The precept that future takes its origins in the past, based on strong foundations of historical experience is true at all phases of human life.
It cautions us against indifferent attitude to the times past, pointing to the importance of returning on a daily basis to the original values, without which it would be impossible to understand either the present day or the future.

The old history of the Valky land has distant origins.
It has been established by archeological studies that this land was inhabited by primitive hunters about 15,000-30,000 years ago, and then by tribes of the so-called Dnipro-Donets culture in the late stone and bronze ages of 5th-1st millennia BC.
However, the Scythian period of our land's history is the most exciting and rich for archeologists.



Archeologists have proved that our land at the time was the center of the Melanchlens' culture. These tribes raised cattle, cultivated crops, and were skilled craftsmen.
However, during the first half of the 12th century, their lands were plundered by the Tatar-Mongol invasion and soon turned into the so-called "Wild Country" overgrown with forests and steppe grasses.
It is here, between forests and marches that the ill-famed Muravsky Shlyakh (Trail) led from the Crimea to Muscovy, serving as a route for incursions of the Crimean and Nogai Tatar for loot and slaves.

To give protection against these raids, the first small fortresses and forts started to emerge here, in the Wild Country in early 17th century, including Tsare-Borysiv (1600), Chuhuyiv (1638), and Valky (1646).

At that time, in the territory of the present-day Valkivsky Raion, the Perekipsky Val (a deep ditch with high rampart), which had been built way back in the Scythian times, was restored. This rampart crossed the Muravsky Shlyakh between the upper courses of the Mzha and Kolomak rivers. It is conceivable that the name of the city of Valky originates from this rampart (val).

The building of a "log town" started under direction of the Belgorod voevode Khilkov on May 21, 1646.
In 1665, the site of the city of Valky was moved to the banks of the Mzha River, where it remains until this day.

In April 1780, Valky was granted the city status and became the district capital.
At that time, the city had 5,446 residents, including 5,019 military settlers.

In early 20th century, Valky and the surrounding district were ravaged by fierce peasant uprisings. In 1902, peasants raided over 25 landowner estates. Especially strong were consequences of the uprising in the villages Snizhkiv, Blahodatne, and Sydorenkovo.

The tsarist government has stamped down on the uprising with extreme cruelty.
Following the February Revolution in Petersburg, the liberation movement led by the Ukrainian national democrats was becoming increasingly strong in Valky and the district.

It is Russian workers from Tula who "liberated" our land from the troops of Petlyura and installed the Soviet power here with their bayonets in 1919.
It is them who came to head the district government in Valky.
In 1923, Valky became the central city of the Valkivsky Raion.
Mass-scale collectivization of farmers in the Raion was completed in 1931.

The year 1933 was a disaster for the Raion population. There was not a single village in the area, where people would not be dying from famine on a massive scale.
According to incomplete data, over 6,000 people died from starvation in the Raion that year.

According to the 1939 census, there were 60,600 residents in the Valkivsky Raion, including 7,500 in the city of Valky.
Agriculture was the key for the Raion economy before the war. However, peaceful work of the people was interrupted by the Great Patriotic War.
The Valkivsky Raion had remained under the Nazi occupation from 1941 to September 1943.

Over 16,000 of our compatriots went to fight in the war.
Many of them (5,241 persons) died in combat. Besides, over 4,000 civilians were killed by the Nazis in the Raion. Over 2,000 peaceful residents died by shooting squad in the Didova Valley in the city of Valky alone.

The city presented a horrible sight in the first days after liberation.
All factories, schools, residential houses were completely destroyed. The villages Melnykove, Mynkivka, Oleksandrivka, Zhuravli, Pisky, and Snizhkiv were burnt to the ground.

Citizens of the Raion restored the economy and rebuilt the city and villages in a short time.
Today, the Valkivsky Raion has a great natural, mineral resource and economic potential and is inhabited by friendly and hard-working people.
The Raion area is 1,010.5 km2, the city of Valky is located 55 km from the regional capital Kharkiv.

The Raion has one city of Valky, two settlements - Kovyahy and Stary Merchyk, and 99 villages. The population is 36,500, including 10,400 who live in the city of Valky.

The Raion is compact in territory and has clean air.
Its mineral resources include natural gas, oil, clay, and sand. There have been sources of sulfide mineral water and deposits of quartz discovered.

The climate is temperate continental, favorable for growing all types of zoned agricultural crops. Black earth is the predominant type of soil.
From the time of its founding, the Valkivsky Raion has been an agricultural area.

Food and processing industries have been developing at an accelerated pace in recent years. The Raion has a rather well developed infrastructure with a network of hard-pavement roads, railroad lines, modern telecommunications and information systems. It is fully provided with social, cultural, and consumer service facilities.

The city of Valky is a member of the League of Ukraine's Historical Cities. It has its own emblem and flag. The city area is 1,129 hectares or 11.3 km2. Valky has 114 streets, lanes, and drives.

The city is home to 117 enterprises, institutions, and organizations employing over 4,000 people.
The Valkivsky Raion citizens love their land. They are proud of its history and its present-day achievements.