The city was occupied by German troops from 1941 to 1943.[8] DuringWorld 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.
In the middle of April 2014, and shortly thereafter,pro-Russian separatistscaptured several towns in Donetsk Oblast.[9][10] A group of separatists seized the police station in Horlivka on 14 April;[11] the city hall was seized on 30 April.[12] The mayor of the city, Yevhen Klep, was detained by the separatists on 11 June and not released until 18 July.[13] Local chief of police Andriy Kryschenko was captured and badly beaten by the insurgents.[14][nb 1] 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.[17] The city administration building was seized on 30 April, solidifying separatist control over Horlivka.[18] Self-proclaimed mayor of Horlivka Volodymyr Kolosniuk was arrested by theSBU on suspicion of participation in "terrorist activities" on 2 July.[19]
Damaged bridge after shelling of June 2014
On 21 and 22 July 2014, the city saw heavy fighting.[20][21] TheUkrainian army reportedly retook parts of Horlivka on 21 July.[22] After the Ukrainian army had retakenLysychansk on 25 July 2014,[23] the recapture of Horlivka became a priority, for the city was seen as "a direct path to the regional center –Donetsk".[24] As of 28 July, the city was reported to be fully surrounded by Ukrainian troops, with rebels holding their positions inside.[25] However, Horlivka continued to be controlled by separatist forces.[6][26] As of June 2015, it was situated ten kilometers from the war front.[6] Suburbs of Horlivka stayed underUkrainian army control.[27] In November 2017 they regained control of the villages ofTravneve andHladosove north of Horlivka.[28]
As reported by the city administration, from the beginning of the conflict until late January 2015, 274 local civilians were wounded and 92 killed, including nine children.[29] Because of the conflict the city's population shrank to 180,000.[6]
In late March 2019, according to Ukrainian media reports, Ukrainian army mine clearance specialist Andriy Shor, who participated inbothbattles for theDonetsk Airport and the Battle ofPisky, announced on Facebook that the Ukrainian army had recently entered Horlivka city.[30]Unian reported that Ukrainian forces had secured the outskirts of the city and were slowly advancing further towards the center of Horlivka, citing Ukrainian volunteer Yuriy Mysiahin.[31] In May the separatists tried to push the Ukrainian forces back, but failed.[32]
As of 2020, the city remained under separatist control.[33] In June 2020, the former head of DPR propaganda in Horlivka handed himself to SBU.[34]
In July 2020, as part of the reform of administrative divisions in Ukraine, Horlivka was made the administrative center ofHorlivka Raion. This new status is not recognized by the pro-Russian occupation authorities.
On 15 September 2022, theIntelligence Directorate under theUkrainian Ministry of Defence reported that the occupying Russian forces were tasked with conscripting an additional 6,000 local residents. This, combined with previous conscription campaigns, and residents fleeing the city, left Horlivka near devoid of a male population of military age.[35]
The Museum of the City History, the Art Museum (the largest collection of paintings byN. Roerich in Ukraine), the Miniature Book Museum byV.A. Razumov (the only state in the world). 62 out of 84 comprehensive schools (29,700 students, 7,000 teachers), 55 kindergartens (5,700 children), 19 out of 25 houses of culture and clubs, 7 parks, 29 libraries, 7 cinemas.
Despite thefall of communism a statue of Lenin still stands in a central square bearing his name. Horlivka is well served by CNG-buses (seeNatural gas vehicle), but much of the city's Soviet-era infrastructure shows signs of deterioration. By contrast, a number of modern shops and a new cathedral (completed 2014) 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.[37][38] Mining activity has resulted in largespoil tips being visible around the city, but atree planting project and ongoing forestry maintenance has revitalised an area to the north.
The city is divided into threeurban districts: Mykytivskyi, Kalininskyi, and Tsentralno-Miskyi.
The city municipality also includes several towns and villages. Most of the populated places belong to the Tsentralno-Miskyi District, while Hladosove, Holmivskyi and Zaitseve are part of Mykytivskyi District.
^Ukrainska Pravda,Аваков: Керівник міліції Горлівки – справжній офіцер – побитий, але живий [Avakov says that the head of police in Horlivka, a true officer, is battered but alive], 14 April 2014.
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