Кировоградская область

Kirovograd region is situated in the centre of Ukraine, at the confluence of the Dnieper River and Southern Bug River. The south of the region is the steppe and the north of the region is the forest-steppe. In ancient times the area was almost deserted and was called "Wild Field". Zapozhskie troops had controlled the area and protected Ukraine from the raids of nomadic tribes and the Crimean Tatars since 16th century. After the dissolution of Rech Paspalitaya in 1772 and the order of Empress Catherine II to destroy Zaporozhskaya Sech in 1775, and her decree (1762-63) on the settlement of the free areas, the region gradually became a part of the "New Russia" region. It had been a part of the Soviet Ukraine since 1917. It has belonged to Ukraine since 1991. The area is mainly agricultural and has associated industries; there are large reserves of brown coal, uranium, graphite, etc. The region has several nature reserves, the main of them is Onufrievsky arboretum park called "Black Forest". There are up to 20 health resorts, numerous camp sites and recreation centres, more than 40 museums. The whole area is covered with gullies and ravines with brooks and streams on which there are hundreds of small and large ponds, dozens of reservoirs with a water surface area of ​​more than 50 hectares. The main fish in the ponds is carp and crucian. Bream, sheatfish, pike, perch, and roach can also be found but in large reservoirs. The region has well developed museum tourism, health tourism, green tourism, cycling, and related sport and amateur fishing.