Chernivtsi is a modern city filled with the thousands of faces of its citizens. In its beautiful natural setting are buildings of fine architecture, many sculpted monuments, green parks and inviting squares.

Chernivtsi continues to hold a prominent position among other Ukrainian and Eastern European cities. The city's ancient beginnings and significant history add to its charm and attraction for those interested in the Bukovynian Region.

It's said that in the beginning it was built as a fort at the southern border of the Halych-Volyn Knighthood on the left bank of the Prut River and was called CHERN or "a black town." The use of the name was because of the black color of the fortress walls made of oak and for the dark rich, fertile surrounding soil.

The early fortress was completely destroyed by the Mongol conqueror Burundai and its citizens moved to the right bank of the river in autumn 1259. From 1359 the town became part of the Moldavian State.

The first written record about Chernivtsi was found in manuscripts of the Moldavian master Olexandr Dobryi (the Good), given to merchants from Lviv on October 8, 1408. Each year this date is officially celebrated as Chernivtsi's City Day. The town was situated on the crossroads of Northern-Western Europe, and the Balkans and Turkey. In 1457, it became a great marketplace and administrative center for the whole region. The town was destroyed several times, under the Osman Empire, and from 1774-1918 the Austrian Empire ruled it. From 1918-1940 the region was part of Romania. In 1774 there were about 290 families who lived in the town and suburbs and three wooden churches existed.

                                                                                                                                                                                            

From the middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century many architectural monuments were built and brought honor to the city: the Ratusha (the City Hall) (1848); the Telegraph (1855); the Armenian Cathedral (1875); the Jewish Synagogue (1877); the Drama Theater (1905); the Palace of Justice (1906); and the Train Station (1908).

The most precious thing in the treasury of famous architectural monuments in Chernivtsi - are the buildings that currently house the Chernivtsi State University, a masterpiece made by the Czech architect Josef Hlavka in 1875. They were originally the former residence of the Bukovynian metropolitans. It's Romanesque and Byzantine architecture is embellished with motifs of Ukrainian folk art, for example, the tile roof patterns duplicate the geometric designs of Ukrainian weavings.

The city became self-governing in March of 1864 when the community elected its first members of the city council.

The Council elected Mayor Yakiv (Jacob) Von Petrovych, as its first independent mayor of Chernivtsi in 1864-1866.

Mayor Anton Kochanovskyi Von Stavchan was famous for his political deeds, which made Chernivtsi a recognized European city in 1866-1874 and 1887-1905. During that time a number of different industries increased and Chernivtsi became an international transport center. The grocery stock exchange was opened, the water and sewer systems installed, the electric power plant was opened and an electric public transportation system was completed.

A new period of city development began in 1964-1972; when Mayor Vasyl Tolmach devoted his efforts to start the electronic and instrument-making industries, change the public transportation system. He also made many other innovative changes.

Mayor Pavlo Kaspruk (1985-1991) was the first to try more democratic changes during the difficult times in the 1980's. The Chernobyl accident, the pollution of the Dnister River and other ecological and economic problems were very challenging to the people of the region during this time. Mayor Kaspruk started the Sister-Cities Partnership Programs and Salt Lake City, Utah, USA was chosen as the first sister city.

Mykola Fedoruk was the first mayor in the history of Chernivtsi elected by its citizens in 1994. In 2006 he was reelected for the fouth time.

Preparations to the celebration of the jubilee proved to be notable events not only for the city and the land but also for the state on the whole, had considerable positive response in the world. The celebration itself was solemn, grand and bright. Unprecedented amount of guests visited Chernivtsi. Among them were President of Ukraine Viktor Jushchenko, incumbent at that time Head of the Supreme Council of Ukraine Arseniy Jatsenyuk, national deputies of Ukraine of the present and former callings, ministers of a range of branch ministries of Ukraine, heads of the state committees and agencies, delegations from all the sister- and partner-cities, members of the board of administration of the Association of the Cities and Communities of Ukraine, accredited in Ukraine representatives of the diplomatic board, religious figures, journalists, outstanding artists, sportsmen, prominent scientists, many former Chernivtsi citizens. During the days of celebration no less than 50 thousand guests from 11 countries of the world were present in the city.

Literally, preparation to the celebration of the jubilee also proved to be a manifestation of the Chernivtsi patriotism, fascination of the Chernivtsi citizens with the image of their unique city. Due to their participation, during the days of the holiday the city shined with its grandness and beauty. Business circles, enterprises, organizations, educational establishments, deputies of the City and Regional Councils, considerable number of citizens had applied their efforts to this.

                                                                                                                                                                                             
Visit of the famous European figure, deputy of the European Parliament of many years, doctor Otto von Habsburg was a notable event of the jubilee. In order to strengthen the tendencies of the historical memory renovation, Arseniy Jatsenyuk in the presence of the delegation from Austria, solemnly laid a sign of the future monument to Franz Joseph, opening of the gifted by Chernivtsi citizen Jan Tabachnyk memorable sign in the public garden on the corner of Shkilna and Holovna Streets took place. Olga Kobylyanska Street after the reconstruction turned into a renewed, elegant and noble street. Reconstructed Square of the Turkish Well cannot but capture your eye. Successful arrangement of the fragments of the monument to the 41st infantry regiment is apprehended as a tribute to history. Opening of the avenue with the 7 sister-cities’ coats of arms on the Tsentralna Square became a symbol of accord. Architecture of many edifices started shining like a rainbow, a great many of new economic objects appeared.

During the Tartar-Mongol invasion the fortress was burned to ground. Evidently, this happened in 1259, when the Tartar warlord Burundaj demanded that prince Daniel Romanovich destroy all the fortifications in his realm.

The inhabitants of Chern moved to the right bank of the river, where they founded a new settlement. The neighboring settlement of Lenkivtsi continued to exist on the left bank of the Prut. The old ramparts continued to be used for defense. In the XVII century they were augmented with several bastions, one of which still exists.

In the middle of the XIV century the Galician lands were divided by the neighboring powers. Chernivtsi was incorporated into the Moldovan state. In the XIV-XVI centuries the major trade route from L'viv to Sucaeva went through Chernivtsi.

On October 8, 1408 the Moldovan gospodar (prince) Alexander the Kind promulgated a customs code, which for the first time mentioned Chernivtsi, an important customs point on the trade route between L'viv and the Black Sea. In the late 1480s, under gospodar Shtefan the Great, Chernivtsi became a county center and a town. The gospodar's deed of March 15, 1490 mentions two churches in the "town of Chernovtsykh." Appurtenance to trade and the presence of a customs point, part of revenues of which remained in the town budget, promoted its economic well-being. Despite this, Chernivtsi had little resemblance to a "town". In 1618 there were only 5 artisans, the character of construction remained rural. Considerable areas of the settlement were used for pastures, and the inhabitants were employed mostly in agriculture.

The rate of economic growth decreased substantially starting with the 1530s due to the fact that Moldova became a vassal of the Ottoman Turkey.

Until the middle of the XVIII century Chernivtsi remained an essentially rural settlement. In 1782, there were about 200 families, or around 1,000 people. The nearby villages of Gorecha, Kalichanka, Klokuchka, Rosha belonged to the town as well. The population of the town together with these villages numbered 456 families or 2,280 people.

As the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 Bukovina became a part of Austria. A period of rapid growth followed. In 1796, the town becomes the center of a district in the Duchy of Galicia, in 1849 -- the capital of the Duchy of Bukovina.