Kurakhove

Kurakhove (Ukrainian: Курахове, pronounced [kʊˈrɑxowe]; Russian: Курахово, romanized: Kurakhovo, pronounced [kʊˈraxəvə]) is a city in Pokrovsk Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Population: 18,220 (2022 estimate); 21,479 (2001). Kurakhove is home to the Kurakhove Power Station.

Kurakhove Курахове
City
Church in Kurakhove
Flag Seal
Kurakhove Kurakhove
Coordinates: 47°59′N 37°16′E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Donetsk Oblast
Raion	Pokrovsk Raion
Hromada	Kurakhove urban hromada
Founded	1924
City status	1956
Government
• Military administration head	Roman Padun
Area
• Total	24 km2 (9 sq mi)
Elevation	122 m (400 ft)
Population  (September 2024)
• Total	~5,000
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	85490
Area Code	+380 6237
Climate	Dfb

History

In 1969, during the expansion of the Kurakhove State District Power Plant (DRES), archaeologists uncovered 18 nomadic burials from the 12th century in the Velika Mohyla burial mound. These excavations revealed chainmail, a dagger, a saber, a quiver of arrows, and the skeleton of a horse with its bridle, indicating the area's significance during that period. The Vovcha River, which once had a greater water capacity, was historically an important waterway. To protect it as a transportation route, Zaporizhian Cossacks established watchposts and winter camps in the area, which eventually led to the founding of settlements.

Developments in the 20th century

Kurakhove was founded as a workers settlement in the west of the Donetsk region in 1936. The modern history of Kurakhove is closely linked to the construction of the Kurakhove State District Power Plant (DRES). In the 1930s, several small settlements existed in the area, including Novi Ulakli, Pervomaiske, Stari Terni, and Tivali. In subsequent years, the village of Illinka (previously known as Shakhove) and the workers' settlement of Roia were incorporated into the growing town of Kurakhove.

As part of the Soviet Union's first Five-Year Plan, the government decided to build a new power station in the Donbas to increase energy output for two key power systems in the southern European part of the USSR: "Donenergo" and "Prydniproenergo". The location for the plant was chosen in 1933, on the Vovcha River, about 15 kilometers from the village of Kurakhove. The construction site covered an area of 2,000 hectares, encompassing five nearby villages.

The initial project, approved by the Soviet government in 1934 and designed by the Russian Teploelektroproekt institutes, proposed a power plant capacity of 400,000 kW. However, in 1935, the capacity was reduced to 200,000 kW. The first turbine generator was scheduled to start operating in July 1938, with the full plant to be completed by early 1939. To ensure a stable water supply for the power plant, two dams, Illinska and Ternivska, were built across the Vovcha River. The primary fuel source for the plant was coal sludge, a byproduct of coal processing.

The construction of the DRES was considered an economically and politically critical task. In May 1936, the People’s Commissariat of Heavy Industry created construction organizations such as "Donbasvazhbud", "Donbaspetsbud", and "Soyuzekskavatsiya" to carry out the necessary work. The plant's construction was overseen by the communist leader V. I. Sokolovsky. Under his leadership, construction on both the power station and the nearby workers’ settlement began that summer.

The Donetsk Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine established a party organization for the project in June 1936. To strengthen the workforce, the Party Committee sent 15 communists and 50 Komsomol (Communist Youth) members to work on the project. By the end of 1936, a workers' settlement for energy workers was already under construction. The first three residential buildings were completed, providing housing for 130 workers. Essential services, such as a 28-bed hospital, a pharmacy, and a newly built school, were also established.

In 1937, work on the Kurakhiv DRES was temporarily halted to prioritize the completion of another major energy project, the Zuyivska DRES. Materials and equipment were transferred to the Zuyivska site, but the Kurakhove project resumed in late 1937 after the Zuyivska plant was finished.

World War II and Nazi occupation

During World War II, Kurakhove's DRES became a strategic target. When Nazi forces advanced toward Donetsk, a number of residents and plant workers organized defense efforts. The plant continued to supply electricity while simultaneously preparing for evacuation. Equipment that could not be evacuated was rendered inoperable to prevent its use by the Nazis. On October 20, 1941, Nazi forces captured Kurakhove, and many local residents who could not evacuate engaged in resistance efforts against occupation, including sabotage and support for partisan groups.

Kurakhove was retaken by Soviet forces on September 9, 1943. However, the retreating Nazis left the town in ruins, destroying much of its infrastructure, including the power plant. Reconstruction efforts began immediately after the town’s liberation. By 1946, the power plant was operational again, with a production capacity of 100,000 kW, double its pre-war capacity.

Post-war reconstruction and expansion

Following the war, Kurakhove's reconstruction efforts accelerated. Between 1945 and 1952, the town expanded significantly and rapidly, with new residential areas, schools, kindergartens, hospitals and recreational facilities being built. The power plant was fully restored, and new turbines were installed, increasing its capacity to 650,000 kW by the mid-1950s. The plant became one of the largest in Ukraine, supplying energy to the Donbas and Dnipro industrial regions. New industries also emerged in Kurakhove during this period, including a boiler-mechanical plant and a factory producing concrete and construction materials.

On July 22, 1966, Kurakhove was incorporated into the Mariy district, and the workers' village of Roia was merged with the city. Roia had facilities for bread product sales and a cannery that produced 25 types of canned goods across 5 workshops. In 1968, the cannery produced 1,138,000 cans of goods and 100,000 tons of salted products. As part of another five-year plan, it was planned to increase the thermal power plant capacity to 1,600,000 kW until 1975. Numerous cultural and educational institutions were built, such as a 400-seat lecture hall and cinema, along with a music studio, hosting amateur arts such as drama groups, choirs, and orchestras, and a local library that held 41,000 books and organized literary events and meetings with writers.

By the late 1960s, Kurakhove had evolved into a significant industrial and energy hub. In addition to the power plant, the town housed a variety of industrial facilities, including plants for concrete production, tower cranes, and other industrial equipment. The expansion of residential areas, cultural institutions, and public services continued throughout the 20th century, making Kurakhove a well-developed urban center.

21st century and Russo-Ukrainian War

War in Donbas

The unrecognized 11 May 2014 Donetsk Oblast independence referendum was held in Kurakhove, but the city did not become part of the territory controlled by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (who held the referendum). Since then, the city was located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of the frontline during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Main article: Battle of Kurakhove

A gymnasium after Russian shelling on 6 September 2022

The city is noted to be of major importance for Russian resource warfare and related war goals, as it encompasses resource infrastructure and lithium worth hundreds of billions of dollars, that is stored in the Shevchenko deposit. A few weeks before the start of the Russian invasion in December 2021, the Ukrainian government granted the Australian company European Lithium the mining rights for this deposit. In the summer of 2023, the CEO of European Lithium, Tony Sage, declared that the company would no longer lay claim to the Shevchenko field - it was too close to the front line. On 10 January 2024, Russians sent "approval documents" for lithium extraction in the region to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Russian-Israeli writer Edward Topol argues that by seizing Ukrainian lithium, Russia aims to keep Russian momentum and pressure on the European energy market with a monopoly on European lithium.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi noted in May 2024 the disparity of forces in terms of equipment and manpower, and high pressure on Ukrainian lines in the area. He described the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk areas of the frontline as the "main attack direction" of Russian forces.

In late August to September 2024, after breakthroughs towards Pokrovsk, the Russian forces regrouped north and south of Kurakhove, attempting to encircle the Ukrainian troops - the current main focus of Russian forces in the city's direction. The fighting shifted to the nearby cities of Ukrainsk (located about 15km north of Kurakhove), Hirnyk and Selydove. Encirclement concerns are growing, particularly further south, where roads have become impassable and businesses have closed. The logistics have been heavily affected, with supply routes slowed and evacuation of the wounded becoming more challenging due to cut roads to Pokrovsk. The city population decreased to ~5,000 in September. According to soldiers, fighting in the Kurakhove area is challenging due to the flat terrain. By 16 October, Russian forces occupied the village of Ostrivske on the eastern bank of the Kurakhove reservoir, threatening Kurakhove with encirclement.

Russian forces entered Kurakhove from the east on 29 October. In early November, an estimated 700–1,000 people remained in the city, and were living without basic utilities, while Russian forces stood under 3 kilometres from Kurakhove's center. Many crucial facilities were destroyed by heavy shelling, with only one food store operational. Russian encirclement efforts of the city continued, and according to the city's head of police, its success would leave it practically indefensible.

Demographics

As of the 2001 Ukrainian census, the town had a population of 21,516, which decreased to 18,220 in 2022. The majority of the population is ethnically Ukrainian, yet vastly Russian-speaking.

Ethnic groups in Kurakhove Ethnic groups percent Ukrainians   71.33% Russians   23.97% Greeks   2.64% Belarusians   0.50% Azerbaijanis   0.21% Armenians   0.13% Georgians   0.12% Moldovans   0.08%

Native languages in Kurakhove Languages percent Russian   69.7% Ukrainian   29.8% Greek   0.1% Belarusian   0.1% others   0.2%

Economy

A major thermal power plant is located in Kurakhove, the Kurakhove Power Station, part of the DTEK energy company, owned by Rinat Akhmetov. The power plant heavily influenced the city's history. As of November 2024, the power plant was decommissioned to supply other power plants and largely destroyed by Russian shelling.

The Shevchenko deposit of the city holds one of the largest reserves of lithium in Ukraine. It received attention due to rising demand for lithium globally.

Gallery

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  City council
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  Sports centre
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  Lermontov Street in Kurakhove
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  Kurakhove Reservoir
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  Kurakhove Power Station
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  Kurakhove Valley