Vyzhnytsia (; , ; ; ; ; ; ) is a small city located in the historical region of

Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...

, on the Cheremosh River in

Chernivtsi Oblast Chernivtsi Oblast (), also referred to as Chernivechchyna (), is an oblast (province) in western Ukraine, consisting of the northern parts of the historical regions of Bukovina and Bessarabia. It has an international border with Romania and Moldo ...

of western

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 ...

. It is the

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

Vyzhnytsia Raion Vyzhnytsia Raion () is an administrative raion (district) in the southern part of Chernivtsi Oblast, located in the historical region of Bukovina, in western Ukraine, on the Romanian border. The region has an area of and centers on the city of Vy ...

. Vyzhnytsia hosts the administration of Vyzhnytsia urban hromada, 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. Population:

History

While the city was probably mentioned as early as 1158, the first unequivocal mention comes in 1501 in a Moldavian chronicle. From 1514 to 1574 the place was occupied by the Turks, after which it belonged to the

Principality of Moldova Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially independent and later autonom ...

until 1774. From 1774 to 1918 he was part of the Austrian Empire (from 1849 part of the crown land of

Jewish history of the town

In Judaism, the town is known as having been the original center of the Hassidic

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...

bearing its Yiddish name ( Vizhnitz). The town's Jewish community was decimated in the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

and most survivors did not return, but the flourishing Vizhnitz Hassidic community in Israel and the United States continues to keep the name. Until World War I, the town was named Wischnitz and was part of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

Part of Soviet Ukraine

Vyzhnytsa has been a city since 1940.Вижница // Большой энциклопедический словарь (в 2-х тт.). / редколл., гл. ред. А. М. Прохоров. том 1. М., "Советская энциклопедия", 1991. стр.218 A local newspaper has been published in the city since February 1945. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Vyzhnytsa was the center of a flourishing Ukrainian-language music scene that was renowned all over the Soviet Union. The local house of culture was renowned for its parties with illegal Western pop music and attracted young people from as far as

Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...

Volodymyr Ivasyuk Volodymyr Mykhailovych Ivasiuk (, 4 March 1949 – 24–27 April 1979) was a Ukraine, Ukrainian songwriter, composer and poet. He is the author and composer of the widely popular song "Chervona Ruta (song), Chervona Ruta" popularized by Sofia ...

was named as a regular visitor of these parties. There, he befriended musician Levko Dutkivskiy. Dutkivskiy from there on founded

VIA Via or VIA may refer to the following: Arts and entertainment * ''Via'' (Volumes album), 2011 * Via (Thalia Zedek album), 2013 * VIA (music), Soviet and Russian term for a music collective Businesses and organisations * Via Foundation, a Cz ...

Smerichka, with later

Nazariy Yaremchuk Nazariy Nazarovych Yaremchuk () was a Hutsuls, Hutsul Ukrainians, Ukrainian singer, born in the village of Vyzhnytsia Raion, Rivnya, Chernivtsi Oblast. He was posthumously named Hero of Ukraine in August 2021. Until his death in 1995, Yaremchuk ...

and Vasyl Zinkevych as lead singers. Smerichka became one of Ukraine's most famous groups at the time, performing at ''

Pesnya goda ''Pesnya goda'' (), meaning ''Song of the Year'', is an annual televised music festival and gala in Russia, honoring standout songs from the previous year. The event began in the Soviet Union, Soviet period, and prior to the dissolution of the S ...

'' twice and winning ''Allo, my ishchem talanty!'' (''Hello, we are looking for talents!'') in 1972, one of the first Soviet television talent shows.

Part of modern Ukraine

In January 1989 the population was 5708 people. In 2011 a

security checkpoint Civilian checkpoints or security checkpoints are distinguishable from border or frontier checkpoints in that they are erected and enforced within contiguous areas under military or paramilitary control. Civilian checkpoints have been employed w ...

"Vyzhnytsia" was built here. In January 2013 the population was 4207 people.

Transport

* a railway station of the

Lviv Railways Lviv Railways (abbreviated as LR) () is a territorial branch company of Ukrzaliznytsia headquartered in Lviv. General description Lviv Railways administers all railroads of Lviv Oblast, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Chernivtsi Obl ...

Notable people

* Josef Burg, writer * Gerard Ciołek, architect * Menachem Mendel Hager, first Vizhnitser Rebbe *

, singer *

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( ; ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the the ...

, director * Dol Dauber, musician * Meir Just, Dutch rabbi

Gallery

File:Vyzhnytsia Mykhailivska church DSC 5779 73-205-0005.jpg, Saint Michael's Church File:Vyzhnytsia Petra i Pavla kosciol DSC 5786 73-205-0006.jpg, Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church File:Вижниця Дмитрівська церква.jpg, Saint Demetrius Church File:Вижниця27.jpg, Holy Trinity Church File:Вижниця10.jpg, City Hall File:Вижниця17.jpg, Old city of Vyzhnytsia File:Вижниця6.jpg, Children's art house File:Вижниця9.jpg, Vyzhnytsia cinema

Nearby towns

Kuty KUTY (1470 AM, "Hermosa 1470") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Palmdale, California, United States and serves the Antelope Valley area. The station is owned by High Desert Broadcasting LLC and broadcasts a regional Mexican fo ...

Kosiv Kosiv (, ) is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It is the Capital city, administrative center of Kosiv Raion (Raion, district). Kosiv hosts the administration of Kosiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Popu ...

References

{{Authority control Bukovina Cities in Chernivtsi Oblast Historic Jewish communities in Belarus Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty) Cities of district significance in Ukraine Duchy of Bukovina Holocaust locations in Ukraine