Horlivka

Horlivka
Горлівка
City of regional significance

Horlivka Palace of Culture

Flag
Coat of arms
Horlivka

Location of Horlivka

Horlivka
Coordinates: 48°18′N 38°3′E / 48.300°N 38.050°ECoordinates: 48°18′N 38°3′E / 48.300°N 38.050°E
Country
Oblast
Raion		 Ukraine
Donetsk Oblast
Horlivka Municipality
Government
 • Mayor Yevhen Klep[1]
Area
 • Total 422 km2 (163 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 • Total 256,714
 • Density 686.9/km2 (1,779/sq mi)
Climate Dfb

Horlivka (Ukrainian: Горлівка Ukrainian pronunciation: [ˈɦɔrliu̯kɑ]); also known by its Russian name Gorlovka[2] (Russian: Горловка) or Gorlowka[3] while a part of the Soviet Union, is a city of regional significance in the Donetsk Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. Population: 256,714 (2013 est.)[4]. In 2001, the city's population was 292,000. Economic activity is predominantly coal mining and the chemical industry. The Horlivka State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages has a two building campus in the center of town.

History

See also: Posad
Monument to Pyotr Gorlov
Monument to 1905 rebellion
Horlivka Cathedral

In 1779 the city was founded as Gosudarev Posad and in 1869 it was renamed after Pyotr Gorlov as Gorlovka (locally Horlivka). The little workers town provide basic services to and organization of a series of mining camps.

During the Russian Revolution of 1905, it was the scene of an armed uprising.

Subsequently under Soviet control, by the 1930s it had expanded considerably and become a major center for mining operations in the Ukrainian SSR.

The city was occupied by German troops from 1941-1943.[5] During World War II retreating Nazis burned buildings. Nonetheless, the city's population had risen to over 400,000 by the end of the war.

In recent years many mines have closed. The population fell by more than ten percent during the 1990s.

2014 pro-Russian separatism

In the middle of April, 2014, and shortly thereafter, pro-Russian separatists captured several towns in Donetsk Oblast.[6][7] A group of separatists seized the police station in Horlivka on April 14;[8] the city hall was seized on April 30.[9] The mayor of the city, Yevhen Klep, was detained by the separatists on June 11, and not released until July 18.[10] Local chief of police Andriy Kryschenko was captured and badly beaten by the insurgents.[11][nb 1] A Horlivka city council deputy, Volodymyr Rybak, was kidnapped by the pro-Russian militants on 17 April. His body was later found in a river on 22 April.[13] The city administration building was seized on 30 April, solidifying separatist control over Horlivka.[14] Self-proclaimed mayor of Horlivka Volodymyr Kolosniuk was arrested by the SBU on suspicion of participation in "terrorist activities" on 2 July.[15]

On July 21 and 22, 2014, the city saw heavy fighting.[16][17] The Ukrainian army reportedly retook parts of Horlivka on July 21.[18] After the Ukrainian army had retaken Lysychansk on July 25, 2014,[19] the recapture of Horlivka became a priority, for the city was seen as "a direct path to the regional center - Donetsk".[20] As of 28 July, the city was reported to be fully surrounded by Ukrainian troops, with rebels holding their positions inside.[21]

As of January 2015 Horlivka OSCE reported Horlivka to be still controlled by separatist forces.[22]

As reported by the city administration from the beginning of the conflict 274 local civilians were wounded, 92 killed, including 9 children.[23]

Demographics

Native language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[24]

National composition as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[24]

number percent, %
Ukrainians 160,39751,4
Russians 139,98044,8
Belarusians 4,0791,3
Tatars 8760,3
Armenians 7840,3
Moldovans 7200,2
Azeris 6470,2

Infrastructure and environment

Lenin monument, Horlivka
Stirol chemical plant in Horlivka
Mykytivka railway station
A billboard in Horlivka

Despite the fall of communism a statue of Lenin still stands in a central square bearing his name. Horlivka is well served by CNG-buses (see Natural gas vehicle), but much of the city's Soviet-era infrastructure shows signs of deterioration. By contrast, a number of modern shops and a new cathedral (completion 2014) in the town center indicate some rejuvenation.

On the eastern side of Horlivka there is an abandoned chemical plant which used to produce toxic explosives and has been reported to be in a dangerous condition.[25][26] Mining activity has resulted in large spoil tips being visible around the city, but a tree-planting project and ongoing forestry maintenance has revitalised an area to the north.

Administrative division

Zheleznaya Balka (Iron Valley) near Horlivka
Administrative system of Horlivka:
Districts of Horlivka:
  Kalinin
  Mykytivka Raion
  City Center
 Populated places:
1 — Hladosove
2 — Holmivsky
3 — Zaitseve
4 — Mykhailivka
5 — Ozeryanivka
6 — Panteleimonivka
7 — Piatykhatky
8 — Ryasne
9 — Stavky
10 — Fedorivka
11 — Shyroka Balka

The city is divided into three city districts: Mykytivka, Kalinin, and City Center.

The city municipality also includes several towns and villages. Most of populated places belongs to the City Center district, while Hladosove, Holmivsky and Zaitseve is part of Mykytivka district.

Notable people from Horlivka

Gallery

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Horlivka is twinned with:

City Country Year of Signing
Barnsley[27] United Kingdom United Kingdom 1987
Pensacola, Florida United States United States
Buffalo, New York United States United States 2007

Notes

  1. ↑ On 6 April 2015 Interior Minister Arsen Avakov appointed Andriy Kryschenko police chief of Kharkiv.[12]

References

  1. ↑ The result counts, Den (24 February 2011)
  2. ↑ "Gorlovka: Ukraine". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  3. ↑ "Gorlowka: Ukraine". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  4. ↑ "Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine)" (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Yahad-In Unum Interactive Map". Execution Sites of Jewish Victims Investigated by Yahad-In Unum. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Leonid Ragozin. "Putin Is Accidentally Helping Unite Eastern and Western Ukraine - The New Republic". The New Republic.
  7. ↑ "Injuries reported in pro-Russia attack at Horlivka in east Ukraine". euronews.
  8. ↑ "Ukraine: Protesters Seize Police HQ in Horlivka". VOA.
  9. ↑ "In rundown Horlivka, pro-Russian separatists’ gains come as no surprise to many". Washington Post.
  10. ↑ "Media: Separatists free Horlivka mayor". KyivPost.
  11. ↑ Ukrainska Pravda, Аваков: Керівник міліції Горлівки - справжній офіцер – побитий, але живий [Avakov says that the head of police in Horlivka, a true officer, is battered but alive], 14 April 2014.
  12. ↑ (Ukrainian) Police Kharkiv now headed by officer who survived after beating separatists, Ukrayinska Pravda (6 April 2015)
  13. ↑ "Ukraine alert as politician killed". BBC. 2014-04-22. Retrieved 2014-11-03.
  14. ↑ "Pro-Russian separatists seize buildings in east Ukraine's Horlivka". The Globe and Mail. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  15. ↑ "SBU Detains Self-Styled Major of Horlivka, Donetsk Region Kolosniuk". Ukrainian News Agency. 2 July 2014. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "Horlivka sees gunfire, bridge damage, electric public transport halt". Interfax-Ukraine.
  17. ↑ "Two inmates die, two more injured when colony in Horlivka comes under fire". Interfax-Ukraine.
  18. ↑ "Government forces enter Horlivka suburb < News < Home". nrcu.gov.ua.
  19. ↑ Felicia Schwartz and Carol E. Lee (26 July 2014). "White House Says Putin 'Culpable' in Flight 17 Crash". WSJ.
  20. ↑ "ATO major forces to focus on Horlivka". ukrinform.ua.
  21. ↑ Dmitry Lovetsky. "Fighting intensifies near crash site". The Columbus Dispatch.
  22. ↑ "Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time)". OSCE. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
  23. ↑ "Горловка после дня обстрелов: трое погибших, 17 раненых, повреждены 14 школ, приостановлена работа детских садов". Gorlovka.ua. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Ukrcensus.gov.ua". ukrcensus.gov.ua.
  25. ↑ "Journal of Health & Pollution". doi:10.5696/2156-9614.1.2.2.
  26. ↑ "2012-01-03 Chernobyl of Gorlivka".
  27. ↑ "Town twinning Information about town twinning". Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-14.

External links