Zhytomyr Oblast

Zhytomyr Oblast (Житомирська область, translit. Zhytomyrs’ka oblast’; also referred to as Zhytomyrshchyna - Житомирщина) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Zhytomyr.

History
The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on September 22, 1937.

The oblast is located in the historic region of Polesia (Полісся, translit. Polissia).

Geography. Sightseeing
The total area of the Zhytomyr Oblast encompasses 29832 km2.

Among the points of interest it is important to mention the following sites that were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine
 * Church of Saint Basil the Great (Ovruch)
 * Stone village state preserve
 * Korolev Memorial Astronautical Museum

In the Zhytomyr Oblast, the Museum of Ukrainian home icons, which is one and only in Europe, is situated. Its place of location is Radomyshl, a small town, about 90 km away from Kyiv. The Museum is the part of the historical and cultural complex The Radomysl Castle. It is founded by Olga Bogomolets, MD.

Population
The current estimated population of the oblast is 1,328,158 (as of 2006). Zhytomyr Oblast is the most important center of Polish minority in Ukraine, which is numbered there at 49,000.

Age structure

 * 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 103,194/female 97,617)
 * 15-64 years: 68.1% (male 420,285/female 444,803)
 * 65 years and over: 16.1% (male 65,301/female 138,472) (2013 official)

Median age

 * total: 39.4 years
 * male: 36.1 years
 * female: 42.6 years (2013 official)

Economy
The economy of Zhytomyr Oblast mostly deals with mining of granite and other construction stone, forestry, agriculture and various machinery manufacturing.

The northern part of the province is highly affected by the Chernobyl disaster: some of the towns and raions are devastated and are included in the Chernobyl zone, while others are prohibited from producing their own agriculture.

Administrative divisions
The Zhytomyr Oblast is subdivided into 23 raions (districts), and 5 of its cities are designated as separate raions within the oblast.

The districts of the Zhytomyr oblast include:
 * Andrushivka Rayon (Андрушівський район, translit. Andrushivs’kyi rayon)
 * Baranivka Rayon (Баранівський район, translit. Baranivs’kyi rayon)
 * Berdychiv City (Бердичів)
 * Berdychiv Rayon (Бердичівський район, translit. Berdychivs’kyi rayon)
 * Brusyliv Rayon (Брусилівський район, translit. Brusylivs’kyi rayon)
 * Cherniakhiv Rayon (Черняхівський район, translit. Cherniakhivs’kyi raion)
 * Chervonoarmiisk Rayon (Червоноармійський район, translit. Chervonoarmiis’kyi rayon)
 * Chudniv Rayon (Чуднівський район, translit. Chudnivs’kyi rayon)
 * Korosten City (Коростень, translit. Korosten’)
 * Korosten Rayon (Коростенський район, translit. Korostens’kyi rayon)
 * Korostyshiv Rayon (Коростишівський район, translit. Korostyshivs’kyi rayon)
 * Luhyny Rayon (Лугинський район, translit. Luhyns’kyi rayon)
 * Liubar Rayon (Любарський район, translit. Liubars’kyi rayon)
 * Malyn City (Малин)
 * Malyn Rayon (Малинський район, translit. Malyns’kyi rayon)
 * Narodychi Rayon (Народицький район, translit. Narodyts’kyi rayon)
 * Novohrad-Volynskyi City (Новоград-Волинський, translit. Novohrad-Volyns’kyi)
 * Novohrad-Volynskyi Rayon (Новоград-Волинський район, translit. Novohrad-Volyns’kyi rayon)
 * Olevsk Rayon (Олевський район, translit. Olevs’kyi rayon)
 * Ovruch Rayon (Овруцький район, translit. Ovruts’kyi rayon)
 * Popilnia Rayon (Попільнянський район, translit. Popil’nians’kyi rayon)
 * Radomyshl Rayon (Радомишльський район, translit. Radomyshl’s’kyi rayon)
 * Romaniv Rayon (Романівський район, translit. Romanivs’kyi rayon)
 * Ruzhyn Rayon (Ружинський район, translit. Ruzhyns’kyi rayon)
 * Volodarsk-Volynskyi Rayon (Володарськ-Волинський район, translit. Volodars’ko-Volyns’kyi rayon)
 * Yemilchyne Rayon (Ємільчинський район, translit. Emil’chyns’kyi rayon)
 * Zhytomyr City (Житомир)
 * Zhytomyr Rayon (Житомирський район, translit. Zhytomyrs’kyi rayon)

Important cities


Important cities of Zhytomyr Oblast include:
 * Baranivka
 * Berdychiv
 * Korosten
 * Malyn
 * Novohrad-Volynskyi
 * Zhytomyr

Nomenclature
Most of Ukraine's oblasts are named after their capital cities, officially referred to as "oblast centers" (обласний центр, translit. oblasnyi tsentr). The name of each oblast is a relative adjective, formed by adding a feminine suffix to the name of respective center city: Zhytomyr is the center of the Zhytomyrs'ka oblast' (Zhytomyr Oblast). Most oblasts are also sometimes referred to in a feminine noun form, following the convention of traditional regional place names, ending with the suffix "-shchyna", as is the case with the Zhytomyr Oblast, Zhytomyrshchyna.