Krivoy Rog

Kryvyi Rih is arguably the main steel industry city of Eastern Europe, being a large globally-important metallurgical center in the Kryvbas iron mining region.

History

The city was founded in the 17th century by Zaporozhian Cossacks. Kryvyi Rih in Ukrainian literally means Crooked Horn. According to local legend, the city was founded by a crooked (Ukrainian slang for one-eyed) Cossack named Rih. However, records pre-dating the existence of the city refer to the area by the same name, due to the shape of the landmass formed by the merging of the river Saksagan into the Inhulets.

During the Russian Civil War, the city and its hinterland were at the nucleus of Nestor Makhno's anarchist insurgency.

The area's industrial growth began in the 1880s, when European investment founded a mining syndicate. The metallurgical works in the city, Kryvorizhstal, in particular, expanded through Soviet times, and now remain some of the largest in the world.

During WWII, Kryvyi Rih was almost totally destroyed by the fleeing Red Army. After the war people lived among the ruins while housing stocks were rebuilt. The housing shortage was met by innovative technological solutions, which meant temporary barracks and houses could be built quickly. The two kinds of cheap new materials were used later for years afterwards.

Modern Kryvyi Rih

The city extends for 60 km from north to south (by road), paralleling the ore deposits. The city is set in the rolling steppe land surrounded by fields of sunflowers and grain. A short distance east of the city centre, there is an area along a small lake where glacial boulders were deposited. As a result, this area was never cultivated and contains one of the few remaining patches of wild steppe vegetation in the area. The city's environmental and construction safety is a growing problem due to abandoned mines and polluted ore-processing waste.

The city itself is laid out with broad avenues lined by wide sidewalks. Tram lines run down the centre of the major streets. Beside the sidewalks there are usually several rows of trees such as lindens and horse chestnuts. Many people live in rows of 5 to 9 story apartment buildings that are wrapped around large inner courtyards. Many of these courtyards are also filled with trees giving the overall impression that the entire city is built in a park.

Industry and Commerce in the Post-Soviet Era

Viktor Yushchenko, the president of Ukraine since 2005, has accused his predecessor, Leonid Kuchma of selling off Kryvorizhstal to a political supporter for far below market value. This privatization was successfully challenged in court in 2005, and the same year the plant was re-privatized after an open bidding to the Dutch-Indian Mittal Steel for more than 5 times the initial value.

Buildings and structures

Kryvyi Rih TV Mast

Kryvyi Rih TV Mast is a 185 m tall guyed tubular steel mast built in 1960, which carries in 2 levels 3 crossbars, which run from the mast structure to the guys. All three crossbars are equipped with gangways that carry additional smaller antennas.

Tourism

Kryvyi Rih is not a typical tourist destination and there are few hotels. There is an overnight sleeper train from Kiev or you can fly to Kryvyi Rih. The Kryvyi Rih (also known as Lozuvatka) International Airport after the restauration which had begun in 2002 and finished in 2007 handles charter flights,private planes and flights to Kyiv. Kryvyi Rih is also home to the Kryvyi Rih Metro Tram, an 11 station system, which serves some parts of the city.

Sport

Kryvyi Rih is home to the Ukrainian Premier League football team FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih. It was also the birth place of the Ukrainian tennis players Kateryna Bondarenko and Alyona Bondarenko.