major cities in Ukraine
Mariupol was officially established on September 29, 1778, during the Russian Empire's expansion into the southern territories. It was founded by Greek settlers who were relocated from the Crimean Peninsula by order of Catherine the Great after the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774).
Kharkiv (also spelled Kharkov in Russian) was established in 1654 as a fortress settlement in the eastern part of what is now Ukraine. The city was founded during the period of expansion of the Tsardom of Russia to protect against incursions by Crimean Tatars and other forces.
Odesa (also spelled Odessa in Russian) was officially established on September 2, 1794, by order of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. The city was founded on the site of an earlier settlement known as Khadjibey, which had been under Ottoman control before being annexed by the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792).
By the mid-19th century, it was the empire’s fourth-largest city and a major gateway for trade, particularly grain exports.
Kyiv (often spelled Kiev in older sources) is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, with its establishment traditionally dated to 482 CE. Its exact founding date is based on legend and historical tradition rather than precise archaeological evidence.
Lviv (historically known as Lwów in Polish, Lemberg in German, and Lvov in Russian) was officially founded in 1256 by King Daniel of Galicia (Danylo Halytskyi), a ruler of the medieval Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area of modern-day Lviv was inhabited long before its official founding, with Slavic tribes settling there as early as the 5th and 6th centuries.
By the 14th century, Lviv became part of the Kingdom of Poland after the collapse of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia.
Under Polish rule, it flourished as a major trading hub and gained a multicultural character, with Poles, Ruthenians (Ukrainians), Jews, Armenians, and Germans contributing to its development.
In 1772, following the First Partition of Poland, Lviv (then Lemberg) became part of the Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary.
It remained a cultural and political center, particularly for Ukrainians and Poles, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Dnipro (formerly known as Dnipropetrovsk) was established in 1776 as a fortress called Katerynoslav (in honor of Catherine the Great of Russia).
The area where Dnipro stands had been inhabited for centuries, with ancient settlements dating back to Scythian times.
In the 18th century, as the Russian Empire sought to expand and consolidate its control over the Black Sea region, the city was founded as a military and administrative outpost.
Initially, it was a small fortress meant to protect the southern borders of the empire and serve as a center for agricultural and commercial activity.
Its location on the Dnipro River allowed it to become a strategic trading hub, further bolstering its growth.
In 1802, the city was renamed Ekaterinoslav (or Yekaterinoslav), in honor of Empress Catherine the Great.
Donetsk was officially established in 1869 as a small settlement around the Yuzivka Iron Works (also known as the Yuzivka Plant), a major coal mining and industrial enterprise founded by the Welsh industrialist John Hughes. The settlement quickly grew into a key industrial city in the Russian Empire due to the discovery of rich coal deposits in the region.
The area where Donetsk is located had been inhabited by Cossacks and other groups long before its industrial founding.
Zaporizhzhia was established by the Cossacks, though its formal foundation as a city occurred in the late 18th century. Initially, the area around modern Zaporizhzhia was a stronghold of the Zaporizhian Cossacks, who lived there in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Cossacks built fortifications called "sichs" on the islands in the Dnieper River, with the most famous one being the Zaporizhian Sich.
In 1770, the settlement that would later become Zaporizhzhia was officially founded as a fortress and administrative center by the Russian Empire. It was part of Catherine the Great's effort to strengthen Russian control over the southern territories of Ukraine and integrate them into the empire.
Kryvyi Rih was founded in 1775 as a small Cossack settlement. The establishment of the town is attributed to the expansion of Russian imperial control over the Ukrainian territory during the reign of Catherine the Great. It began as a settlement near the rich iron ore deposits found in the region.
The area around Kryvyi Rih had been inhabited by Cossacks, and its strategic location near valuable natural resources made it an attractive place for settlement. However, it wasn't until the late 18th century that the settlement began to grow significantly, initially due to its role in mining and metallurgy. Over time, the city's industrial development turned Kryvyi Rih into one of Ukraine's largest and most important industrial centers.
