Velykyy Bychkiv

Velykyy Bychkiv ( _uk. Великий Бичків; _ry. Великий Бичков; _hu. Nagybocskó; _ro. Bocicoiu Mare; _sk. Veľký Bočkov, Bočková) is a town in the Rakhivskyi Raion (district) of Zakarpattia Oblast (Transcarpathian province), in the west-most part of Ukraine. It has a population of 9,423 and lies 36 kilometres east of Tiachiv, where the river Sopurka meets the Tisza River. 10% of its population is romanian.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1358, by the name "Buchku". Its name is derived from a Slavic word meaning "bull". From 1556 it belonged to the Báthory family. By 1711 a mansion already stood here. After the failed revolution led by Francis II Rákóczi, Germans settled down in the area. The village had three parts: "Nagybocskó" and "Kisbocskó" ("Greater" and "Smaller" Bocskó), which form today's Velykyy Bychkiv, and "Németbocskó" ("German Bocskó") across the river (this forms today's Bocicoiu Mare in Romania).

In 1910 the village had 5955 inhabitants: 3078 Ruthenians, 1646 Hungarians and 1177 Germans. It belonged to the Hungarian county of Máramaros. After World War I it belonged to Czechoslovakia, before being ceded to the Ukrainian SSR in 1945.

Velykyy Bychkiv has a chemical, sulfuric acid and table salt factory, as well as a sawmill. In 1930 a forest railway line was built. Velykyy Bychkiv was accorded the current urban-type settlement status in 1947.

Famous people

* János Balogh, biologist, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, was born here on February 19, 1903.
* Ottó Korvin, politician, a founder of the Communist Workers' Party, was born here on March 24, 1894.
* Theodore Romzha, Greek Catholic bishop of Mukačevo, was born here on April 14, 1911.
* Ivan Yaremchuk, soviet football player, was born here on September 13, 1962

References

* [http://www.bychkiv.com.ua/history/index.html History of Velykyy Bychkiv] from [http://www.bychkiv.com.ua/index-2.html Velykyy Bychkiv official web-site] . uk icon
* [http://gska2.rada.gov.ua:7777/pls/z7502/A005?rdat1=13.06.2005&rf7571=11500 Velykyy Bychkiv] , at Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada portal uk icon
* "This article is based on a translation of the equivalent article from the Hungarian Wikipedia on 19 February 2007".