Zaporozhye region

Conventionally, Zaporozhye region is divided into three natural and agricultural zones - steppe area (50.8% of the territory), arid steppe (34.8%), and dry steppe (14.4%) zones. Soils are predominantly black earth, there are significant reserves of iron and manganese ores, granites.  

The climate is temperate continental with cold winter with little snowfall and hot, dry summer. Natural-climatic conditions are favourable for growing in the Zaporozhye region, almost all crops, obtaining high yields.  
The settlement of the territory began in the early Paleolithic, as evidenced by the earliest known in the country site near country Fedorovka. Near Zaporozhye there are investigated seven sites of late Paleolithic Age. More than 100 monuments of the Bronze Age are registered. In the 7th century BC the Northern Prichernomorie (Black Sea Coast) belonged to Scythians.

On the shores of the Dnieper, there was founded a large Kamenskoe settlement - the capital of Scythia. In 4th c. AD these lands were captured by Huns, in 6th c. – by Avars, in 8th c. – by Khazars. After the defeat of Khazarian Khanate in 966 by Kievan prince Svyatoslav the most dangerous were Pechenegs. Since the middle of 11th c. the Azov Steppes had been captured by Polovtsy. By joining together on the island Khortytsia, in the beginning of 12th c. Russian princes defeated Polovtsy on the river Molochanya. But soon the ancient Russian state has experienced Mongol-Tatar invasion. The princes gathered on Khortytsia for the second time and went on the march. 16th of June 1223 on the River Kalka their troops were defeated.

Some of the population of Azov Steppes was enslaved by Golden Horde, the Crimean Khanate. In the end of 15th c. the Cossack emerge on these lands. Khortytsia Island has become not only the main base of the Cossacks, but also an important center of Ukrainian statehood. In the Lower Reaches of Dnieper Cossacks built fortified "zaseki", from which was formed the name of Zaporizhian Sich. In 1554-55 on the Island Mala Khortytsia D. Vishnevetskii (Bayda) built the castle, which eventually went into the system Cossack fortifications. In late January 1648, after the defeat of the detachment of government troops near Khortytsia, started the liberation movement led by Hetman B. Khmelnitsky against Poland. With the participation of the Cossacks were achieved the decisive victories at Zheltye Vody, Korsun, and in other battles. Zaporizhian Sich was the key point at the crossroads of important trade routes: "From Vikings to Greeks", Muravskaya, Black, Chumak. Russian Government could not submit the Cossack stronghold dissent. In July 1775 Russian troops, under the command of the general Tekeli, returning from the Turkish front, insidiously destroyed Zaporizhian Sich.

The region attracts tourists with its monuments. Several hundred barrows that are thickly studded throughout the region are wonderful monument for old stories. In the basins of the rivers Dnieper, Molochnaya and Berdy were found more than 20 monuments of the Neolithic. Among them the most significant is a unique sanctuary – Kamennaya Moghila (stone tomb) near Melitopol (30 km). In the steppe there towers a bulk of sandstone boulders over an area of three hectares, under the basis of which, on the walls of caves, there are carved images of a wizard, bulls, horses, deer, fishing nets, feet and other amazing images. There are also researched the monuments of Cherniakhivska, Surs'ko-Dneprovskaya, Dnepro-Donetskaya and Azovo-Dneprovskaya cultures, the era of copper-bronze. Among the Scythian monuments the most significant are the remains of the ancient settlement near Kamenka-Dneprovskaya and Velikaya Znamenka, barrows Solokha and Gaymanova grave. In Melitopol region there are many burials of Sarmatians.