Dobropillia Territorial Community

History

Present-day Dobropillia is a successor of the Paraskoviivka farm founded in the first half of the 19th century by landowner Albanskyi. In the 1870s-80s, significant deposits of coal were discovered in its territory and the first mines were opened – Erastiv and Sviatohorivsky (in 1914 they began to be called Dobropilsky). Workers’ villages began to emerge around them. In the summer of 1915, a railway branch was built, the end point of which was the Dobropillia station, just 3 to 4 km from the mines. In 1920, there were 47 farms and 270 residents in Paraskoviivka.

In 1953, Dobropillia was given the status of a town of district subordination. The population of the city grew to 18,000 people due to migrants. On 18 August 1953, according to the Decree of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR, a new town of miners with a population of 25,000 people appeared on the map of Ukraine.

In 1963, Dobropillia became a town of regional subordination.

In 2020, three neighborhoods were added to the town of Dobropillia and the Dobropillia Urban Territorial Community was formed.

Dobropillia is called the pearl of Donbas because of its large coal deposits and mono-industry. The community is rich in valleys, steppes and spoil tips.

In addition, the Dobropillia region has a rich history as ancient trade and military routes passed across it long ago; the infamous Moravia route passed across it, along which Zaporizhian Cossacks clashed with nomads.

Economy and Welfare

Coal mining is the mainstay of the community’s economy. Two mining enterprises operate her.

Agriculture and farming are well developed in the territory of the Dobropillia Urban Territorial Community.

Community and War

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine became a challenge for all the fields of activities in the Dobropillia community.

Due to the announced evacuation of citizens from the Donetsk Region, the number of the local population in the community has decreased significantly, but the number of internally displaced persons is increasing.

Residential buildings and five social infrastructure facilities were destroyed as a result of shelling; since 2014, about 7,000 internally displaced persons have been living in the territory of the community (from the uncontrolled territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions) because the town of Dobropillia is located near Kramatorsk and Avdiivka. Ukrainians know about them from the war chronicles of 2014 when the offensive of the Russian military in Donbas began. And there are also 1,514 people who have moved to the community since February 2022.

In the town of Dobropillia, there are two humanitarian headquarters and the “Spivdiya” coordination center, which provide the humanitarian aid to the residents of the entire territorial community. The “Spivdiya” coordination center provides humanitarian aid such as hygienic and food kits.

The humanitarian headquarters of the international company “ADRA” and the World Food Program provides assistance to socially disadvantageous categories: families with many children, disabled people, children growing up without parents and a large category of people in need. Assistance provided includes food and hygienic kits, baby food. On reception days, the headquarters is visited by up to 350-400 people.

The humanitarian headquarters started working in March; at first aid was provided exclusively to displaced persons from Mariupol, Volnovakha and other hot spots. 28 volunteers working at the headquarters receive up to 300 people daily. Humanitarian aid comes from international and Ukrainian partners.

People of the Community

The community can boast of a large number of sports and infrastructure facilities. 2 sports palaces, 2 stadiums and 1 swimming pool were built there. There are 6 football fields in the community for football practice. There are also 29 sports grounds where local residents practice sports every day.

In the territory of the Dobropillia community, the Donbas Cup Motocross Championship of the Donetsk Region is held in autumn. The event is held with the support of many people, but it owes its existence, first of all, to local motorcycle activists. They are its initiators, organizers and participants. A few years ago, it was they who cleared and restored 1,800 meters of a road in the sand valley, developed and created elements of the track.

Development Strategy

According to the results of the Development Strategy of the Dobropillia Amalgamated Territorial Community until 2030, the following areas of development were determined:

“Economic development and attraction of investments” and “Comfortable and safe space for work and life and quality and affordable services”.

Due to shelling and destruction, the community has no water supply. But the local authorities found a solution and shifted the water supply system to alternative sources of water supply. Work is also underway to replace the Zolotyi Kolodiaz – Dobropillia water pipeline, which will increase the supply of drinking water by 30%.

List of Sources

• Dobropillia Town Council
• Dobropillia Urban Military Administration 
• Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Donetsk Region