Mykolaiv is a city in Ukraine, a regional center of Mykolaiv region, a center of Vitovsky and Mykolaiv districts. Nikolaev is located at the mouth of the river Ingul, where it flows into the Southern Bug, 65 kilometers from the Black Sea.
History
In the territory of modern Mykolaiv around 1250-925 BC, there was a so-called City of Cimmerian People – the ancient port city of Cimmerians (the Belarusian culture). This is the oldest city on the territory of Ukraine, which is mentioned in written sources.
In the Middle Ages, in 1399, in the southern part of the modern city – Vitovtsi, the Great Lithuanian prince Vitovt built here the Vytautas castle (fortress) and the customs for control of trade with the Tatars.
Modern Mykolaiv as a city, arose thanks to shipbuilding. It was originally built as a shipbuilding shipyard. During the XIX century, Nikolaev was the center of shipbuilding in the Black Sea, as well as the center of management of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire.
The name was given to the city in honor of the patron saint of St. Nicholas. There is also a version that the city was named in honor of the victory of Russian troops in 1788 when the Ottoman fortress Ochakov was taken, which coincided with the Day of Nicholas.
Education
The educational network of the city of Mykolaiv includes 74 active preschool and 75 general educational institutions of different types. The governing body in preschool, general secondary and extracurricular education in the city is the Office of Education Executive Committee of the Mykolaiv City Council.
In Mykolaiv there are several higher educational institutions (both state and private):
- Black Sea National University named after Petro Mohyla;
- Mykolayiv Interregional Human Development Institute “Ukraine”
- The National University of Shipbuilding named after Admiral Makarov;
- Mykolaiv National Agrarian University;
- Mykolaiv Polytechnic Institute.
Teaching languages in educational institutions of Mykolayiv are state Ukrainian, as well as general Russian. In the network of secondary schools, optional languages of some minorities are studied.
Culture
Mykolaiv is a significant cultural and educational center of Southern Ukraine.
In Mykolaiv, there are 58 cultural institutions that are registered in the communal municipal economy. Among them, there are three theaters, museums, a city cultural center and four buildings of culture, 10 schools of aesthetic education, club establishments, city parks of culture and rest, and Mykolaiv zoo, a cultural and gaming complex Children’s Town “Tale”, an extensive network of 35 libraries, etc.
Sport
In Mykolaiv, there are 25 children’s and junior sports schools with 36 kinds of sports, which employ about 9,200 people (mid-2000s).
The training of professional athletes is carried out by the city higher school of physical culture and sports, the school of higher sporting skills.
The city has 5 stadiums, including the Central City Stadium, as well as 118 sports halls, 4 swimming pools, and 21 tennis courts.
The honor of the city in the championship of Ukraine is protected by the basketball club MBC “Mykolaiv” and the football team of IFC “Mykolaiv” (in the season 2015/2016 in the 1 st league of the Ukrainian Football Championship). In American football, the city is represented by the team “Mykolaiv’s Vikings”.