Donetsk, city (1990 est. pop. 1,120,000), capital of Donetsk region, E Ukraine, on the Kalmius River. The largest industrial center of the Donets Basin and one of the largest in Ukraine, it has coal mines, coking plants, iron and steel mills, machinery works, and chemical plants. The city was founded in 1870 as Yuzovka, named after the Welsh industrialist, John Hughes, who built a factory and many buildings there. From 1924 to 1961 it was called Stalino. Due to underground tunneling, the city has had problems with land subsidence.

formerly (1924–61) Stalino

City (pop., 2001: 1,016,000), southeastern Ukraine. In 1872 an ironworks was founded there by a Welshman, John Hughes, to produce iron rails for the growing Russian rail network. Fueled by the rich deposits of the Donets Basin, both coal mining and steelmaking developed rapidly. Extensive destruction in World War II led to postwar modernization, and subsequent growth has been rapid. Modern Donetsk is one of Ukraine's largest metallurgical centres.

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