Ekaterinoslav: modern city name

Ekaterinoslav, whose modern name is Dnepropetrovsk, was founded on May 22, 1787. This city today is known for the longest waterfront in Europe and the longest bridge in Ukraine. The name Ekaterinoslav to the settlement was given in honor of the Empress Catherine II, she was also its founder. This name was born for the first nine years since its inception (1787-1796). And then two more times the city was called by the same name. This happened during the years 1802-1918 and 1919-1926.

On the left coast

In historical information it is said about the existence of two dates, with which the birth of Ekaterinoslav is associated.

It is proved that the city of Yekaterinoslav was founded for the first time on the left bank of the mighty Dnieper. It happened on a river called Kilchen, just in the place where it merges with Samara. Hence the name Ekaterinoslav-Kilchensky. In this area it was planned to lay not just an ordinary city, but a real fortress, which would be surrounded by swamps and forests. It was supposed to become practically inaccessible to the enemies. But later it turned out that it was practically as unusable as it was for dwelling.

Thus, on April 16, 1776, a decree was issued, according to which, eight versts from the left bank of the Dnieper, the construction of Ekaterinoslav was to begin. The governor V. Chertkov himself was engaged in a place for construction works. The construction project was headed by N. Alekseev. According to his developments, Ekaterinoslav (modern name - Dnepropetrovsk) was to consist of nine parishes. Each of them had its own area. Scientists suggest that it was intended for the market or church. Most buildings had to be built of wood. The future city was surrounded by impassable forests and deep waters.

The city, what it was like

By the summer of 1778, more than 50 buildings had been built. These included: the chancery, the house of the provincial prosecutor, the barracks, the church and the governor's house. Also there were a pharmacy, a prison and a house of boundary officers. Housing was fully suitable for the clergy, merchants and townspeople. Already in 1781 in Ekaterinoslav there were a postal yard, several churches, a bathhouse, an infirmary, a school, a court and a brick factory. At this stage, the fortified city boasted the presence of almost 200 yards. By the Decree of the Governmental Senate, almost complete completion of the settlement was announced.

But a little time passed, and Mr. Ekaterinoslav overtook trouble - an epidemic of swamp malaria began. The healer, who came from St. Petersburg himself, conducted a scrupulous and lengthy study. In the end, he stated that Ekaterinoslav-Kilchensky is a terrain absolutely unsuitable for settling people. The authorities decided to close the settlement, and the city itself to transfer to the right Dnieper shore.

So, Ekaterinoslav (modern name mentioned above) lasted only eight years. After that, his status was reduced to a county seat and given the name Novomoskovsk. But by 1794 the new settlement had come to a complete decline. He was transferred to the village of Novoselitsu, which was located higher in Samara. Here and today there is a city that is called Novomoskovsk.

On the right bank

On the right bank of the Dnieper, the choice of a place for the new Ekaterinoslav was done by himself Potemkin Grigory Alexandrovich. Many of the well-known engineers and architects helped him in this. According to the new plan, it was assumed that the center of the settlement would be on the Cathedral Hill. At that time there was nothing on it, only the grass grew. There were no swamps in this area. Here was a wonderful climate and even a better view of the steppe and the Dnieper. In a word, this was the absolute opposite of the places on which Yekaterinoslav Kilchensky was founded.

Potemkin conceived a huge project of the structure of the settlement. Dnepropetrovsk (Ekaterinoslav) was to become a center of cultural and economic life in the southern part of Russia. It was assumed that it would become the center of Novorossia.

Catherine's visit

Potemkin invited the Empress Catherine II, whose fame the future city wanted to devote, to visit the Crimea and Novorossiia. He wanted the queen to get acquainted with this unsurpassed terrain. Catherine agreed, and on the day of St. Nicholas, on May 9, 1787, on the Cathedral Hill she laid and cemented the first stone of the future Transfiguration Cathedral.

But this church was never lucky enough to become a full-fledged church. As soon as the foundation was filled, Potemkin stopped further construction work. The building of Preobrazhensky was conceived solely to hint to other states on the military and economic power of the Russian Empire. According to one of the versions, it was 1787 that became the date when Ekaterinoslav was founded, the modern name of which can be found in our article.

Paul and Alexander I

In 1796, Catherine II died. Power inherited her son Paul. He also renamed Ekaterinoslav to Novorossiysk, his provincial status was reduced to the county and generally forgot about the existence of the settlement as such. As a result, the population began to leave the boundaries of this settlement just as they had fled Yekaterinoslav-Kilchinsky in their time. But all this did not last long: when the throne passed under the control of Alexander I, the city again received its legal name and "title" of the provincial center.

Some more names

Ekaterinoslav (the modern name of the city - Dnipropetrovsk) at one time or another had other names. So, after the tsarist regime was collapsed, and civil war raged in the courtyard, the city was unofficially called Sicheslav. Thus, the legendary Cossack past of this region was noted.

In 1924, when the communists came to power, they could not understand the name of the settlement. His options were proposed, such as Krasnoslav, Metallurg, Leninoslav and others. At the next Congress of Soviets it was decided to rename the city to Krasnodneprovsk, but this name was eventually rejected. In 1926 a modern metropolis was named Dnipro-Petrovsky. After the reform of the Ukrainian language, he became Dnipropetrovsk.