Berdychiv
[key], Rus. Berdichev, city, in central Ukraine, on the
Hnylopyat River. It is a rail junction and the industrial and trade center
of an area where sugar beets are raised. Engineering, sugar refining,
tanning, and the manufacture of foodstuffs are the major industries. Founded
in the 14th cent., Berdychiv passed to Lithuania in 1546 and to Poland in
1569; Russia acquired it in 1793. During the 18th cent., Berdychiv was an
important Ukrainian commercial city and a center of Jewish Hasidism. Landmarks include a fortified
Carmelite monastery (17th cent.) that is now a museum.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: CIS and Baltic Political Geography
