Travel Guide Cherkassy (Черкаси)

Founded in the th century, the city, like Kaniv, represents a place of demarcation between the civilized lands and wild steppes, emblematic of the Cossacks, and where the Tatars raided regularly. The city is known primarily for being used as a shelter for the Cossacks, who have fought hard against Tatars from the South. Under Polish rule, and annexed by Russia in 1793, the city did not retain many historical traces because it was partially destroyed during the Second World War. Today, it is primarily a very important port located in a water reserve, the Krementchug Sea, formed by a Dnipro dam. The town of Na offers no special interest. However, its importance in the formation of Ukrainian identity is undeniable. Na was one of the major centres of the Cossack culture, as long as it derives its name from the word «cherkasy» that Russians and Tatars used to designate the Central Ukrainian cossacks. His inhabitants were actively involved in Bogdan Khmelnytsky's revolt, whose residence was in a village nearby, in Tchyhyryn. In addition, the Région region is also that of Taras Shevchenko.