Kramatorsk

Kramatorsk
Краматорськ
City

Main square of Kramatorsk

Flag
Coat of arms

Kramatorsk on the map of Ukraine
Kramatorsk

Kramatorsk on the map of Donetsk Oblast

Coordinates: 48°43′N 37°32′E / 48.717°N 37.533°E / 48.717; 37.533Coordinates: 48°43′N 37°32′E / 48.717°N 37.533°E / 48.717; 37.533
Country  Ukraine
Oblast  Donetsk Oblast
Founded 1868
City status since 1932
Area
 • City 117.1 km2 (45.2 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 • City 164,283
 • Density 583/km2 (1,510/sq mi)
 • Metro 197,752
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 84300-84390
Area code(s) +380 626(4)
Website www.krm.gov.ua

Kramatorsk (Ukrainian: Краматорськ, Kramators'k) is a city of oblast significance located at the northern portion of Donetsk Oblast, in eastern Ukraine. Since October 11, 2014 Kramatorsk has been the provisional seat of Donetsk Oblast, following the events surrounding the War in Donbass.[1]

The city is located on the banks of the Kazennyi Torets River which is a right tributary of the Siversky Donets. Population: 164,283 (2013 est.)[2]. It is an important industrial and mechanical engineering centre in Ukraine. At various periods, Kramatorsk was a place of residence for a number of notable people including Leonid Bykov, Joseph Kobzon and the youngest person to ever become FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov.

Geography

Kramatorsk landscape park
Street junction in Kramatorsk
Apartment blocks in Kramatorsk

Kramatorsk and its city municipality is located between Sloviansk Raion and Kostiantynivka Raion and along with its centers is part of a major urban agglomeration in the region.

Demographics

Kramatorsk has a population of over 164,700 inhabitants (2013) and has a metropolitan area of over 197,000 inhabitants (2013).

Native language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[3]

According to the 2001 population census, the ethnic composition of Kramatorsk was:

History

The city grew from a settlement by a small railway station in 1868 into a major urban settlement in the north of Donetsk Oblast with several heavy machine production facilities. It was occupied by Nazi Germany between 27 October 1941 and 5 February 1943 and again between 27 February 1943 and 6 September 1943.

Between 1980 and 1989, several people were exposed to a radiological source in one of the apartment buildings, resulting in 6 deaths and at least 17 cases of radiation sickness.

2014 clashes

Main article: Battle of Kramatorsk

On April 12, the police station in Kramatorsk was seized by pro-Russian militants, and later the city council.[4] This resulted in a tense standoff between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and pro-Russian militants. After months of fighting, the rebels withdrew and the city came under Ukrainian control since 5 July 2014.[5] Kramatorsk became provisional centre of Donetsk Oblast in 13 October 2014.

Economy and Industry

Kramatorsk has not stayed away from the international outsourcing trend prompted by the emergence of the information society in Ukraine in the Post-Soviet years. An IT company QuartSoft Corp. was founded in Kramatorsk in 1999. Now it has offices in the United States and Austria.

Machinebuilding

Old Kramatorsk machine plant

In the 2000s, a wind turbine production facility was constructed in Kramatorsk. This is a joint venture between German Fuhrländer AG and its Ukrainian partners. According to their site, Fuhrländer became the first company in the renewable energy sector to obtain a building permit from the Ukrainian government.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Kikhtenko to move Donetsk administration to Kramatorsk and to leave power structures in Mariupol". Zerkalo Nedeli (in Russian). Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine)" (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "Ukraine crisis: Kramatorsk police headquarters stormed". BBC. April 13, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Separatists cleared from Sloviansk and Kramatorsk". Kyiv Post. July 7, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Fuhrländer opens joint venture park in Ukraine". Retrieved 2012-09-28.
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