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16.07.2000: The centre of the town
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History

22 years

daily photos
since 15.09.1999

In memory of

Sergey Dzyubenko

26.03.1959 — 02.09.2021

By Tatyana & Igor Artemenko
(Central City Library of Kremenchuk)

Blessed land of Kremenchuk was quite deserted at one time. First settlements appeared in 5-3 centuries B.C. Centuries had been passing. Land of Kremenchuk experienced nomadic raids, Mongol-Tatar devastating attacks, Crimean-Khan and Turkish conquests. With the purpose of defence of the crossing- place across the Dnipro necessity of building of fortifications every time arised.

Kremenchuk was founded approximately in 16th century for defence of the Left-bank Prydniprovya. The official date of the founding of the town is considered 1571.

According to one from the versions the name of the town spring from a Turkish word "Kermenchyk" which is translated as "a little fortress". Among others suppositions is a legend which is sad about old times, when caravans of ships passed this place, a helmsman when he noticed granite rapids cried: "Kremin! Chuv?" ("Kremin! Did you hear?"). In time mis word combination developed into Kremenchuk.

Kremenchuk was situated on the crossing of the old trade ways, he was comfortable and strategically favourable, he often suffered from enemies. In 1625 nearby Kurukove lake registered cossaks together with cossaks from Zaporizhzhya routed me Polish troops. The Poles were foreed to sign a peace treaty, which had gone down in history under the name of the Kurukiv agreement There are mention about Krukiv at a first time in that documents. Now Krukiv is a right-bank part of Kremenchuk.

In 1638 Kremenchuk fortress was built by plan of a French military engineer Giyom Levasser de Boplan, which left us a book "Description of Ukraine" written by himself.

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Натисніть щоб збільшити Натисніть щоб збільшити

In 1649 Kremenchuk became a sotnya town of the Chygyryn regiment. There were liquidated estates of Polish magnates. But again wars for power began. Poltavschyna and Town of Kremenchuk become an arena of bloody civil war. After the Andrusiv agreement in 1667 the town was included into Mirgorod regiment.

In the last decades of 17th century - early 18th century the town healed his wounds, some of new settlements were arisen on the territory nearby Kremenchuk. Brisk trade, favourable geographical position attend his rapid growth. Grate importance for development of the town belonged to crossing- place which passed through one of the most important ways that link up Russian Ukraine with Polish part. With the aid of the highway trade relations with Hungary, Romania, south-west border-land took place. The town become the principal town of a province.

During Russian-Turkish war in 1787-1791 Kremenchuk was a base of Russian troops, mere were built ships for Blacksea fleet- frigates and gunboat, In that time an arms plant with foundry, blacksmith's and fitter's shop was founded.

Right in those years grate military leaders Suvorov and Kutozov had been in Kremenchuk. Suvorov was a commander of the Kremenchuk division. He was hardly wounded in a battle, and during winter and spring of 1788 he was a patient of the Kremenchuk hospital.

In the end of 80th of 18th century Katherina II made a trip to the South. Prince G Potyomkin together with provincial officials made an inspection trip to Kremenchuk- Yelisavetgrad- Kherson- Simpheropol- Pheodosia- Boryslav- Kremenchuk to prepare territory and people for meeting of Katherina II. They carefully prepared to this event: palaces were built, new roads were laid, arc of triumph was built on a bank of the Dnipro...

In 1796 Kremenchuk was joined up with Malorussian province. And from 1802, from the time of division of Malorussian province on Poltava and Chernigiv province the town of Kremenchuk became a district town of Poltava province.

Association of Kremenchuk and Krukiv had a good influence on development of the economics. Kremenchuk became the biggest industrial and trade town of Poltava province. There were built cloth- mill factory, tannery, socks factory and others enterprises. Right-bank part of the town turn into the center of a salt trade.

After the reform of 1861 development of capitalism was accelerated: new factories spring up, old ones rebuilt. The railway bridge across the Dnipro had played grate role. The bridge was built in 1873. In 90th of 19th century there were almost 90 enterprises in the town. The railway, steamship line, city power-station... Kremenchuk increased and grew rich. There were new streets with evening light, horserailway, school, library, industrial nigh school, permanent theatre.

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1914. The First World War. The February and October revolutions, dictatorship, brothermurdering hell, NEP bamine, repressions... Kremenchuk had felt it completely !

Great Patriotic War. Representatives of Kremenchuk defended the native land heroically. The were entered 6210 names of citizens of Kremenchuk to the Book of Memory. The town was almost ruined by that terrible war.

During all years after the war heavy industry developed rapidly. Three Kremenchuk plants: motor-car, carriage-building worcs and road-car plant became the heart of the industry of the town.

In 1959 the working people of Kremenchuk sow powerful "KrAZes" at the first time. Technical progress - electrification: hydro-power station of Kremenchuk was build.

In 60th - 80th years were build hole complex of chemical enterprises, the powerfulest thermoelectric power station, one of the power fulest oil refinery in the Europe, chemical carbon plant... New housing massives, streets, prospect, parks, gardens, cinemas, palaces of culture, library decorated the town.

After the disintegration of the USSR economical situation in Ukraine was aggravated to a grate extent by a series of objective causes that undoubtedly reflected on the town.

But in spite of economical difficulties market attitudes develop in Kremenchuk as in whole Ukraine. The town has big perspectives of social-economical and cultural development.



© 1999—2024 DzSoft Ltd, Alexander & Sergey Dzyubenko    
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