Smila

This article is about a city in the central Ukraine. For small village in modern Greece, see Smila, Greece. For the city of ancient Greece, see Smila (Macedonia). For similar spelling, see Smilla (disambiguation).

"Smela" redirects here. For people with the surname, see Smela (surname).

Smila Сміла
City
The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Theotokos The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Theotokos
Flag of Smila Flag Coat of arms of Smila Coat of arms
Coordinates:
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Cherkasy Oblast
Raion	Cherkasy Raion
Hromada	Smila urban hromada
Founded	1542
City status	1926
Government
• Mayor	Mr. Serhiy Ananko
Area
• Land	39.85 km2 (15.39 sq mi)
Elevation	101 m (331 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Total	65,675
• Estimate  (2023)	66,481
• Density	1,648/km2 (4,268/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	20700
Area code	+380 4733
Sister cities	Bahacheve, Irpin, Jonava, Kovel, Newton, Vadul lui Vodă
Website	smila-rada.gov.ua

Smila (Ukrainian: Сміла [ˈs⁽ʲ⁾milɐ] ) is a city located on Dnieper Upland near the Tyasmyn River, in Cherkasy Raion, Cherkasy Oblast of Ukraine. The Tiasmyn River, a tributary of the Dnieper River, flows through the city. In January 2022, the estimated population was 65,675.

Geography

Climate

The climate in Smila is moderately continental. Winters are cold with frequent snow. Summers are warm and can be hot in July, with little rain. Periods of temperatures higher than +10 last up to 170 days. The average annual precipitation is 450–520 mm.

Population

In thousands

1845	1860	1897	1926	1939	1959	1970	1979	1989	2001	2012	2021
8000	12 600	15 200	23 000	34 000	44 534	55 474	62 282	79 449	69 681	68 667	66,475

In 1989 the population of Smila was 77,500.

In January 2022, the estimated population was 65,675, a 1.2% decrease from 2021.

Language

Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:

Language	Number	Percentage
Ukrainian	61 186	89.10%
Russian	6 956	10.13%
Other[a]	529	0.77%
Total	68 671	100.00%

a Those who did not indicate their native language or indicated a language that was native to less than 1% of the local population.

History

Smila arose from an early Cossack settlement founded in the late 16th century. It later came under Polish rule. Under the administration of Poland it was owned by the noble Lubomirski family. In 1759 and 1760 the city and its castle were attacked and captured by haidamaks.

In 1881, 1883, and 1904 there were pogroms in Smila (Smela), during which several Jews lost their lives and much Jewish property was looted or destroyed. Jews had settled in Smila since the 18th century and at the turn of the 20th century they made up over half the population and owned most of the shops. Only a handful of Jews remain in Smila today.

The construction of the Fastiv-Znamianka railway line spurred industrial growth in Smila- in 1910, the town had 23 factories and a population of 29 000.

During the Second World War, the Wehrmacht deployed Stalag 345 near Smila to hold Soviet prisoners of war. The camp was kept near Smila from early 1941 until December 1943, when the camp was moved to Zagreb.

In 1957, a machine repairs factory established in 1930 was repurposed to produce new machinery. The plant produced machines for food and transportation industries, and in 1972 it employed over a thousand workers.

Until 18 July 2020, Smila was designated as a city of oblast significance and served as the administrative center of Smila Raion though it did not belong to the raion. The settlements of Ploske and Irdynivka were subordinated to Smila city council. As part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Cherkasy Oblast to four, the city was merged into Cherkasy Raion.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian air strikes started a large fire within the city in October, 2022. Air raid sirens sounded in the city as early as March, 2022. A nearby Ukrainian fuel depot containing 100,000 tonnes of fuel was blown up the next day.

Economy

The economic emphasis is on mechanical engineering, and the food industry is also important. However, the town's population has generally declined since the 1980s.

Smila is the transport hub for the surrounding region. Smila is where the Kyiv–Dnipro and Odesa–Russia rail routes cross, making Smila one of the most important railway junctions in Ukraine. The large station at the junction is named after Ukraine's national poet and artist, Taras Shevchenko.

Notable people

• Samuel (Shmuel) Malavsky – сantor.
• Oleksandr Kovpak – football player.
• Genia Averbuch – architect.

Twin towns – sister cities

Smila is twinned with:

• Bahacheve, Ukraine
• Irpin, Ukraine
• Jonava, Lithuania
• Kovel, Ukraine
• Newton, Iowa, United States
• Vadul lui Vodă, Moldova

Gallery

• Female gymnasium building
  Female gymnasium building
• Assumption Church
  Assumption Church
• Church of the Holy Virgin
  Church of the Holy Virgin
• Museum of Local History
  Museum of Local History
• Technical Institute for Sugar Industry
  Technical Institute for Sugar Industry
• Bank building
  Bank building
• Shevchenko district
  Shevchenko district
• Error creating thumbnail:
  Railway station
• Railway bridge
  Railway bridge
• Tiasmyn River in Smila
  Tiasmyn River in Smila
• Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Church (uk)
  Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Church

References

• (in Ukrainian) (1972) Історія міст і сіл Української CCP - Черкаська область (History of Towns and Villages of the Ukrainian SSR - Cherkasy Oblast), Kyiv.

External links

• (in Ukrainian) Official city website
• (in Ukrainian) Unofficial city website