"Gordon Orr" wrote

I saw on a 1910 map of the Austro-Hungarian Empire a town named Ostrowsky,
approx. 70 km ssw of Kiev, about 5 km west of Belaja Tserkov, which is
apparently the birhplace of my gf Oscar Ostrovsky.
I have not been able to find any other documentation of this town,
including
on Shtetl- seekers.
Does anyone recognise this place ?

Gordon,

1910 Austro-Hungarian Army "clickable" topographic map that you are
referring to is a great research tool which covers large parts of Central
and Eastern Europe:

http://lazarus.elte.hu/hun/digkonyv/topo/3felmeres.htm

Details shown of this map are amazing, one can actually count number of
houses located in small villages and towns, view the surrounding elevations
and identify surrounding names of rivers and creeks.

Name Ostrovskij that you see on this map near River Uzien (by clicking on
Quadrant with Kijew name on it) East (not West) >from Belaya Tsekva
identifies town Ostrow district borders - you will notice dotted lines
identifying other district borders and names like:Ostryjski (derived >from
Ostryjki district), and so on.

Thus town you are searching for near Belaya Tserkov (currently known as Bila
Tserkva) is Ostrow (currently known as Ostrov) at coord. 4941 3023, located
22 km ESE >from Belaya Tserkov () and 84 km south of Kiev.

I assume that in your family documents name Ostrovskiy (OStrvwskij)
appears - this identifies Ostrovskij district (known as "Uyezd" or perhaps
even smaller administrative division - "Volost" in Russian) and this led you
to confusion and search for not existing town named Ostrovskiy.

BTW,
Ostrov (Ostrow) , "an island in English", is very popular name amongst many
Slavic localities since in the ancient times Slavs have been erecting their
settlements on the islands surrouded by rivers or and connected them by
bridges to the mainland - this have provided them with the defense positions
against the enemies.

"Your" Ostrov is not exception to this 'rule"- place also was built on the
island surrounded by rivers Ros and Popravka, the contributories to the
mighty Dnepr River.

Ostrovsky is also very popular Slavic surname, eg. Aleksandr Nikolayevich
Ostrovsky was famous classical Russian play (and opera) writer, and Nikolai
Ostrovsky was Soviet era author.

Good luck with your search,

Alexander Sharon
Calgary, Ab., Canada