Kremenchug, Ukraine

History

Krememchug is located in Paltava the Dnepr River in central Ukraine. Athough the first settlements appeared in the 5-3 centuries B.C. the town was officially founded in 1571. The name Kremenchug may have been derived from a Turkish word meaning "a little fortress".Another theory for the name may have come from the granite rapids in the Dnepr River when boatmen trying to avoid them cried "Kremin! Chuv". Being located at the crossing of old trade routes, the area has suffered attacks from nomadic tribes, Mongol-Tatars, Crimean-Khan, Turks, and Poles over the centuries. In 1638, a fortress was built, but a few years later civil war broke out. Unrest continued in the area until the early 1800's.

Beginning in the early 1800,s the economy began to improve and Kremenchug became the largest industrial and trading town of Poltava province with a cloth factory, tannery, sock factory and an important salt trade. By the mid 1800's, the economy made even greater economic improvements with 90 businesses and industries in town. Kremenchug thrived and made major improvements to the city with schools,libraries, street lights, theaters,etc. However, World War I, the rise of the Soviet Union and World War II took a heavy toll on the town. During World War II, the town was almost totally destroyed and 6210 of its citizens died.

After World War II, the city began to rebuild and heavy industries located plants there.In 1959, KRAZS, a manufacturer of parts for large heavy duty trucks became a major industry in the area. Other factories and industries to come to Kremenchug included various chemical plants, thermoelectric power, oil refinery and a chemical carbon plant. Many improvements were made to the town such as improved housing, parks, palaces of culture and libraries. With the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, the economic outlook for the city plumeted. However, more than a decade and a half later, the city is showing signs of recovery.

 

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