Kramatorsk

History

The town of Kramatorsk originates in a small station of railroad built in 1868. From the station, were developed a school, a telegraph and post office. Then the station increases with the construction of a new line of railroad.

In the borough were put in activity of metallurgical small companies, a mill with vapor, a flour mill, workshops of forging mill. In 1892, the German company “ V. Fitzner and K. Gamper ” the construction of a factory of mechanical engineering undertook, which manufactured simple equipment for the railroads and the mines. In 1898 of the blast furnaces started to produce cast iron.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Kramatorsk exceeded 12 000 inhabitants and counted a hospital and two schools. The city was modernized little by little and had an interurban telephone center, a football club and a cinema the day before the First World War.

The factory of mechanical engineering obtained a open hearth furnace in 1905 and its annual production of cast iron reached 159 000 tons in 1911, that of steel 60 000 tons. The factory started to specialize in the manufacture of equipment for iron-foundries and coal mines. In his workshops, one also repaired the engines and the coaches of railroad. During the First World War, the factory belonged to the Snaryadsoyouz trade union and answered military orders. Stopped during the civil war, the production began again in 1920.

In 1926, Kramatorsk passed in the category of the boroughs of the urban type.

In 1929, within the framework of the First Five-year plan, was decided the creation of the large Factory of heavy mechanical engineering of Novokramatorsk, known under the name of NKMZ. From 1934, factory NKMZ started to manufacture equipment for open hearth furnaces, blast furnaces, installations of Blooming, rolling mills, mining equipment and batteries of coking plant. The powerplant of Dnieprogues, the iron and steel plants Zaporojstal and Amourstal, the metallurgical Combine of Magnitogorsk and the Métro of Moscow were thus mainly equipped by factory NKMZ.

In 1937, the first line of Tramway entered in service. The same year was created the technical training school of mechanics of Kramatorsk. The day before the Second world war, Kramatorsk counted 94 000 inhabitants, of which more 30 000 workmen and 5 000 technicians and engineers. A district named Novokramatorsk was built for the workers of factory NKMZ.

After the invasion of the the USSR by the Wehrmacht, the town of Kramatorsk was occupied by the German troops the October 20th 1941. A counter-offensive of the Red Army released the city during several weeks, before the return of the Germans at the end of February 1942. The city was definitively released the September 6th 1943.

After the Second world war, the destroyed companies were rebuilt and of new factories were brought into service at Kramatorsk (Energomasspetsstal, Elektrolampovyi, Alpha, etc). In 1965, was inaugurated the Palate of the culture and technique NKMZ. Three years later the centenary of the creation of Kramatorsk was celebrated.

At the time of the presidential elections of 2004 the city voted with 87,94 % for Viktor Ianoukovytch, candidate of the Left the Areas, favorable to the maintenance of close links with the Russia, whereas Viktor Iouchtchenko, candidate of the party Our Ukraine, obtained 9,35 % of the voices.

Population

The population of the city increased to reach 198 000 inhabitants in 1989, but the serious economic difficulties which followed the independence of the Ukraine involved a demographic decline. To the census of 2001, the population of Kramatorsk had fallen to 181 025. The total population of the territory subjected to the Soviet of Kramatorsk was of 216 162, of which 45,1 % of men and 54,9 % of women. According to the census of 2001, the population of Kramatorsk was distributed between 70,2 % of Ukrainians, 26,9 % of Russians, 0,7 % of Belorusses, 0,6 % of Armenians, 0,2 % of Azerbaijani, 0,1 % of Jews.

The Russian language is spoken by 63,4 % of the inhabitants and the Ukrainian by close to 36,0 %.

External bonds

Official site
Virtual Kramatorsk

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