Rivne

First mentioned in the late 13th century, Rivne developed under the rule of Lithuania and Poland due to its location on the route connecting Kyiv and Volodymyr. In the late 15th century the city was awarded Magdeburg Law. From the late 16th century it belonged to Ostrogski and Lubomirski noble families. Annexed by the Russian Empire in 1793, during the latter half of the 19th century Rivne experienced rapid development due to its role as a railway hub. In the spring of 1919 it served as a provisional seat of the Ukrainian government throughout the ongoing war with Soviet Russia. Between World War I and World War II, the city belonged to Poland as a district-level (county) seat of Wołyń Voivodeship. At the start of World War II in 1939, Rivne was occupied by the Soviet Red Army and received its current status by becoming a seat of regional government of the Rivne Oblast, which was created out of the eastern portion of the voivodeship. During the German occupation of 1941–44 the city was designated as the capital of Reichskommissariat Ukraine.