Kostiantynivka (Ukrainian: Костянтинівка, IPA: [kosʲtʲɐnˈtɪn⁽ʲ⁾iu̯kɐ] ; Russian: Константиновка, romanized: Konstantinovka) is an industrial city in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is situated on the Kryvyi Torets river. During the Soviet era, the city developed into a major centre for the production of iron, zinc, steel, and glass. Administratively, it is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. It was the administrative center of the Kostiantynivka Raion until 2020, although it did not belong to it. After the raion was abolished, Kostiantynivka was incorporated into the Kramatorsk Raion. Its population is approximately 67,350 (2022 estimate).[1]
Kostiantynivka
Костянтинівка | |
|---|---|
  
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 Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |
  Kostiantynivka .svg) Kostiantynivka | |
| Coordinates: 48°32′N 37°43′E / 48.533°N 37.717°E | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast | Donetsk Oblast |
| Raion | Kramatorsk Raion |
| Hromada | Kostiantynivka urban hromada |
| Founded | 1870 |
Area | 66 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 67,350 |
| • Density | 1,000/km2 (3,000/sq mi) |
 | |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | 25,404 | — |
| 1939 | 95,807 | +277.1% |
| 1959 | 88,723 | −7.4% |
| 1970 | 105,446 | +18.8% |
| 1979 | 112,020 | +6.2% |
| 1989 | 107,562 | −4.0% |
| 2001 | 95,111 | −11.6% |
| 2011 | 79,211 | −16.7% |
| 2022 | 67,350 | −15.0% |
| Source: [2] | ||
History
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In 1870, Kostiantynivka was founded by a landowner named Nomikossov, who built the settlement in honor of his oldest son, Kostiantyn. At the beginning of the 20th century, Kostiantynivka developed into an industrial settlement, and was later elevated to the rank of an urban settlement in 1926. In 1932, Kostyantynivka was granted municipal rights.
During World War II, the Germans operated a forced labour camp in the town.[3]
Russo-Ukrainian War
editWar in Donbas
editDuring the War in Donbas, the town was captured in mid-April 2014[4][5] by pro-Russian separatists.[6] The city was eventually retaken by Ukrainian forces on 7 July 2014, along with the city of Druzhkivka, shortly after the recapture of nearby cities Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.[7][8] In September 2014, numerous refugees came to the town from occupied territories. People came to buy cheaper essential products, as well as to arrange pensions and social benefits in municipal institutions. At the time, the mechanism of receiving benefits and social payments for migrants at a new place of residence was simplified. The city began to operate a refugee housing center.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
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Beginning on 24 February 2022, Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the first few hours of the all-out war, Kostiantynivka was struck by missiles targeting a local military base. The area was occasionally shelled and bombarded during the first phase of Russia's invasion. Kostiantynivka saw more bombardment in the second phase of the war, in which the Russians focused their attacks on eastern Ukraine. Kostiantynivka saw heavy shelling and missile attacks, targeting fuel depots and power plants. As it was near the frontlines, residents of the city could hear shelling and fighting daily. The city remained under Ukrainian control, but suffered from Russian strikes.
Russia reported on 20 March 2022 that Kostiantynivka had been hit by a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile, hitting a fuel depot and causing a fire in the city, and the information was confirmed by U.S. president Joe Biden.[9]
Kostiantynivka was also shelled by the Russian Armed Forces on 17 September 2022,[10] causing five civilian casualties and extensive destruction in the city.[clarification needed]
A further five or more civilians were killed on 24 March 2023, when a missile fired from an S-300 anti-aircraft system hit a local so-called "invincibility point"—a humanitarian support center—in Kostiantynivka.[11]
On 6 September 2023, a missile struck an open-air market in the middle of the day, killing 17 civilians, including a child, and injuring at least 32.[12][13] The New York Times later reported that "evidence strongly suggests the catastrophic strike was the result of an errant Ukrainian air defense missile fired by a Buk launch system".[14]
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On 25 February 2024, Russian bombing destroyed Kostiantynivka's central railway station and damaged several dozen other buildings.[15][16]
On 9 August 2024, a supermarket and surrounding buildings in the city were destroyed by a Russian missile attack, killing 14 and injuring 43 others.[17]
On 26 August 2024, Ukraine declared mandatory evacuation of the city, as well as several other villages around the city.[18] By 7 September 2024, the population was estimated to have decreased to 25,000.[19]
Transport
editKostiantynivka formerly had a tram network, which towards the end of its service life suffered from increasingly disrupted traffic. The tram system first opened in 1931, closed in 2004 and reopened in 2005.
During the German occupation of World War II, trams operated in coupled pairs, with one carriage for civilians and the other for soldiers. The tram infrastructure was destroyed by the retreating Wehrmacht in 1943 and rebuilt in 1944.
In 2012, 150 meters of overhead wires were stolen. For a while, the tram company had been unprofitable and thus threatened the closure of line 3. It remained open after complaints were made to city hall,[20] though it nevertheless closed in 2014 due to the poor condition of the northern overpass. As of 2015, only one car was operable, as the others all lacked bogies. The same year, tram service stopped due to construction on the Severnyi railway viaduct, closing the final line, number 4. However, work on the viaduct never occurred, and service was restarted using only the one car on line 4. When 2 km of wires were stolen around 26 December 2016, the operator could not afford to repair the infrastructure, and the network closed on 29 March 2018.[21]
Demographics
editAs of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[22]
- Ethnicity
- Ukrainians: 59.3%
- Russians: 37.7%
- Armenians: 1.0%
- Belarusians: 0.5%
- Azerbaijanis: 0.3%
- Jews: 0.2%
- Language
Notable people
edit- Oleksandra Kuzhel (born 1953), Ukrainian politician
- Tetyana Kryvobok (born 1972), Ukrainian runner
- Yevhen Levchenko (born 1978), Ukrainian football player
References
edit- ^ Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Cities & Towns of Ukraine".
- ^ "Arbeitserziehungslager Kostjantynivka". Bundesarchiv.de (in German). Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ Ragozin, Leonid (16 April 2014). "Vladimir Putin Is Accidentally Bringing Eastern and Western Ukraine Together". The New Republic.
- ^ "Donbass defenders put WWII tank back into service".
- ^ "Working Tank on Plinth Inspires Army to Plunder Museums - Around the World News - Croatian Times Online News - English Newspaper". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^ "Ukrainian government troops target further gains". Market Watch (The Wall Street Journal). 6 July 2014.
- ^ "Ukrinform News". www.ukrinform.ua.
- ^ Peck, Michael (22 March 2022). "Putin's Hypersonic Missile Attacks on Ukraine: A Sign the Invasion Has Failed?". 19FortyFive.
- ^ "Five civilians injured in Russia's shelling of Kostiantynivka". www.ukrinform.net. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Russian Strike Hits Civilian Shelter As Fighting Rages In Eastern Ukraine". rferl.org. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ "Ukraine war: 17 killed during attack on market in 'peaceful city'". BBC News. 6 September 2023.
- ^ Chernov, Mstyslav (7 September 2023). "Russian missile turns Ukrainian market into fiery, blackened ruin strewn with bodies". AP News. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
- ^ Ismay, John; Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Willis, Haley; Browne, Malachy; Koettl, Christoph; Cardia, Alexander (18 September 2023). "Evidence Suggests Ukrainian Missile Caused Market Tragedy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Russian attack destroys Kostiantynivka Central Station in Donetsk Oblast". The Kyiv Independent. 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Понад 60 руйнувань за ніч: російська армія обстріляла Донеччину". Суспільне. 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Russian strike on supermarket in Ukraine's east kills 14 people". Reuters. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Zone of mandatory evacuation of families with children expanded in Donetsk Oblast".
- ^ "В Константиновке осталось 25 тысяч человек — эвакуация продолжается". novosti.dn.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Трамвайный вопрос: на грани разума и маразма | Костянтинівка в дзеркалі Провінції". konstantinovka.com.ua. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "Konstiantynivka Chronology of tram". transphoto.org.
- ^ "Офіційна сторінка Всеукраїнського перепису населення". www.ukrcensus.gov.ua.
- ^ "Fighting rages in Ukraine as Russian troops claim city". France 24. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com". Ukraine Interactive map - Ukraine Latest news on live map - liveuamap.com. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
External links
edit- (in Russian) Konstantinovka - My Home! Information Portal
