Druzhkivka

Druzhkivka (Ukrainian: Дружківка, Russian: Дружковка, Druzhkovka) is a city of oblast significance in Donetsk Oblast (province) of Ukraine. Population: 59,863 (2013 est.); 64,557 (2001). The area of the city is 46 km².

Druzhkivka is a city located near the confluence of the Kryvoi Torets and Kazennyi Torets rivers, about 80 km to the North-East from the regional center - Donetsk.

History

Historical records indicate that a settlement named Druzhkivka was established in this area by 1781 A.D. From the late 19th through the 20th century, Druzhkivka grew into a mid-size industrial city with several large factories producing mining equipment and machinery, hardware, kitchen stoves, china tableware and bricks, as well as several clay-extracting quarries in the city's vicinity. The economic collapse that resulted from the breakup of the Soviet Union resulted in the rapid decline of the local industries, with factories closing or barely functioning — a condition that led to high unemployment and a population exodus. This was exacerbated by the reality that many former residents came to the city from all across the Soviet Union solely to get employment in the once booming industries. When the jobs disappeared, lots of them moved away. The current population of less than 60,000 is well below the historical high of at least 80,000 during the mid-1980s. At this time, a large number of residents are guest workers in various foreign countries. However, since guest workers bring their incomes back home to spend, this led to the rapid growth in the local services and retail industries.