Homyel'

There are at least six narratives of the origin of the city's name. The most plausible is that the name is derived from the name of the stream Homeyuk, which flowed into the river Sozh near the foot of the hill where the first settlement was founded. Names of other Belarusian cities are formed along these lines: for example, Polotsk from the river Palata, and Vitebsk from the river Vitsba. The first appearance of the name, as "Gomy", dates from 1142. Up to the 16th century, the city was mentioned as Hom', Homye, Homiy, Homey, or Homyi. These forms are tentatively explained as derivatives of unattested *gomŭ of uncertain meaning. The modern name for the city has been in use only since the 16th or 17th century.

Gomel was founded at the end of the 1st millennium AD on the lands of the Eastern Slavic tribal union of Radimichs. It lay on the banks of the Sozh River and the Homeyuk stream. Sozh's high right bank, with bluffs carving through, provided a natural fortification. For some time, Gomel was the capital of the Gomel Principality, before it became part of the Principality of Chernigov. Gomel is first mentioned in the Hypatian Codex under the year 1142 as a territory of the princes of Chernigov. For some time, Gomel was ruled by the prince of Smolensk Rostislav Mstislavich before it was re-captured by Iziaslav III Davidovich, after whose death it belonged to Sviatoslav Olgovich and then to Sviatoslav's son Oleg. Under Oleg, Gomel went to the Principality of Novgorod-Seversk. The next ruler was Igor Svyatoslavich—the protagonist of The Tale of Igor's Campaign. …

Gomel is situated in the southeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the river Sozh, 302 km (188 mi) south-east of Minsk, 534 km (332 mi) east of Brest, 171 km (106 mi) south of Mogilev, 237 km (147 mi) west of Bryansk and 111 km (69 mi) north of Chernihiv. The terrain on which the city as a whole is built, is flat. On the right bank of the river, is a gradually decreasing plain water-glacial and fluvial terrace of the Sozh river. The left bank is a low-lying alluvial plain. The highest elevation of 144 meters above sea level is found on the northern outskirts of Gomel, the lowest elevation of 115 m at the water boundary of the Sozh. Novobelitskiy district, which is located on the left bank of the river (i.e., towards the south), has elevations averaging 10–15 meters lower than the northern and central parts of the city. …

Throughout the eight hundred-year history of Gomel, only a few sights have been preserved. A small number belong to the 1700s and 1800s, while the main part belongs to the 20th and 21st centuries. Most of the architectural monuments of the 20th century date back to the 1950s. They are mostly concentrated downtown. SIghts include the Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence, the Winter Garden, St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Gomel Oblast (Regional) Museum of Local Lore, the Hunting Lodge, Gomel State Circus, the Gabriel Kh. Vaščanka Art Gallery, and the Gomel Regional Drama Theater. The Ferris Wheel and the Ferris Tower, located in the park a few hundred meters from the palace complex, are popular for exploring the city. Since the topography of Gomel is relatively flat, the height of the surrounding buildings makes it easy to view the city from the wheel and the watchtower. …

The public transportation system uses over 1,000 buses and trolleybuses. Over 210 million passenger rides were registered in 2006. Taxi services ($10 for a one-way intracity ride) are available 24 hours a day. The city is an important railroad hub in the southeastern part of Belarus, as it is situated midway on the Minsk–Kyiv rail link. The strategic location of Gomel near the border with Russia and Ukraine provides a direct connection to both countries’ vast railroad networks. The trolleybus network opened on 20 May 1962 and now consists of 23 routes (not counting variations). On 15 December 2010, following the construction of an overhead wire network in Egorenko, Sviridov, and Chechersk Streets, a new trackless trolley line opened to the terminus "Klinkowski Neighborhood," which resulted in a change of the trolleybus routes 9, 16, and 17. …

In 2013, the city's population numbered 515,325, indicating a positive population growth and hence a reversal of the demographic crisis that began in 1993. After the annexation of Gomel by the Russian Empire and the creation of the Pale of Settlement, Gomel gradually became a centre of resettlement for the Jewish population of Russia. According to the 1897 census, 55% of the population of Gomel were Jews. In 1903, there was a violent pogrom against the Jewish population of the city. From that moment on, a gradual decrease of the number of Jews in the city began. 40,880 Jews lived in Gomel in 1939, when they comprised 29.4% of the total population. Most Jews had left the city in anticipation of German occupation, but still between 3,000 and 4,000 Gomel Jews fell victim to the Holocaust. …