Derhachi

Derhachi (, ; ) is a city in Kharkiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The city is located northwest of the oblast capital, Kharkiv. The settlement was founded in the second half of the 17th century as a sloboda. It hosts the administration of Derhachi urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population:

Etymology

There are at least two versions of the origin of the town name. The first one is connected with ''derkach'' — the Ukrainian name of a corncrake that inhabits the banks of the local Lopan river. Another version appeals to the name of the legendary cossack ''Derkach'' who is considered to be the founder of the town. Since 1943, the Soviet local authorities have rejected the Ukrainian variant of the name ''Derkachi'' (with letter k) and began to use only the Russian one — ''Derhachi'' (with letter h). Later the Russian pronunciation was installed in Ukrainian official settlements classification.

Geography

Location

The town lies in a valley on the Lopan river north west to the second largest Ukrainian city Kharkiv. The most part of the town is plain and located on the left bank of Lopan. The western edge of the settlement is hilly and full of ravines. The riverbed of Lopan has many artificial channels and small tributaries in this place. The regional road T2103 goes through the town from north west to south east and connects it with Kharkiv and Zolochiv. There is a significant uninhabited forested area south west to the town.

Climate

Derhachi has humid continental climate, ''Dfb'' by Köppen climate classification with warm summer but there is no dry season. The average annual temperature is 7.3 °C. The rainfall here is around 535 mm per year.

History

Scythian ages

It is scientifically proved that territory of nowadays Derhachi was populated in Scythian times (6 — 3 centuries B.C.) and later. A unique Scythian ritual pommel decorated with a sphinx was found at the town. This artifact was a part of Scythian World Tree and now it is exhibited in Kharkiv Historical Museum. In 2018 and 2019, the archaeological expedition of the Kharkiv Historical Museum carried out excavations of the Scythian kurgan in western part of the town. The scientists explored the mounds and received a collection of items with information on the funeral rite of Scythian times.

Cossacks era

In the 17th century Derkachi was a sotnia town of the Kharkiv Sloboda Cossack Regiment. Up to the 1742 there was one cossacks sotnia administration, in 1742—1765 — two sotnia administrations. Traditionally a sotnyk (head of a sotnia) in Derkachi was a member of well known in Sloboda Ukraine Kowalewski family ( Dołęga coat of arms). The town had its own symbols. The sotnia standard had an image of the archangel Michael. The town seal contained an image of a derkach bird (corn crake) with an octagram above it. According to the 1779 documents Derkachi was a military sloboda of the Kharkiv povit (uyezd) with a population of 2287 citizens.

Russian empire

It was a settlement in Kharkov Governorate of the Russian Empire.

Soviet times

Holodomor

At least 274 of town residents died in the Holodomor, the man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933. The officials of Derkachi town council were involved in expropriation of local citizens property in 1932.

Second World War

Derhachi spent 630 days during the Eastern Front under the occupation of the German Army, from 21 October, 1941 to 13 August, 1943; save for a period during the Third Battle of Kharkov in February 1943 when it was briefly recaptured by the Red Army. The town would be liberated later that year during the Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation.

= Post-War

=
In January 1989, the population was 22,915 people.Дергачи // Большой энциклопедический словарь (в 2-х тт.). / редколл., гл. ред. А. М. Прохоров. том 1. М., "Советская энциклопедия", 1991. стр.376

Independent Ukraine (since 1991)

In January 2013 the population was 18,154 people.

Until 18 July 2020, Derhachi was the administrative center of Derhachi Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Kharkiv Oblast to seven. The area of Derhachi Raion was merged into Kharkiv Raion.

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the town saw shelling and fighting as part of the Battle of Kharkiv, resulting in civilian casualties. On May 12, the local palace of culture was shelled by a BM-27 Uragan MLRS, killing two people and wounding four. Later on the night of May 12-13, the building was completely destroyed by a missile strike.

Transportation

Trains

The town has 3 railway stops operated by Ukrainian Railways: ''Derhachi'', ''Motorna'' and ''Novi Derhachi''. The largest stop ''Derhachi'' has a station building. All stops are used only by commuter trains running on the line Kharkiv - ''Kozacha Lopan''. Before 2014 there was a direct commuter train connection with towns in Belhorod oblast of Russia.

Buses

Derhachi has a bus connection with the city of Kharkiv. The buses on this route go via the central street ''Sumsky Shliakh'', then follow through the town of ''Mala Danylivka'' to the center of Kharkiv (bus station Tsentralnyi Rynok).

The town also has an internal bus route, which mainly runs along the central streets (''Sumskyi Shliakh'' and ''Zolochivskyi Shliakh''). The town has direct connection with neighboring raion center Zolochiv.

Metro

In the 1980s, when planning the Oleksiivska line of the Kharkiv Metro, the construction of the metro station 'Dergachi' was planned, but the station has not been built yet.

Economy

The majority of enterprises are concentrated in the industrial zone in the south of the town near the ''Motorna'' railway stop.

The largest enterprises that have production in the town are:

* ''UBC Group'' - refrigeration and brewing equipment
* Amcor - packaging for the tobacco industry.

The town is a manufacturing base of the ''BRIG'' company which is one of the world's leading manufacturers of rigid-hulled inflatable boats.

Notable people

Born in the town

* Panas (Afanasi) Matushenko — leader of the mutiny on the Russian battleship ''Potemkin'' in 1905.

Lived or worked in the town

* Hnat Khotkevych — Ukrainian writer, ethnographer, composer, and bandurist. As a student in 1895, organized a village theater in Derkachi. In 1920-1928 taught Ukrainian language and literature in the Derkachi zoo technical school
* Oleksandr Oles — Ukrainian writer and poet. In 1893 he entered the farming school in Derkachi, where he published the first verses.

Media

Since Soviet times, the town has had a newspaper, established in 1939 by the local Communist Party committee.

The newspaper changed its name continuously:

* ''By the way of Stalin'' (), 28 July 1939 — 4 November 1956
* ''The truth of Lenin'' (), 1957 — 1962
* ''The tribune of the working people'' (), 1962 — 1967
* ''The way of Lenin'' (), 1967 — 10 October 1991
* ''The news of Derhachi land'' (), since 10 October 1991

Twin towns — Sister cities

Derhachi is twinned with:
* Sosnowiec, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

Image gallery

File:Старинные ворота Дергачи.JPG, Old wooden gates in Derhachi

References

{{Authority control

Cities in Kharkiv Oblast
Kharkovsky Uyezd
Cities of district significance in Ukraine
Cities and towns built in the Sloboda Ukraine