Sorochyntsi

Sorochyntsi is a town in Poltava Oblast, Ukraine. It is best known internationally for its association with the 19th‑century writer Nikolai Gogol and the historical Sorochyntsi Fair, which features in his novella The Fair at Sorochyntsi. The town has medieval roots and is first mentioned in written records dating back to the 17th century.

Over the centuries, Sorochyntsi was part of different political entities, including the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire, before becoming part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the 20th century and then an element of independent Ukraine after 1991. Today, the population is small, with residents counted in the low thousands, and the local economy centers on agriculture, supplemented by small-scale crafts and manufacturing.

Culturally, Sorochyntsi draws on Gogol’s legacy. The town hosts memorials and institutions related to the author, and it preserves a sense of its historical fair tradition. The Sorochyntsi Fair and associated cultural events continue to attract visitors and scholars interested in Gogol and regional heritage, contributing to local tourism and cultural life.

In summary, Sorochyntsi is a small Ukrainian town notable for its literary association with Gogol and with a longstanding fair tradition, set within a rural economy grounded in agriculture and local crafts.