Mykolaiv is a city in the south of Ukraine that has the status of a district and regional center. It is located on the peninsula and is a Black Sea port. Two rivers flow within the city limits — the Southern Bug and Ingul, and automobile bridges are built across them. It was constructed according to a predesigned plan, with straight streets and blocks of a strict form, despite all the terrain’s complexity. Founded as a shipyard, it had no name for about a year. It received its name in memory of the Ochakov’s fortress capture on the day of St. Nicholas — the patron saint of sailors — in 1788. The construction of sailing warships has become the main industry.
In Soviet times, the city was one of the leading shipbuilding regions. The port, along with convenient transport routes, made Mykolaiv a major industrial center. Now the city is traversed by the M-14 highway and the strategic European route E58. On the territory of the region, there is about 700 km (435 miles) of railway lines connecting Mykolaiv with Kyiv, Odesa, Voznesensk, Crimea, Donbas, etc.
