Derhachi

A view to the north west part of Derhachi

The town lies in a valley on the Lopan river north west to the second largest Ukrainian city Kharkiv. The most part of the town is plain and located on the left bank of Lopan. The western edge of the settlement is hilly and full of ravines. The riverbed of Lopan has many artificial channels and small tributaries in this place. The regional road T2103 goes through the town from north west to south east and connects it with Kharkiv and Zolochiv. There is a significant uninhabited forested area south west to the town.

Derhachi has humid continental climate, Dfb by Köppen climate classification with warm summer but there is no dry season. The average annual temperature is 7.3 °C. The rainfall here is around 535 mm per year. [2]

It is scientifically proved that territory of nowadays Derhachi was populated in Scythian times (6 — 3 centuries B.C.) and later.[3] A unique Scythian ritual pommel decorated with a sphinx was found at the town.[4] This artifact was a part of Scythian World Tree and now it is exhibited in Kharkiv Historical Museum. In 2018 and 2019, the archaeological expedition of the Kharkiv Historical Museum carried out excavations of the Scythian kurgan in western part of the town. The scientists explored the mounds and received a collection of items with information on the funeral rite of scythian times.[5]

In the 17th century Derkachi was a sotnia town of the Kharkiv Sloboda Cossack Regiment. Up to the 1742 there was one cossacks sotnia administration, in 1742—1765 — two sotnia administrations. Traditionally a sotnyk (head of a sotnia) in Derkachi was a member of well known in Sloboda Ukraine Kowalewski family (Dołęga coat of arms). The town had its own symbols. The sotnia standard had an image of the archangel Michael. The town seal contained an image of a derkach bird (corn crake) with an octagram above it. According to the 1779 documents Derkachi was a military sloboda of the Kharkiv povit (uyezd) with a population of 2287 citizens. [6]

It was a settlement in Kharkov Governorate of the Russian Empire.

At least 274 of town residents have died because of Holodomor, man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933.[7] [8] The officials of Derkachi town council were involved in expropriation of local citizens property in 1932. [9]

During German-Soviet War the town was occupied by the Wehrmacht for 630 days, from October 21, 1941 till August 13, 1943 excluding short brake from February 13, 1943 till March 10, 1943 (while the Third Battle of Kharkov).[10] In those days nazi have established Derkachi town council (Ukrainian: Деркачі́вська міська рада; German: Dergatschi Gemeindeverwaltung), a local government body with at least 21 local residents hired as a stuff. One of the main activities of the council was to provide labor at the request of the occupation authorities.[10]

City since 1977.[11]

In January 1989 the population was 22 915 people.[12][11]

In January 2013 the population was 18 154 people.[13]

The railway station building in Derhachi

The town has 3 railway stops operated by Ukrainian Railways: Derhachi,[11] Motorna and Novi Derhachi. The largest stop Derhachi has a station building. All stops are used only by commuter trains running on the line Kharkiv - Kozacha Lopan. Before russian military intervention there was a direct commuter train connection with towns in Belhorod oblast of Russia.

A bus at a stop in Derhachi

Derhachi has a bus connection with the city of Kharkiv. The buses on this route go via the central street Sumsky Shliakh, then follow through the town of Mala Danylivka to the center of Kharkiv (bus station Tsentralnyi Rynok).
The town also has an internal bus route, which mainly runs along the central streets (Sumskyi Shliakh and Zolochivskyi Shliakh). The town also has direct connection with neighboring raion center Zolochiv.

In the 1980s, when planning the Oleksiivska line of the Kharkiv Metro, the construction of the metro station 'Dergachi' was planned, but the station has not been built yet.

• Panas (Afanasi) Matushenko — leader of the mutiny on the russian battleship Potemkin in 1905.

• Hnat Khotkevych — Ukrainian writer, ethnographer, composer, and bandurist. As a student in 1895, organized a village theater in Derkachi. In 1920-1928 taught Ukrainian language and literature in the Derkachi zoo technical school
• Oleksandr Oles — Ukrainian writer and poet. In 1893 he entered the farming school in Derkachi, where he published the first verses.