Volhynia

"Wołyń" and "Volinia" redirect here. For the principality, see Principality of Volhynia. For the Polish village, see Wołyń, Łódź Voivodeship. For the township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan, see Volinia Township, Michigan. For the 2016 Polish war film, see Volhynia (film).
"Volyn" redirects here. For the subdivision in Ukraine, see Volyn Oblast.
Volhynia
  • Волинь
  • Wołyń
Volynia
Historical region
Lubart's Castle in Lutsk
Kremenets
Wiśniowiecki Palace in Vyshnivets
Ostrogski Castle in Starokostiantyniv
Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr
Lake Svitiaz
Coat of arms of Volhynia
Coat of arms
Location of Volhynia (yellow) in Ukraine
Location of Volhynia (yellow) in Ukraine
Coordinates: 50°44′20″N 25°19′24″E / 50.73889°N 25.32333°E / 50.73889; 25.32333
Country Poland
 Belarus
 Ukraine
RegionSoutheastern Poland, Southwestern Belarus, Western Ukraine
PartsVolyn Oblast, Rivne Oblast, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ternopil Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Lublin Voivodeship, Brest Region
DemonymVolhynian

Volhynia or Volynia (/voʊˈlɪniə/ voh-LIN-ee-ə; see below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in Ukraine it is roughly equivalent to Volyn and Rivne Oblasts; the territory that still carries the name is Volyn Oblast.

Volhynia has changed hands numerous times throughout history and been divided among competing powers. For centuries it was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After the Russian annexation during the Partitions of Poland, all of Volhynia was made part of the Pale of Settlement on the southwestern border of the Russian Empire. Important cities include Rivne, Lutsk, Zviahel, and Volodymyr.