Ternopil is one of the regional centers of Western Ukraine. The population is

  more than 300000 inhabitants. It was founded in 1540. At first it was a little

  settlement on the river Seret, but today it is a small guaint town with a lively

  commercial center, guiet residential areas and many places of interest.

  For a long time, this Ukrainian town was under the yoke of Polish magnates

  and Austrian barans. It has witneseed many dramatic events over the

  centuries of its existence, but the hardest trials bell to its lot during World

  War II. During  the war, Ternopil was completely destroyed. However,

  the town rose from its ruins and became more beautifull than ever.

  Ternopil is an administrative, cultural, educational and industrial centre. It is

  a town with huge plants and factories including the industrial amalgamation

  ''Vatra'', the Textille and the Agricultural Combine Factories, the Radio

  Engineering Plant , etc. There are many food industry factories.

  Ternopil is a town of youth with its many institutes, university, academy,

  small colleges, and vocational schools, including ous university - the TDTU,

  TANG , the Medical Academy, and the Pedagogical Institute.

  There are many places of recreational interest which can be visited in our

  town , among them : the Art Gallery, the Museum of Natural History, the

  Arhitectural Museum, our famous 16th century fortrees/castle, and many

  parks and squares.

  One can attend performances and concerts at the Drama Theater named after

  T.G.Shevchenko and at the Ternopil Philarmonic. The palaces of culture,

  Berezil' and Textylnyk  host many concerts including rave, rock concerts

  during the year. Monuments to famous heroes and the statue of Taras

  Shevchenko are situated in the architetural center of downtown.