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Gomel

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Gomel
Гомель
Sovetskaya Street
Sovetskaya Street
Flag of Gomel
Flag
Official seal of Gomel
Seal
Country
Subdivision		 Belarus
Homiel
Founded1142
Government
 • MayorAlexander Belyev
Area
 • City113 km2 (44 sq mi)
Population
 (2004)
 • City481,197
 • Density4,258.4/km2 (11,029/sq mi)
 • Metro
527,886
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Area code+375 232(2)
License plate3
Websitewww.gorod.gomel.by

Gomel (Template:Pron-en),[1] also Homiel, Homel (Belarusian, Russian: Гомель, IPA: [ˈɣomʲelʲ] (Bel.), [ˈɡomʲɪlʲ] (Rus.),[1] translit: Homieĺ; is the administrative center of Homiel Voblast and the second-largest city in Belarus. It has a population of 479,935 (2006 estimate). Gomel is situated in the southeastern part of the country, on the right bank of Sozh river, close to the border with Ukraine, in close proximity to Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Although it has been heavily contaminated with radioactive debris following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, residents were never evacuated from Gomel and general population continued to grow. The city is serviced by Gomel Airport.

History

View of the city, with the Paskevich Palace seen in the distance.

The exact date Gomel was founded is unknown. It was first mentioned in chronicles in the first half of the 12th century, and the officially accepted date is 1142. In 1854 Gomel merged with the neighbouring town of Bielica located across Sozh, on the left bank of the river. Bielica is noe one of four boroughs of Gomel.[2]

The frozen Svetlahorsk Berezina river.

Like many other cities in eastern Europe, Gomel before the Second World War and the Holocaust had a significant Jewish population. According to the Russian census of 1897, out of a total population of 37,800, Jewish residents numbered about 8,400 (25% percent).[3] On the eve of World War II, the Jewish population had increased to fifteen thousand. Some Jewish residents fled in the early months of the war, but those who remained were confined to ghettos and most were eventually executed by the Nazis.

Transportation

Public transportation is represented by over 1,000 city buses and trolleybuses. Public transportation is generally inexpensive ($14 monthly). Over 210 million passenger rides were registered in 2006.[4] Taxi services ($10 for a one-way intra-city ride) are available 24 hours a day. The city is an important railroad hub in the southeastern part of Belarus being positioned midway on the Minsk-Kiev railroad link. Strategic location of Gomel near the border with Russia and Ukraine provides a direct connection to the vast railroad network.

Gomel Airport is located 8 kilometers north-east from the city.

Culture

Automobile Repair Plant in Gomel
  • Gomel Regional Russian Drama Theatre
  • Puppet Theatre
  • Youth Theatre
  • Gomel Regional Library
  • Palace-and-Park Ensemble
  • Art Gallery
  • Gomel State Circus
  • etc.

Educational center

Gomel is a well-known educational center. The following universities are located in Gomel:

Since 1990, P.O. Sukhoy Homiel State Technical University and Homiel State Medical University have been attracting many international students from countries around world, including United States, Germany, China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, Iran and Latin America. Homiel State Medical University provides classes in both English and Russian. Many famous scientists work here as senior lecturers.

People

Drama theatre
File:Gromyko statue in Gomel.JPG
Statue of Andrei Gromyko in Gomel

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Belarus

Twin towns and Sister cities

Gomel is twinned with:

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b Definition of Homyel' - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
  2. ^ Gomel: History
  3. ^ Joshua D. Zimmerman, Poles, Jews, and the politics of nationality, Univ of Wisconsin Press, 2004, ISBN 0299194647, Google Print, p.16
  4. ^ Gomel Transportation Statistics (Russian language)
  5. ^ "Twinning". Aberdeen City Council. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
  6. ^ "Radom Official Website - Partner Cities". (in English and Polish) © 2007 Urząd Miasta Radom. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
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