though a major Ukrainian commercial sea port, Mykolaiv has no regular passenger water-borne service. Large ocean going ships can reach Mykolaiv year round, via the Southern Buh River. The Southern Buh River, which flows into into the Black Sea 65 kilometers south of Mykolaiv, is 1.5 kilometers wide in Mykolaiv. Mykolaiv's passenger river port is at Varvarovskii Spusk (Descent) 5; (In Russian: Варваровский спуск, 5).

Local transportation

The main forms of city transport are fixed-route minibus taxis, buses, trolley buses, and streetcars (trams). Given that private auto ownership is much lower in Ukraine than in most Western countries, reliable and frequent public transportation that goes to all major parts of the Mykolaiv metropolitan area is an essential part of daily life for most adults who reside in Mykolaiv.

Education

There are several universities in Mykolaiv. The main universities are: Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding (the only ship building university in Ukraine), Petro Mohyla Black Sea State University, Mykolaiv Pedagogical Institute and Mykolaiv State Agrarian University .

There are 10 higher education institutions in Mykolaiv of level III or IV accreditation. 65 general education schools, lycees, gymnasium schools, 3 evening schools, and 12 private learning institutions are in the city.

Libraries in Mykolaiv include:

• The A. Gmyryova Mykolaiv State Oblast Science Library;
• The Mykolaiv Oblast Youth Library;
• The V. Lyagina Mykolaiv Oblast Children's Library;
• The M.L. Kropivnitsky Central Library;
• The Central City Library for Children;
• The Science-Teaching City of Mykolaiv Library.

Society

Religion

Mykolaiv is the headquarters of the Mykolaiv Episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), which has 18 churches (temples) in the city.

Mykolaiv is also the headquarters of the Mykolaiv Episcopate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate.

Religious organizations and other faiths are broadly represented in the city.

Public health

In September, 2009 the History of Medicine and Defense of Public Health Museum opened in Mykolaiv. The museum exhibits materials from the inception of medical care in the city through the present day.

Languages commonly spoken in Mykolaiv

As in most cities in Southern and Eastern Ukraine, the majority of the population of Mykolaiv speak both Russian and Ukranian. A significant number of Mykolaiv's residents speak at least some English.

Housing and urban life

As in almost all urban areas in the former Soviet Union, the significant majority of the inhabitants in Mykolaiv live in large mid- or high-rise apartment blocks. A typical apartment is small, with the living room usually having a couch-bed and portable closet, and doubling as a bedroom at night. Though there are very few detached single family houses in Mykolaiv, there are many cottages (called dachas in Russian) on the outskirts of the city. Many famlies who have an apartment in the city, also own a dacha in the outskirts. Dachas typically have a small plot of land around them and it is very common for Ukrainian families to grow a significant amount of fruits and vegetables at the dachas and to preserve and store these to supplement the famly's food supply during the winter. Dachas provide a weekend diversion from the daily weekday routine of urban life. Dacha's range from having the full amenities that urban apartments have to those that are simple cottages without heat or electricity.

Since private auto ownership is much lower in Ukrainian cities than in Western countries, most of Mykolaiv's adults heavily rely on public transportation. Kindergarten though grade 12 schools, food stores, and bus stops (but not necessarily jobs or universities) are usually located within walking distance of apartment blocks.

Culture and art

Performing arts theaters

There are three performing arts theaters in Mykolaiv: the Academic Ukrainian Theater of Drama and Musical Comedy, the Mykolaiv State Puppet Theater, and the Mykolaiv Academic Art Russian Drama Theater. In addition, the Mykolaiv Oblast Philharmonic performs in the city.

Museums

Mykolaiv has the following museums: the Mykolaiv Oblast Museum of Local Lore, the Museum of Shipbuilding and the Navy, the Museum of the World War II Partisan Movement, the V. V. Vereshchagin Art Museum.

Movie theaters

Four movie theaters operate in Mykolaiv: Yunost' (Youth), Rodina (Motherland), Pioneer, Multiplex. Movies shown include the latest Hollywood films dubbed into Ukrainian and modern Russian films.

Cuisine and restaurants

Mykolaiv's cuisine is similar to the rest of Ukraine and Russia. Commonly eaten foods are borsch (beet soup with a variety of vegetable and meat additives), salo (pig fat) many types of bread, many types of dairy products, chicken, many types of salad, and other types of food. Lunch is usually the largest meal of the day and the time that lunch is eaten can vary significantly from one day to the next. Unlike in Western countries there tends not to be a sharp distinction between types that foods eaten only at breakfast (e.g. eggs, bacon, and pancakes) vs. foods that are eaten at lunch or dinner. The types of food that can be served and the meal times tend to be flexible in Ukrainan homes.

Mass media

Popular publications include “Vecherniy Nikolayev" (Evening Mykolaiv), "Nikolaevsckie Novosti" (Mykolaiv News), and "Yuzhnaya Pravda" (Southern Truth). Many publications have an Internet version, but exist in an independent Internet publication.

Television

Television is widely watched in Ukranian cities, as a popular form of entertainment and news. Almost all Ukrainian urban households have at least one TV.

Television programs that are broadcast in Nikolaev include movies, news, dramas (some of which originated in other countries, such as Mexico and the USA and are dubbed into Russian), (some of which also originate in other countries and are dubbed into Russian) cartoons, and professional sporting events such as Ukranian football (soccer)> Nikolaev has the following TV channels: 1+1; 2+2; 5 Kanal (channel in Russian); ICTV; Inter; Real Estate TV; Tonis: K1: Kanal Ukraina; Kultura (Ukraina); CTB; TV: TET; and TRk. http://www.vipiko.tv/cgi-bin/html.cgi?id_paket=697.

Nikolaev has cable TV available.

English language television programming in Nikolaev includes:

Sports

Spectator sports

Mykolaiv is represented within Ukrainian Bandy and Rink-bandy Federation.

MFC Mykolaiv (Municipal Football Club "Mykolaiv", Ukrainian: Муніципальний футбольний клуб "Миколаїв") is a Ukrainian football club. The club has been demoted three times from the Ukrainian Premier League. MFС Mykolaiv's best achievement in the Ukrainian Premier League was 13th place (in 1994–95). MFC Mykolaiv reached 1st place in Druha Liha group A in 2010-11 season and was promoted to Persha Liha. Mykolaiv's main football stadium is at the west end of Lenin Prospekt, near the west end of the peninsula that Mykolaiv is on. As in almost all of Ukraine, professional football is an extremely popular spectator sport among most of the male population.

Mykolaiv's professional basketball team is MBC Mykolaiv. The team has won or finished second or third in several international tournaments since 1988, and won the Ukrainian Championship in 1992. MBC Mykolaiv is part of the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague, which is the top professional basketball league in Ukraine.

International relations

Mykolaiv is part of the International Black Sea Club, The World Council of Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and the International Assembly of Capitals and Major Cities of the CIS (certain countries that were part of the former Soviet Union) countries.

Mykolaiv’s 10 sister cities:

• Batumi, Georgia (since 1995);
• Trieste, Italy (since 1996);
• Bursa, Turkey (since 2001);
• Tiraspol, Moldova (since2004);
• Moscow, Russia (since 2005);
• Pleven, Hungary (from 2005);
• Lyon, France (since 2006);
• Borjomi, Georgia (since 2006);
• Dezhou, China (since 2009);
• Mogilev, Belarus (since 2009).

Crime

In March 2012, Mykolaiv gained international notoriety for lawlessness and police corruption following the rape and murder of Oksana Makar. Her three attackers were apprehended, but two were released because of family connections to local government officials. After a media outcry and public protests, all three attackers were charged with her murder.

See also

• Black Sea Shipyard
• 61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant
• Okean Shipyard (Oktyabrskoye)

References

Notes

External links

• Official portal of The Nikolaev City Council
• Pictures of Mykolaiv
• Mykolaiv Travel Guide and Forum
• Mykolaiv Places of Interest
• Template:Wikitravel