Konotop


Konotop is a city in Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine. Konotop serves as the administrative center of Konotop Raion. Konotop is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast significance and does not belong to the raion. Konotop is located about 129 km from Sumy, the oblast administrative center. It is host to Konotop air base. Population:

History

During the beginning of the 17th century, Cossacks were first based in that area. The settlement was first mentioned in 1634 in various documents as Novoselytsia. 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.
In 1659 the Battle of Konotop took place near the city, in which Cossacks led by Ivan Vyhovsky 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. Details of this are recounted in the book The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer
In 2015, the city elected Artem Semenikhin of the far-right Svoboda as its mayor. Semenikhin reportedly has the number "14/88" displayed on his car and 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.

Climate

Economy

The main industrial enterprises of the city include the Konotop Casting and Mechanical Plant, the Motordetal Plant, the Konotop Fittings Plant, the Konotop Car Repair Plant, the Aviakon Aircraft Repair Plant, a mechanical plant, a garment factory, a meat processing plant, a dairy plant, and a bakery plant. Konotop is an important mechanical engineering center, food production center.

Transport

The city is an important transportation center. Various railroad connections from Konotop are: Moscow–Kiev, Simferopol–Minsk, Bakhmach–Kiev, Bryansk–Sumy/Belgorod. Furthermore, Konotop is one of the smallest cities in the country with its own tram system.

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