Chonhar (), transliterated sometimes as Chongar (), is a village on the Chonhar Peninsula, within the swampy region of
Syvash
The Syvash or Sivash ( Russian and Ukrainian: ; , Cyrillic: Сываш, "dirt"), also known as the or (, ''Gniloye More''; , ''Hnyle More''; ), is a large area of shallow lagoons on the western edge of the Sea of Azov. Separated from the sea ...
, in
Henichesk Raion
Henichesk Raion () is one of the five administrative Raions of Ukraine, raions (districts) of Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine. Its administrative centre is located in the city of Henichesk. Population:
On 18 July 2020, as part of the 2020 adm ...
,
Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast (, ; ), also known as Khersonshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in southern Ukraine. It is located just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson, on the northern or right bank ...
. The village is a seat of the Chonhar rural community (
silrada
Local government in Ukraine () consists of two systems based on the administrative divisions of Ukraine.Batanov, O. Local government (Місцева влада)'. Legal Encyclopedia. There are 24 oblasts, one autonomous republic, and two citie ...
). It belongs to
Henichesk urban hromada
Henichesk (, ; , ) is a port city along the Sea of Azov in Kherson Oblast, southern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Henichesk Raion. Since 9 November 2022, it has served as the temporary administrative centre of the Russian o ...
, one of the
hromada
In Ukraine, a hromada () is the main type of municipality and the third level Administrative divisions of Ukraine, local self-government in Ukraine. The current hromadas were established by the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine, Government of Uk ...
s of Ukraine. The village is just north of Chonhar Strait, which is part of the boundary between Kherson Oblast and
Crimea
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
.
Geography
The village is on the Chonhar Peninsula in Kherson Oblast. It is just north of Chonhar Strait, a shallow waterway that separates the peninsula and mainland Ukraine from the isthmus of
Crimea
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
. Highway M18/ E105 runs through the eastern end of the village and crosses a bridge over Chonhar Strait, parallel to an older, unused road bridge. The Chonhar bridge is one of three main hard surface routes to and from Crimea. The
Novooleksiivka
Novooleksiivka () is a rural settlement in Henichesk urban hromada, Henichesk Raion, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. It had a population of
History
In 1874 under the Russian Empire, a small railway station called Novooleksiivka was founded near a vi ...
–
Dzhankoi
Dzhankoi or Jankoy is a city of regional significance in the northern part of Crimea, internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, but since 2014 occupied by Russia. It also serves as administrative centre of Dzhankoi Raion although it is not a ...
railway line runs through the eastern end of the village, then on to
Syvash
The Syvash or Sivash ( Russian and Ukrainian: ; , Cyrillic: Сываш, "dirt"), also known as the or (, ''Gniloye More''; , ''Hnyle More''; ), is a large area of shallow lagoons on the western edge of the Sea of Azov. Separated from the sea ...
village and over a bridge across the sea to Crimea.
History
On 27 February 2014, during the
2014 Crimean crisis
In February and March 2014, Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula, part of Ukraine, and then annexed it. This took place in the relative power vacuum immediately following the Revolution of Dignity. It marked the beginning of the Russo-Ukrain ...
, Berkut (special police) of Crimea occupied the checkpoint near Chonhar and neighbouring territory. After Russia annexed Crimea, the area became a ''de facto'' border patrolled by Berkut and Russian troops. By 27 December 2014 Russian forces had fully withdrawn from the Chonhar peninsula.Chonhar Peninsula fully under Ukraine's control
Interfax-Ukraine
Interfax-Ukraine () is a Ukrainian news agency. Founded in 1992, the company publishes in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German.
The company owns a 50-seat press centre.
The staff of the agency is 105 people (as of the end of February 2022)
...
korrespondent.net
The ''Korrespondent.net'' ( ; ; literally: ''Correspondent'') is an online newspaper in Ukraine launched in 2000. It is a sister project to the ''Korrespondent'' printed weekly magazine also containing the latter's reduced free online version. ''K ...
(26 December 2014)
Chonhar was captured by
Russian ground forces
The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
on the first day of the
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
phase of the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
when they crossed into mainland
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
from already Russian-occupied Crimea.
The Highway M18/E105 bridge over Chonhar Strait was damaged on 22 June 2023 in an apparent Ukrainian missile strike.
Demographics
As of the
2001 Ukrainian census
The 2001 Ukrainian census is to date the only census of the population of independent Ukraine. It was conducted by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on 5 December 2001, twelve years after the last Soviet Union census in 1989.Strilkove
Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, at
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...