BERDICHEFF, a town of Russian-Poland, in the government of Kieff, 24 miles from Jitomir, on the Gnilopyat, and not far from the borders of Volhynia, to which it historically belongs. It consists of about a dozen main streets and a large number of cross lanes, by far the largest proportion of the houses being built of wood or brick. Besides the cathedral of the Assumption, finished in 1832, there are three or four other Greek churches, several syna gogues, and places of worship for Roman Catholics and others, besides a Carmelite convent. The market, the exchange, the theatre, the Jewish almshouse, and the Elizabeth hospital, are among the most important secular buildings. A large number of schools are maintained An extensive trade is carried on, both with the surrounding country and with Germany, in peltry, silk goods, iron and wooden wares, salt-fish, grain, cattle, and horses. Five great markets are held yearly, the most important being on 12 th June and 15 th August. Among numerous minor industries may be mentioned the manufacture of tobacco, soap, candles, oil, bricks, and leather. The population amounted in 1867 to 52,563, the Jews forming about 50,000 of the whole number....
i ^ Berdicheff is a place of some antiquity. In the treaty of demarcation between the Lithuanians and the Poles in 1546, it is assigned to the former. In the 16th century the Kievan waiwode, Yanut Teeshkevitch, built a castle in the village; and in 1627 he founded a monastery for Carmelite monks, to which he shortly afterwards Ëresented the castle. The monks built themselves a crypt, and, as erdicheff was subject to the incursions of Cossacks and Tatars, surrounded their monastery with rampart and ditch. In 1647, however, it was taken and plundered by Chmelnetzki, and the monks who had escaped did not return till 1663, and only obtained possession of their former property in 1717. In 1765 Stanislas Augustus, at the request of Prince Radzevil, allowed the city to hold ten yearly markets, and from that date its commercial prosperity began. In 1768 Casimir Pulavski, leader of the confederacy of Barr, fled, after the capture of that city, to Berdicheff, and there, with 700 men, maintained himself during a siege of 25 days. During the Polish domination, Berdicheff was in the Vratislau waiwodeship; after its annexation to Russia it was assigned to Jitomir and Volhynia; and in 1845 it was raised to be capital of a circle. In the beginning of the 18th century it had passed from the Teeshkevitch to the Zavpsh family, and from them was transferred by a marriage settlement to the Radzevils.
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