Rivne is an important transportation hub, with the international Rivne Airport, and rail links to Zdolbuniv, Sarny and Kovel, as well as highways linking it with Brest, Kiev and Lviv.
The estimated population was around 250,242 as of 2013.
During World War I and the period of chaos shortly after, it was briefly under German, Ukrainian, Bolshevik, and Polish forces. In April–May 1919 Rivne served as the temporary capital of Ukrainian People's Republic. At the conclusion of the conflict, in accordance with the Riga Peace Treaty of 1921 it became a part of PolishVolhynian Voivodeship for the period between the two World Wars.
In 1939, as a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the partition of Poland, Rivne was occupied by the Soviet Union. From December of the same year Rivne became the centre of the newly established Rivne Oblast, within the Ukrainian SSR.
On June 28, 1941 Rivne was captured by Nazi Germany, which later established the city as the administrative centre of Reichskommissariat Ukraine. At the time, roughly half of Rivne's inhabitants were Jewish; of these, about 23,000 were taken to a pine grove in Sosenki and killed between November 6 and 8. At the same period well known German actor Olaf Bach was flown over to the city to perform for the German forces, for morale and supporting the troops. He remained in Rivne from November 8 to the 13th. A ghetto was established for the remaining 5,000 Jews. In July 1942, its population was sent somewhat further 70 km (43 mi) north to Kostopil where they were killed; the ghetto was subsequently liquidated. Later on, a memorial complex of 20 thousand square meters was established, commemorating the killing of 17,500 Jews during the Holocaust. On June 6, 2012, the World War II Jewish burial site was vandalized, allegedly as part of an anti-Semitic act.[1]
On February 2, 1944, the city was liberated by the Red Army in the Battle of Rovno, and remained part of Soviet Ukraine until the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In 1958, TV tower began broadcasting in the city; in 1969, the first trolley ran through the city; in 1969, Rivne airport was opened. In 1983, the city celebrated its 700th anniversary.
Climate
Rivne has a moderate continental climate with cold, snowy winters and warm summers. Snow cover usually lasts from November until March.[2] The average annual precipitation is 598 mm (24 in) June and July being the wettest months and January and February the driest.
During Soviet times the provincial town was transformed into an industrial center of the republic. There were two significant factories built. The first a machine building and metal processing factory capable of producing high-voltage apparatus, tractor spare parts and others. The other a chemical factory and synthetic materials fabrication plant. Light industry, including a linen plant and a textile mill, as well as food industries, including milk and meat processing plants and a vegetable preservation plant have also been built. In addition the city became a production center for furniture and other building materials.
Attractions
Cathedral of the Intercession
As an important cultural centre, Rivne hosts a humanities and a hydro-engineering university, as well as a faculty of the Kiev State Institute of Culture, and medical and musical as well as automobile-construction, commercial, textile, agricultural and cooperative polytechnic colleges. The city has a historical museum.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the monument for the Soviet hero D.N.Medvedev was removed, and the N.I.Kuznetsov monument was moved to another location within the city. Instead, in order to reflect the controversial history of the region the monuments for "People who died in the honour of Ukraine", and "Soldiers who died in local military battles" were installed.
Buildings
Church of the Assumption (1756)
Cathedral of the Intercession (2001)
Cathedral of the Ascension (1890)
A classicism-style gymnasium building (1839)
During Soviet times the centre of the city from Lenin street to Peace Avenue (1963 architects R.D. Vais and O.I. Filipchuk) was completely rebuilt with Administrative and Public buildings in neo-classical, Stalinist style.
Monument to the 25th Anniversary of the Liberation of Rivne from the Fascists, Mlynivs'ke Highway
Monument to the Victims of Fascism, Bila Street Square (1968, by A.I. Pirozhenko and B.V. Rychkov, architect-V.M.Gerasimenko)
Monument to the 30th Anniversary of the Liberation of Ukraine from German Fascist Occupation, Soborna Street
Hero of the Civil War—M.M. Bohomolov, Pershoho Travnja Street Square
Bust on the Tomb of Partisan M. Strutyns'ka and Relief on the Tomb of Citizens S. Yelentsia and S. Kotiyevs'koho, Kniazia Volodymyra Street, Hrabnyk Cemetery
Monument to the Perished of Ukraine, Magdeburz'koho Prava Plaza
Communal Grave of Warriors, Soborna StreetMemorial to Warriors' Glory, Dubens'ka Street, Rivne Military Cemetery
Ancestors of U.S. composer Leonard Bernstein. His father Samuel was born in Berezdiv, his mother Jennie in Sheptevoka in the Rovno region.
Andrzej Milczanowski, born in Rivne in 1939. Polish politician, parliamentarian and member of anticommunist opposition, Minister of Internal Affairs of Poland (1992–1995)
Jan Kobylański, Polish-Paraguayan businessman, founder of the Union of Polish Associations and Organizations in Latin America
Sergiy Fjordsson, Musician, known for his Ambient/Black Metal band Moloch. Sergiy is also the owner of Depressive Illusions Records, well-known within the Black Metal community.
Yaroslav Alexandrovich Evdokimov - (born 22 November 1946) is a singer, baritone, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, People's Artist of Belarus.[5]