Nikopol (Ukraine)

Nikopol , city (1989 pop. 158,000), SE Ukraine, on the Dnieper River. It is a rail terminus and the industrial center of one of the world's richest manganese-mining areas. The city has metallurgical plants, machine tool factories, and food-processing and brewing industries. Nikopol stands on the site of one of the earliest trade routes and strategic crossing points over the Dnieper. Manganese production at Nikopol became important in the 19th cent.

Nikopol', Bulgaria, Ukraine 1. Bulgaria: founded in 629 by Heraclius as Nikopolis, although to what victory it refers is not known. It is now spelt Nikopol. It has been referred to as Nikopolis Major to distinguish it from Nikopolis Minor, or the archaeological site of Nikopolis ad Istum, founded by Trajan^† in 102 further south on the Rositsa River, to commemorate his victory over the Dacians. It has also been called Nīkbūlī.2. Ukraine: founded as Slavyansk ‘Slav Town’ on a bend on the River Dnieper. It was developed and in the first half of the 17th century renamed Nikitino or Nikitin Rog ‘Nikita's Horn’ from the Russian rog ‘horn’, a reference to the promontory here, and the personal name Nikita, itself from the Greek aniketos ‘unconquered’ from nikē ‘victory’. By the latter half of the 18th century names of Greek origin were in favour and so in 1782 the town was renamed Nikopol′, the Slav version of Nikopolis ‘Town of Victory’ from the Greek nikē and polis.