Zhytomyr

Zhitomir region is situated in the north of Eastern Ukraine. The region borders on Belarus in the north. There are more than 200 rivers of 10 km long, many lakes and artificial reservoirs on the territory of the region. The northern lowlands, known as Polesye, are covered with swamp forests which take 50% of the region territory. Winters are mild, and summers are wet. The region has agrarian and raw material development trends, and it is a major producer of hop and flax in Ukraine. The region industry includes the porcelain-faience production, light industry, chemical engineering. Irshansk titanium deposit in the city of Zhytomyr is the largest in Ukraine and Europe. Zhitomir is the regional centre. It was founded in the time of Kievan Rus. The region belonged to Lithuanian princes, and after the liberation from the Mongol-Tatars it was controlled by Polish noblemen. And later, after the partition of Poland in 1793, it belonged to the Russian Empire, then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and it has been within Ukraine since the dissolution of the USSA in 1991. There are many historical attractions as for example palaces, museums, castles, churches, cathedrals and other monuments of different religious beliefs. The region is well known for its museum tourism (more than 15 museums, including the unique Museum of Cosmonautics named after Korolev), religious tourism, educational, eco-tourism, green tourism, rural tourism, rafting.