Ternopil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ternopil Тернопіль
City
Clockwise, top to bottom: Ternopil Castle as seen from the lake Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic chapel on Mykulyntsi cemetery Church of the Exhaltation of Holy Cross Valova Street Theatre Square
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Ternopil Location in Ukraine Show map of Ukraine Ternopil Location in Ternopil Oblast Show map of Ternopil Oblast
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Ternopil Oblast
Raion	Ternopil Raion
Hromada	Ternopil urban hromada
Founded	1540 (485 years ago)
Area
• Total	86 km2 (33.2 sq mi)
Elevation (mean)	320 m (1,050 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Total	225,004
• Density	2,616/km2 (6,777/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (CEST)
Area code(s)	+380 352

Ternopil is a city in western Ukraine. It is located on the banks of the Seret River. Until 1944, it was mostly known as Tarnopol.

Ternopil is a major city in Western Ukraine. It is part of the historical regions of Galicia and Podolia. The city has its own airport, Ternopil Airport. In 2022, about 225,004 people lived there.

Ternopil is the main administrative center for the Ternopil Oblast (a region in Ukraine). It is also the center for the Ternopil Raion (a district within the region). The city manages the Ternopil urban hromada, which is a local community group in Ukraine. Before July 18, 2020, Ternopil was a special city that didn't belong to the Ternopil Raion. But as part of a government change, it became part of the raion.

History of Ternopil

Jan Amor Tarnowski, who founded Tarnopol

The city was started in 1540 by a Polish commander named Jan Amor Tarnowski. Its old Polish name, Tarnopol, means 'Tarnowski's city'. It comes from his family name and the Greek word polis, which means city.

Tarnopol was built as a strong military fort and castle. It helped protect the eastern borders of the Polish Kingdom from attacks by the Tatars. In 1570, the city was taken over by the Ostrogski family. Later, in 1623, it went to the Zamoyski family.

During the Khmelnytsky Uprising, many people from Ternopil joined the Cossack fighters. From 1672 to 1676, during the Polish–Ottoman War (1672–1676), Turkish forces almost completely destroyed Tarnopol in 1675. But it was rebuilt by Aleksander Koniecpolski.

Changes in Rule

In 1772, after Poland was divided for the first time, Ternopil came under Austrian rule. In 1809, after a war, the city became part of the Russian Empire. It was then called Ternopol krai. But in 1815, it went back to Austrian rule. This was decided at the Congress of Vienna. In 1870, a railway line connected Tarnopol to Lemberg.

During World War I, the city was controlled by German and Austro-Hungarian forces, then by Russia, and then back again. In 1917, the city and its castle were burned down by Russian forces who were leaving.

After the Austro-Hungarian Empire ended, Ternopil was declared part of the West Ukrainian National Republic in November 1918. When Polish forces took Lwów, Ternopil became the temporary capital of the West Ukrainian People's Republic. After this republic joined with the Ukrainian People's Republic, Ternopil officially became part of the UPR. Polish forces captured the city in July 1919.

In July and August 1920, the Red Army took Ternopil during the Polish–Soviet War. The city then became the capital of the short-lived Galician Soviet Socialist Republic. After a peace treaty, the area remained under Polish control.

World War II and Beyond

The Church of St. Mary of the Perpetual Assistance was destroyed after World War II.

In 1939, after the Soviet invasion of Poland, Ternopil became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. On July 2, 1941, Nazi forces took over the city. During this time, many Jewish people were killed or sent to camps. Many Ukrainians were also forced to work in Germany.

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was active in the Ternopil region. They fought for Ukraine's independence against the Nazis and the Soviets. In 1942, the Germans ran a prisoner-of-war camp in the city for French soldiers.

In March and April 1944, Soviet artillery almost completely destroyed the city. The Red Army took Ternopil on April 15, 1944. After this, 85% of the city's homes were destroyed.

After World War II, Ternopil became part of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. Polish people living in the area were moved to Poland. In the years that followed, Ternopil was rebuilt in a Soviet style. Only a few old buildings were reconstructed.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Ternopil became part of independent Ukraine. In 2020, the city was merged into the Ternopil Raion as part of a government change.

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ternopil was hit by Russian missiles on May 13, 2023. This happened just minutes before the music duo Tvorchi, who are from Ternopil, performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Geography and Climate

Ternopil has a moderate continental climate. This means it has cold winters and warm summers.

People of Ternopil

School No. 5 in Ternopil

Most people in Ternopil city and the surrounding Ternopil Oblast are ethnic Ukrainians. They also mostly speak Ukrainian.

Here's a look at the main groups in Ternopil Oblast:

• Ukrainians - 97.8%
• Russians - 1.2%
• Poles - 0.3%

The main languages spoken in Ternopil are:

• Ukrainian language — 94.8 %
• Russian language — 3.37 %

A survey in 2023 showed that 98% of people in Ternopil spoke Ukrainian at home.

Economy and Transport

Ternopil is a center for different industries. These include light industry (making everyday goods), food industry, and radio-electronic industries. It also has construction businesses.

Ternopil railway station

Ternopil is an important railway hub. It connects to most major train stations in Ukraine. The city is also on the M12 international highway. This highway links western and central parts of Ukraine.

Within the city, there are trolleybus lines and a bus station. You can also find water transport on the Ternopil artificial lake, mostly for tourists. The Ternopil Airport opened in 1985 for civilian flights but stopped commercial operations in 2010.

Higher Education

Teachers of Ternopil State Medical University.

Ternopil has several universities where students can get a higher education:

• West Ukrainian National University
• Ternopil Ivan Pul'uj National Technical University
• Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatyuk National Pedagogical University
• Ternopil State Medical University

Main Sights to See

If you visit Ternopil, here are some interesting places:

• Ternopil Regional Art Museum: A place to see beautiful art.
• Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, Ternopil: A historic church.
• Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary: A large and important church.
• The sanctuary of Our Lady of Zarvanytsia: This is a holy place about 40 km from Ternopil. It has a special 13th-century icon called the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia.

Famous People from Ternopil

Franciszek Kleeberg

Many notable people have come from Ternopil or the surrounding region. Here are a few:

• Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz (1890–1963): A Polish philosopher and logician.
• Vasyl Barvinsky (1888–1963): A Ukrainian composer and pianist.
• Natalia Buchynska (born 1977): A singer who grew up in Ternopil.
• Franciszek Kleeberg (1888–1941): A Polish general.
• Serhiy Nadal (born 1975): The current mayor of Ternopil.
• Jakub Karol Parnas (1884–1949): A biochemist born in Ternopil.
• Joseph Perl (1773–1839): A Jewish educator and writer.
• Yaroslav Stetsko (1912–1986): A leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists.
• Tvorchi: An electronic music duo that represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2023.

People from Ternopil Oblast

Solomiya Krushelnytska

• Volodymyr Hnatiuk (1871–1926): A Ukrainian writer and ethnographer.
• Solomiya Krushelnytska (1872–1952): A famous Ukrainian opera singer.
• Ivan Pului (1845–1918): A physicist and inventor who helped develop X-rays for medical use.
• Serhiy Prytula (born 1981): A Ukrainian TV host and activist.

International Connections

The Mayor of Ternopil receiving a Council of Europe flag in 2014

Ternopil has "twin city" relationships with several cities around the world. This means they share cultural and educational exchanges.

Ternopil is twinned with:

• Erftstadt, Germany (since 2023)
• Sliven, Bulgaria
• Yonkers, United States (since 1991)
• Elbląg in Poland (since 1992)
• Chorzów, Poland
• Prudentopolis, Brazil
• Batumi, Georgia

Past Twin Cities

Ternopil used to be twinned with:

• Tarnów in Poland
• Pinsk in Belarus

In June 2022, Ternopil stopped its partnership with Pinsk due to the conflict with Russia and missile strikes from Belarus.

Festivals

Every July since 2013, an international open-air music festival called Faine Misto [uk] is held near Ternopil. It lasts for 2–4 days.

Images for kids

• 

  Ternopil Castle from the lake

• 

  Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

• 

  Roman Catholic chapel on Mykulyntsi cemetery

• 

  Church of the Exhaltation of Holy Cross

• 

  Valova Street

• 

  Theatre Square

See also

In Spanish: Ternópil para niños