According to Doctor of Philology Yevhen Otin fromDnipro who specializes inonomastics, the name of the city comes from a toponymic phrase that has not been preserved:Krom Torov orKrom Torskaya 'border along the Tor River'. The wordkroma means 'edge, frontier, border', andTor is the old name for theKazennyi Torets River. However, it can be stated succinctly, it's most likely from the train station, the settlement was built around. The original name of the train station,Kram-na-Tore translates as Border-on-Tor (lit. 'on the bank of the Tor river'). Similar to the Russian cityRostov-on-Don, which is located at the mouth of theDon River.
During the Soviet period, it was thought that the name comes from a French word "crématoire" connecting it with a local factory. Such version was proposed by a Russian linguist Vladimir Nikonov fromSimbirsk (Ulyanovsk). However, Dr. Otin pointed out that settlement of Kramatoroka existed before establishment of any factories.
Scarce historical documents do not provide information of previous settlement in the area, but archaeological excavations in the area show that it was populated. In the second half of the 17th and early 18th centuries, the area in which Kramatorsk was to develop was heavily populated by Cossacks from theHetmanate, particularly Oril Palatinate ofZaporizhian Sich which was liquidated in 1775.[5] Here were finding a refuge from their landowners serfs from the southern regions of Muscovy and Mordovia. In 1767 the Tsarist government granted 10,000dessiatin to a Russian count Taranov who established a village of serfs Petrovka.[6][7] In 1799 it was added toIzyum uyezd (county) ofSloboda Ukraine Governorate.[6]
Locomotive at the Kramatorsk railway station (Kramatorskaja[a]) of theKursk-Kharkiv-Azov RailwayA brick-refractory factory of Stertzer and Co. at Kramatorsk rail station nearBakhmut
Kramatorsk came into being in the second half of the 19th century when a station on theKursk-Kharkiv-Azov Railway.[8] The station was originally called Kram-na-Tore in 1868 but this was later contracted into Kramatorsk and the town of Kramatorsk developed around the railway station,[5] becoming a major urban settlement in the north ofDonetsk Oblast with several heavy machine production facilities.[citation needed] In 1885 in area were found deposits of chaulk, sand, sandstone, valuable clays, mineral dyes which provided construction of building materials.[5] In 1887 Belgian investors (Stertzer and Sons) built a factory ofrefractory materials near Kramatorsk rail station. In 1896 the German firm "W.Fizner and K.Hamper"[6] opened a machine factory manufacturing its products for local mining and rail industries.[5][6] The factory was also producing its own metal. Just before the1905 Russian Revolution, during the 1901-1904 production ofcast iron at the factory tripled and accounted for 4.5 millions ofpoods. Number of employed workers at the factory has doubled during that period (1900-1904) to some 1,460. The workers of the factory were peasants hired from nearby villages, while managing personnel was predominantly foreigners.[6] During the Soviet period that factory was known as the Old Kramatorsk Machine-Building Plant.[5] A factory worker for one 11-12 hour work day was receiving around 70 kopecks to 1 ruble and 10 kopecks. A primary medical institution for the factory was a regional hospital inSloviansk (about 15 km (9.3 mi)), while in Kramatorsk was a small local clinic with no more than 12 beds. At that time around the settlement appeared smaller iron shops that belonged to Vykov merchants. Employed at least 70 craftsmen, they were producingplowshares, horseshoes, shovels. The settlement accounted for two steam-powered mills, blacksmith shops, grain crusher mill.[6]
Chalk mountains near Kramatorsk
The first educational institution was opened in 1869 by the Kramatorsk rail station administration as a single grade school for children of the rail station servicemen, clerks of telegraph and post office, local police. About 20 years later a gubernatorial government established a primary 2-year parochial school which had a small library (part of theMinistry of National Education program). In 1897 the "W.Fizner and K.Hamper" company established the 3-year factory school for children of the administration and skilled workers.[6]
Already in spring of 1903, the Old Kramatorsk Machine-Building Plant came under influence of theRussian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) ofKharkiv and Ekaterinoslav (Dnipro) party cells and at the factory was organized first "revolutionary" group. The group had intention to join the political strike that took place in summer of 1903 at the Russian South (including today's Ukraine), but in August members of the group were all arrested. In spring of 1904 RSDLP established its party cell within the town of Kramatorsk itself. In mid February 1905 the RSDLP organized a short strike that ended after arrival of couple of companies of theLebedyn regiment. Some 600 workers were fired right away. In the beginning of 1905 Kramatorsk accounted for over 12,000 residents.[6]
Later that year RSDLP organized scandal at the factory turning prayer for theOctober Manifesto into an unsanctioned gathering which called for armed uprising. During that time, at the factory was organized a local council of workers' deputies, a soviet (beforeBolshevization of the Soviets). Under influence ofBolsheviks, in 1905 a renegadeBolshevik Military Organizations was established in Kramatorsk which organized the purchase of arms. There also was established a communication with the Kharkiv Locomotive Factory council of workers' deputies. On 12 December 1905 there was a huge strike at the factory calling for overthrowing the RussianTsar (Nicholas II of Russia) and talked about the need to provide the peasants with land. In 1906 Kramatorsk was visited by members of the Central Committee of theRussian Social Democratic Labour Party, while financially they were supported by the Ekaterinoslav party headed byGrigory Petrovsky. On 11 June 1906 Kramatorsk joined the Bolshevik mutiny which included factories ofYuzivka,Kostiantynivka,Druzhkivka,Horlivka factories and accounted for some 3,000 workers calling for armed uprising and support of peasants for their rights on land. The demonstrators marched to the neighboring village of Petrovka. TheRussian Minister of Internal AffairsPyotr Stolypin was calling theKiev Military District commander to immediately dispatch a military detachment to Izyum uyezd (county) and Kramatorsk, in particular. The Kramatorsk factory was forced to be closed and workers were released, while those who participated in the mutiny were prosecuted.[6] Later the factory was reopened.[citation needed]
The town of Kramatorsk gave a jump start to a political career of Ukrainian BolshevikVlas Chubar who organized at the factory a school of political propaganda. Following theLena massacre, on 1 May 1912 Chubar organized protest with red banners which gathered some 2,000 workers. Many participants were fired, while some were sent to military service. Vlas Chubar was imprisoned in the Bakhmut jail (Bakhmut). During that time Bolsheviks were carrying out a fundraising at the factory for their "Pravda" newspaper (est. 5 May 1912). A very close relations local Bolsheviks kept with a member of the RussianState Duma fromKharkov Governorate and a local Bolshevik from thePoltava's suburbsMatvei Muranov who visited Kramatorsk in 1913.[6]
BeforeWorld War I, the town remained an unorganized workers' settlement.[6] It accounted for some 4,000 residents (1914).[5]
On 12 April 2014, at the same time asevents in nearby Sloviansk, the police station in Kramatorskwas seized by armed pro-Russian militants in military uniform, and later the city council was too.[11] Kramatorsk remained under pro-Russian separatist control, until July 2014. There would be a series of incidents in those three months.[12] Located only 13 km fromSloviansk, which became a separatist stronghold, Kramatorsk would also be under separatist control, yet in a different situation. Unlike Sloviansk, which had high profile figuresVyacheslav Ponomarev andIgor Girkin/Strelkov associated with it, Kramatorsk was not notable in this sphere. Further, while the Ukrainian army did not enter Sloviansk in its months under separatist control, they made several entries into Kramatorsk in this time.[13] On 5 July, after almost three months, Ukrainian forces finally retook control of Kramatorsk, as part of sweeping territorial gains at that time, including nearbySloviansk.[14] In October 2014, Kramatorsk was made the provisionaladministrative center of Donetsk Oblast after the administration relocated fromMariupol. On 10 February 2015, Kramatorsk wasshelled by pro-Russian forces, leaving 17 people dead and 60 injured.[15]
On 8 April 2022, during theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Kramatorsk was subjected to missile strikes.[16] The Kramatorsk railway stationwas hit by Tochka-U missiles which killed at least 57 people and wounded at least 109 others.[17]Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the Donetsk Oblast, said thousands of people had been at the station at the time the two missiles struck. On 19 April 2022, Russian troops launched rocket attacks on Kramatorsk, as a result of which one person was killed and three were injured.[18] On 21 April 2022, British Defence Ministry intelligence reported that Russian troops in the Donetsk Oblast were advancing towards Kramatorsk.[19] However, in early September 2022, Ukraine launcheda major counteroffensive, regaining several settlements in the Kharkiv Oblast. This relieved the pressure on Kramatorsk with the recapture ofLyman by Ukrainian forces on 1 October 2022.[citation needed]
On 27 June 2023,a Russian missile strike killed at least 11 people and injured over 60 in a pizza restaurant in the center of the city.[20]
As part of broader offensive efforts in Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces advanced in direction of Kramatorsk, making it a frontline city. On 10 September 2025, Ukrainian authorities ordered the evacuation of children and their guardians from some areas in and around the city, citing increased drone activity.[21]
Kramatorsk has a population of over 164,700 inhabitants (2013) and has ametropolitan area of over 197,000 inhabitants (2013).Ukrainians are by far the largest ethnic group, yet the city is mostlyRussophone. The exact ethnic and linguistic composition as of theUkrainian Census of 2001 was:[22]
New Kramatorsk Machinebuilding Plant (NKMZ) (founded 1934): design and production of machines and equipment for mining, steel rolling, metallurgy, production and handling of cast iron, artillery weapon systems.
Old Kramatorsk Machinebuilding Plant (founded 1896)
In the 2000s, awind turbine production facility was constructed in Kramatorsk. This is a joint venture between GermanFuhrländer AG and its Ukrainian partners. According to their site, Fuhrländer became the first company in therenewable energy sector to obtain a building permit from the Ukrainian government.[24]
Between 1937 and 1 August 2017, Kramatorsk had a tram network. However, it is now closed and public transportation is provided by buses and trolley-buses.[25]
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![Monument to Oleksandr Serebryakov [uk] and Roman Mendel [uk], who died during the Siege of Sloviansk and the Battle of Kramatorsk](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aAto_kramatorsk.jpg)
