In 1779 the city was founded as Gosudarev Posad and in 1869 it was renamed after Pyotr Gorlov as Gorlovka. The workers' town provided 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. In April 1918 troops loyal to the Ukrainian People's Republic took control of Horlivka. 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 and perpetrated mass shootings. 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
In the middle of April, 2014, and shortly thereafter, pro-Russian separatistscaptured 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. Suburbs of Horlivka stayed under Ukrainian army control. In November 2017 they regained control of the villages of Travneve and Hladosove north of Horlivka. As reported by the city administration, from the beginning of the conflict till late January 2015 274 local civilians were wounded and 92 killed, including 9 children. Because of the conflict the city's population shrank to 180,000. In late March 2019, according to Ukrainian media reports, Ukrainian army mine clearance specialist Andriy Shor, who participated in bothbattles for the Donetsk Airport and the Battle of Pisky, announced on Facebook that the Ukrainian army had recently taken control of Horlivka city. Unian reported that Ukrainian forces have secured the outskirts of the city and are slowly advancing further towards the center of Horlivka, citing Ukrainian volunteer Yuriy Mysiahin. In May the separatists tried to push the Ukrainian forces back, but failed. As of 2020 majority of the town remains under separatist control. In June 2020 former head of DPR propaganda in Horlivka handed himself to SBU.
Demographics
Ethnic composition as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:
Ethnicity
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
First language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:
Russian 85.1%
Ukrainian 13.9%
Belarusian 0.1%
Armenian 0.1%
Infrastructure and environment
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, but much of the city's Soviet-era infrastructure shows signs of deterioration. By contrast, a number of modern shops and a new cathedral 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
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.
The Museum of the City History, the Art Museum, the Miniature Book Museum by V.A. Razumov. 62 out of 84 comprehensive schools, 55 kindergartens, 19 out of 25 houses of culture and clubs, 7 parks, 29 libraries, 7 cinemas.
