Zhydachiv

Zhydachiv (Ukrainian: Жидачів, Polish: Żydaczów) is a city in Lviv Oblast (region) in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhydachiv Raion (district), and is located at around 49°22′53″N 24°8′27″E / 49.38139°N 24.14083°E / 49.38139; 24.14083Coordinates: 49°22′53″N 24°8′27″E / 49.38139°N 24.14083°E / 49.38139; 24.14083. Local government is administered by Zhydachivska city council. Population: 11,180 (2013 est.).

Zhydachiv lies on the Stryi River. It has two schools and one Ukrainian gymnasium.

History

In the mid-14th century, Zhydachiv, together with whole Red Ruthenia, was annexed by the Kingdom of Poland, in which it remained for over 400 years. The town, known then as Zydaczow, was part of Poland’s Ruthenian Voivodeship, and in 1772 (see Partitions of Poland) it was seized by the Habsburg Empire, as part of Austrian Galicia. Zydaczow received Magdeburg rights from King Kazimierz Wielki. The town had a defensive castle and was the seat of a starosta. In 1393, King Wladyslaw Jagiello granted it several privileges, also founding a Roman - Catholic church. Zydaczow for centuries remained in private hands, among others it belonged to the noble Rzewuski family. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Zydaczow was an important center of salt trade.