Horlivka

Horlivka Горлівка
City of regional significance
Horlivka Palace of Culture
Flag Coat of arms
Horlivka Location of Horlivka
Horlivka
Coordinates:
Country Oblast Raion	Ukraine Donetsk Oblast Horlivka Municipality
Government
• Mayor	Yevhen Klep
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 (Russian: Горловка) or Gorlowka while a part of the Soviet Union, is a city of regional significance in the Donetsk Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. In 2001, the city's population was 292,000, which declined to 256,714 by 2013. 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.

The city was severely damaged during the War in Donbass and is since under separatist control.

History

See also: Posad

File:Horlivka Cathedral, November 2013.tif 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. 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

See also: 2014 insurgency in Donbass § Horlivka

In the middle of April, 2014, and shortly thereafter, pro-Russian separatists captured several towns in Donetsk Oblast. A group of separatists seized the police station in Horlivka on April 14; the city hall was seized on April 30. The mayor of the city, Yevhen Klep, was detained by the separatists on June 11, and not released until July 18. Local chief of police Andriy Kryschenko was captured and badly beaten by the insurgents. 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. The city administration building was seized on 30 April, solidifying separatist control over Horlivka. Self-proclaimed mayor of Horlivka Volodymyr Kolosniuk was arrested by the SBU on suspicion of participation in "terrorist activities" on 2 July.

On July 21 and 22, 2014, the city saw heavy fighting. The Ukrainian army reportedly retook parts of Horlivka on July 21. After the Ukrainian army had retaken Lysychansk on July 25, 2014, the recapture of Horlivka became a priority, for the city was seen as "a direct path to the regional center - Donetsk". As of 28 July, the city was reported to be fully surrounded by Ukrainian troops, with rebels holding their positions inside. However, Horlivka continued to be controlled by separatist forces. As of June 2015 it was situated 10 kilometers from the war front.

As reported by the city administration from the beginning of the conflict till late January 2015 274 local civilians were wounded, 92 killed, including 9 children. Because of the conflict the city's population shrank to 180,000.

Demographics

Native language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:

• Russian 85.1%
• Ukrainian 13.9%
• Belarusian 0.1%
• Armenian 0.1%

National composition as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:

Nationality	Number	%
Ukrainians	160,397	51,4
Russians	139,980	44,8
Belarusians	4,079	1,3
Tatars	876	0,3
Armenians	784	0,3
Moldovans	720	0,2
Azeris	647	0,2

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. 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.

The city was severely damaged during the War in Donbass.

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.

• towns: Holmivsky, Zaitseve, Panteleimonivka
• villages: Mykhailivka, Ryasne
• hamlets: Hladosove, Ozeryanivka, Piatykhatky, Stavky, Fedorivka, Shyroka Balka

Notable people from Horlivka

• Sergei Baranov, Russian volleyball player
• Yuriy Boyko, Ukrainian politician
• Valeriy Horbunov, Ukrainian and Soviet football player
• Nikolai Kapustin, Russian composer and pianist
• Ihor Petrov, Ukrainian professional football coach and a former player
• Aleksandr Ponomarev, Soviet Ukrainian football player and manager
• Ruslan Ponomariov, Ukrainian chess player
• Serhiy Rebrov, Ukrainian footballer
• Oleksandr Savanchuk, Ukrainian football striker
• Arkady Shevchenko, Soviet defector
• Mykyta Shevchenko, Ukrainian football goalkeeper
• Evgeny Ukhanov, Ukrainian-Australian pianist
• Alexander Volkov, Soviet-Russian cosmonaut

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Ukraine

Horlivka is twinned with:

• Barnsley, United Kingdom, since 1987
• Pensacola, United States
• Buffalo, United States, since 2007

External links

• Gorlovka Portal
• Gorlovka Vedi
• Video of Gorlovka
• Yellow Pages of Horlivka
• Things to do in Horlivka