Cherkasy Oblast

Cherkasy Oblast is located in central Ukraine, in the middle Dnieper region. Its administrative center is the city of Cherkasy. Much of the oblast lies on the right bank of the Dnieper, while the area around the Kremenchuk Reservoir is also a major geographic feature. The landscape is mostly forest-steppe with fertile agricultural land. The region is historically closely connected with Cossack traditions and the broader historical development of central Ukraine. Chyhyryn, which is within the oblast today, was an important hetman center in the seventeenth century. The oblast also has strong cultural significance through sites associated with Taras Shevchenko, especially around Kaniv. Kaniv is known for its hills above the Dnieper and for Shevchenko's burial site. The economy includes agriculture, food processing, chemicals, and machinery production. The city of Cherkasy is an important industrial and educational center. Uman is another major city in the oblast and is widely known for the historic Sofiyivka park. Because of its central location, the region has transport links of national importance. The oblast continues to play an important role in Ukraine's cultural and economic life.