Ternopil

Ternopil' (Тернопіль in Ukrainian, Tarnopol in Polish, Ternopol in Russian) is a city in Western Ukraine, located at the banks of the Seret river. It is the capital of Ternopil's'ka oblast'.

Ternopil is one of three main cities of Eastern Galicia. It is located 132 km away from Lviv. The city has a population of 221,300 (2004).

Ternopil is famous for rock festivals and great subcultural movements.

History

Founded in 1540 by Jan Amor Tarnowski as a Polish military stronghold and a castle. In 1548 Tarnopol was granted city rights by king Sigismund I of Poland.

Since 1921 the capital of Tarnopol voivodship. During the Polish Defence War of 1939 it was seized by the Soviets and annexed to Ukrainian SSR. Since 1991 a part of Ukraine.