Nizhyn

Nizhyn (Ukrainian: Ніжин, Russian: Не́жин, Polish: Nieżyn) is a city located in the Chernihiv Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine, along the Oster River, 150 km (93 mi) north-east of the nation's capital, Kyiv. It is the administrative center of the Nizhyn Raion, though the city itself is also designated as a district in the oblast. Once a major city of the Chernigov Governorate, it had estimated population of 76,625 at the 2001 census.

History

The earliest known references to the location go back to 1147, when it was briefly mentioned as Unenezh. In the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Nizhyn was granted Magdeburg rights (1625) as a self-governing town. In 1663 here Nizhyn took place the Black Council of Ukrainian Cossacks which elected Bryukhovetsky as the new Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host thus conditionally dividing Ukraine (Cossack Hetmanate) into left-bank Ukraine and right-bank Ukraine. It was also the seat of a major Cossack regiment (until 1782).

Nizhyn was once a major center of Hasidic Judaism and is the site of the Ohel (tomb) of the Hasidic master, Rabbi Dovber Schneuri of Chabad-Lubavitch. The city also housed the thriving Greek community, which enjoyed a number of privileges granted by Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

Nizhyn (air base)

Nizhyn is an air base in Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine located 4 km north of Nizhyn, and was operated by the Soviet Long Range Aviation. It is a medium-sized bomber base with a modern design, and is being used to store some of Ukraine's older bombers. The airfield has 33 large revetments along a curved taxiway.

During 1964-67 the base began converting to the Tupolev Tu-22R (Blinder) and by 1967 it had 24 Tu-22s based here. The reconnaissance variants were tasked with operations in Western Europe. In July 1969 two Tu-22 aircraft collided in mid-air; the crew ejected and the plane flew on unpiloted for 52 minutes, threatening the city of Nizhin before crashing 0.5 km from the city's railway station. In November 1988 three Tu-22R were deployed to Mozdok to fight in Afghanistan, but returned to base a week later without seeing any combat. Some Tu-22s were sent to Nizhyn for disposal, probably in the 1990s.

Units stationed at Nizhyn include: