Bahacheve, formerly known as Vatutine (Ukrainian: Ватутіне) is a city in Zvenyhorodka Raion, Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Vatutine urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It had a population of 15,763 (2022 estimate).
Administrative status
Vatutine gained status as a city in 1952. Until 18 July 2020, Vatutine was designated as a city of oblast significance and belonged to Vatutine Municipality but not to any raion. As part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Cherkasy Oblast to four, the city was merged into Zvenyhorodka Raion.
History
The city was founded as an urban-type settlement in 1949.
On 3 April 2024, the Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning in the Verkhovna Rada stated their support for renaming the city to Bahacheve as part of the derussification campaign, considering that the name Vatutine is derived from Nikolai Vatutin. On 19 September 2024, the Verkhovna Rada voted to rename Vatutine to Bahacheve.
Demographics
In January 1989, the population of the city was 20, 362 people. In December 2022, the population of the city was 20,400 people.
Economy
A brick and tile factory and a woodworking enterprise were built in the city.
Language
Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:
| Language | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian | 18 362 | 91.69% |
| Russian | 1 594 | 7.96% |
| Other[a] | 71 | 0.35% |
| Total | 20 027 | 100.00% |
a Those who did not indicate their native language or indicated a language that was native to less than 1% of the local population.
