Zhydachiv

Name

One of the citys feature is a large number of its name variants. For the first it mentioned in 1164 under the name Udech. In the documents from 14-17 centuries city is named as Zudech, Zudachiv, Sudachiv, Zidachiv, Sidachiv, Zudechev and more.

History

The first written mention of the city dates from the year 1164. At that time the city was part of Galician Rus' and was an important trade center at the confluence of the river Stryi in Dniester with a stone church of St. Nicholas. Ancient Udech (Zhydachiv) formed from two settlements located at on a distance of 800 m from each other. Great western fort occupied territory of present-day mount "Bazyivka" and east fort lies in the mount "Zamok" ("Castle"). Since then (XIII century) comes famous miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary that still remains in the city. Between this two fortifications were also mentioned are six unfortified settlements, which were also included in the structure of the city. Between the two Fortifications on the old river bed (district Korablysche) most likely was located a river harbor, and the district Bologna may be a main shopping area of the ancient Rus' city.

In the mid-14th century, Zhydachiv, together with whole Galicia, was seized by the Kingdom of Poland, then some time became a partin of the Kingdom of Hungary and in 1387 again conquered by Jadwiga of Poland. From 1434 Zhydachiv, was part of Poland’s Ruthenian Voivodeship. By the end of 14th century here were 2 castles, 4 Orthodox churches, 1 Roman Catholic church, Market Square and wooden Town Hall. King Wladyslaw Jagiello granted in 1393 Magdeburg rights and several privileges, also founding a Roman Catholic church. Zhydachiv for centuries remained in private hands, among others it belonged to the noble Rzewuski family, had a defensive castle and was the seat of a starosta.

In the middle of XVII century population of Zhydachiv participated in the liberation war led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky. In 1772 it was seized by the Habsburg Empire, as part of Austrian Galicia and in 1800 here was established a Jewish rabbinical School.

From 1 November 1918, until May 1919, it was administered by the West Ukrainian People's Republic. After the Polish–Ukrainian War, Zhydachiv became a part of Second Polish Republic and was the seat of a county in Stanislawow Voivodeship. In 1929, the population of Zhydachiv was almost 4 200 including 1960 Ukrainians, 1290 Poles and a quarter of the total population 950 members were the Jewish inhabitants. In September 1939 Zhydachiv was occupied by the Red Army. Soviet authorities deported a number of residents to Siberia. When the Germans occupied the town in 1941 - 1944, they kept Jews imprisoned in a ghetto. On September 1942, they were deported to Extermination camp Belzec and murdered.

After World War II, the city was incorporated into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and from that time started a process of its industrialization. At 1951 Zhydachiv become a home of Ukraine's largest pulp and paper mill which produces 90% of Ukrainian paper. The population has increased fivefold. After 1991 Zhydachiv is a city in independent Ukraine as a center of Zhydachiv Raion in Lviv Oblast.