"West Ukrainian Town" a Kovel' Travel Page by hunterV

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www.kovel.com.ua - take a look at their web site!

On the Way Home

It so happened that I had visited this nice city twice, both times on my way from Germany and both times unplanned. I just had to make a stopover there.
When I was there for the first time in 1993, we stayed overnight at the city hotel called "Lissova Pisnia" ("Forest Song").
For the second time I stayed there on my way from Germany in September 2006 without staying overnight. I just spent an evening there.
I must say the city is very far from my home city - about 1,300 km. Before you would have to travel via Kiev where you would change for the direct train to Luhansk, but now there is a direct train from Luhansk to Kovel.

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Independence Street

Downtown Sites

It was nice to walk downtown and to speak "West-Ukrainian" there...
The city of Kovel was founded in 1310. Since 1940 Kovel has been the administrative center of Kovel District. The City Day is celebrated on July 6. On that day in 1944 the city was liberated from the Nazi invaders.

The city is located in Polissia zone (Forest zone) and occupies an area of about 47 sq. km.

Average annual temperatures are as follows: summer: + 18.7 С, winter -3.4 С. The annual level of precipitation is 554 mm. The 5-km-long River Turia stretches through the city.

Kovel is about 75 km far from Lutsk, the regional center (by motorway) and 60 km
away from Poland.

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One of the city fountains, Kovel, Ukraine

Some Interesting History

Kovel is an ancient Ukrainian city founded in the beginning of the 11th century as an ancient Russ (Kyiv Rus) settlement. According to the old legend, the first settler ever in that area was a skilled smith (in Ukrainian “koval”), thus the village he lived in was called Kovle. Over time, the name gradually transformed into its modern version.
On the Kovel medieval coat of arms - along with other armory attributes - one can see the outlines of a castle and a horseshoe, an old symbol of happiness and wealth. These images are fully in line with the then realities.

In 1518, by his Charter the Polish King Sigismund the First allowed Duke Basil Sangushky to turn the village of Kovle into a city and granted it the Magdeburg Rights, which promoted trade fairs and commerce, and internally established local self-government.
Since 1543, Kovel was managed by Kovel elders, who took care of the city’s living environment, managed the king’s coffers and did justice to the nobility and peasants. Local economy was underpinned by small-sized manufacturers working to meet local market needs.

On July 6, 1944 Kovel was liberated from German invaders.
Today Kovel is the second significant city of Volyn region.
The city is an important railroad hub of Western Ukraine that plays an important strategic role connecting Ukraine with numerous European states. The city is a big industrial and cultural center with eleven industrial enterprises and a lot of cultural
institutions.

Kovel District was a cradle of a great number of scientists, writers, artists who covered with glory not only Volyn region but the whole of Ukraine. This land served a source of inspiration for Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, Panteleimon Kulish, Mykhailo Starytsky, Mykola Lyssenko. It was here that Lesia Ukrainka (1973-1913) was inspired in her creative endeavors and the centuries-long dreams of Ukrainians about freedom were pronounced so passionately in her lyrics.
Kovel residents highly appreciate their business and friendly relations with the twin cities:
Rzhev from Russia,
Holma, Bzega-Dolnogo and Legionova from Poland,
Pinsk from Belarus,
Walsrode from Germany
and Uteny from Lituania.