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Pokrovsk, Ukraine

Coordinates: 48°16′58″N 37°10′58″E / 48.28278°N 37.18278°E / 48.28278; 37.18278
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Pokrovsk
The Saint Michael the Angel Orthodox Church of Pokrovsk, photographed in 2012
The Saint Michael the Angel Orthodox Church of Pokrovsk, photographed in 2012
Flag of Pokrovsk
Coat of arms of Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk is located in Donetsk Oblast
Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk shown within Donetsk
Pokrovsk is located in Ukraine
Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk
Pokrovsk shown within Ukraine
Coordinates: 48°16′58″N 37°10′58″E / 48.28278°N 37.18278°E / 48.28278; 37.18278
Country Ukraine
OblastDonetsk Oblast
RaionPokrovsk Raion
HromadaPokrovsk urban hromada
Establishedc. 1880
City status1938
Area
 • Total29.57 km2 (11.42 sq mi)
Elevation
181 m (594 ft)
Population
 (1 January 2022)[1]
 • TotalDecrease 60,127
Postal code
85300—85309
Area code+380-6239
ClimateWarm summer subtype
KOATUU1413200000
KATETTOUA14160210010099403
Websitepokrovsk-rada.gov.ua
Map

Pokrovsk (Ukrainian: Покровськ, IPA: [poˈkrɔu̯sʲk] ; Russian: Покровск), formerly known as Krasnoarmiisk[a] (until 2016) and Grishino (until 1934),[b] is a city and the administrative center of Pokrovsk Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it was incorporated as a city of oblast significance. Its population is approximately 60,127 (2022 estimate).[2]

Names[edit]

  • 2016–present: Pokrovsk (Ukrainian: Покровськ; Russian: Покровск)[3]
  • 1964–2016: Krasnoarmiisk (Ukrainian: Красноармійськ) or Krasnoarmeysk (Russian: Красноармейск)
  • 1938–1964: Krasnoarmeyskoye (Russian: Красноармейское) or Krasnoarmiiske (Ukrainian: Красноармійське)[4]
  • 1934–1938: Postyshevo (Russian: Постышево) or Postysheve (Ukrainian: Постишеве)[5]
  • 1884–1934: Grishino (Russian: Гришино) or Hryshyne (Ukrainian: Гришине)[6]

History[edit]

Pokrovsk was founded as Grishino in 1875 by a decision of the Ministry of Railways of the Russian Empire authorizing a railway station. The village had two thousand inhabitants.

In 1881, a locomotive depot which became one of the main locomotive repair companies, Ekaterinoslavskaya railway, was built in the town. Two years later, in 1883, there was an enlargement to the station building; the central portion survives to this day. In May 1884, trains finally began transiting the rail station in Grishino.

With the development of the railway station, Grishino grew and there were new businesses, in particular for exploitation of underground minerals, starting with coal. By 1913, the population around Grishino station had more than doubled to about 4.5 thousand people.

After the Russian Civil War ravaged Russia as a whole, Grishino station continued its growth and by 1925 had a locomotive depot, a brick factory, and six mines. The name of the station was changed to Postyshevo in 1934 to honor Pavel Postyshev, and in 1938, the name of the city became Krasnoarmeyskoe, commemorating the Soviet Red Army, after Postyshev was repressed during the Great Purge.

World War II heavily impacted the population of the city. The first Axis forces to arrive were Italians, followed by the Germans who occupied it on October 19, 1941. German forces proceeded to forcibly transfer many civilians by train to labor camps in Austria. Many residents defended their hometown. 8295 Soviet soldiers perished on the battlefield, and 4788 residents of the town were killed in World War II. The city witnessed an atrocity when its Jewish community was murdered in midwinter 1942.[7] Furthermore, in February 1943, the Red Army perpetrated the Massacre of Grischino. On September 7, 1943, the town was liberated for good by Red Army troops.

In the 1950s, in the post-war period, the city renewed its industrial and residential construction.

Russo-Ukrainian War[edit]

In the Russo-Ukrainian War, that is, since the spring of 2014, the city is near the frontline with the separatist Donetsk People's Republic.[8]

In May 2016, the city was renamed following decommunization laws[9] to Pokrovsk, honoring the Intercession of the Theotokos known as Pokrova in Ukrainian.

On 7 August 2023 during the Russo-Ukrainian War, Russian missiles struck the city twice.[10] Nine people were reported dead from the strike, and 82 wounded.[11]

In 2024, as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a renewed offensive effort to capture all of Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces seek to capture Kurakhove and Pokrovsk. This axis being the main attack direction, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi noted the disparity of forces in terms of equipment and manpower, and high pressure on Ukrainian lines in this area.[12][13]

Demographics[edit]

The population of Pokrovsk as of August 1, 2017 was 75,205 people.[14]

According to 2001 census data, the breakdown by ethnicity is:[15]

Population Percentage, %
Ukrainian 62,158 75.0
Russian 18,299 22.1
Belarusian 558 0.7
Armenian 307 0.4
Azerbaijani 215 0.3
Historical population
YearPop.±%
19238,203—    
192611,335+38.2%
193929,617+161.3%
195947,974+62.0%
197055,044+14.7%
YearPop.±%
197959,864+8.8%
198972,859+21.7%
200169,154−5.1%
201464,533−6.7%
Source: [16]

Native language per Ukrainian Census of 2001:[17]

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Ukrainian: Красноармійськ; Russian: Красноармейск, romanizedKrasnoarmeysk
  2. ^ Russian: Гришино; Ukrainian: Гришине, romanizedHryshyne

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine)" (PDF) (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Про перейменування деяких населених пунктів". rada.gov.ua. 12 May 2016.
  4. ^ Руководители центральных органов ВКП(б) в 1934-1939 гг. Справочник. p. 141.
  5. ^ Room, Adrian (2009). Alternate names of places : a worldwide dictionary. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. p. 106. ISBN 9780786437122.
  6. ^ "Krasnoarmiysk". britannica.com.
  7. ^ Yad Vashem, Pokrovsk
  8. ^ The vulnerable victims of the Ukrainian Conflict Archived 2015-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, Deutsche Welle (25 May 2015)
  9. ^ ПОСТАНОВА Верховної Ради України Про перейменування деяких населених пунктів
  10. ^ Boffey, Daniel; Sullivan, Helen (August 8, 2023). "Russian 'double tap' missile strike kills seven near hotel used by journalists". The Guardian.
  11. ^ Smilianets, Vladyslav (August 8, 2023). "Russian missiles kill nine, destroy hotel in eastern Donetsk, Ukraine says". Reuters.
  12. ^ "Syrskyi: Russia trying to break through defenses to reach Kurakhove, Pokrovsk". Kyiv Independent. 2024-05-06.
  13. ^ "War update: Fighting most tense in Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk axes". Ukrinform. 2024-06-13.
  14. ^ "Стало известно, сколько зарабатывают жители Покровска" Girnyk.dn.ua, September 12, 2017
  15. ^ Etnicity and Native Language breakdown of the Donetsk Oblast.
  16. ^ "Cities & towns of Ukraine".
  17. ^ "Офіційна сторінка Всеукраїнського перепису населення". www.ukrcensus.gov.ua.

External links[edit]