village of Karlivka

The village of Karlivka was founded in the second half of the 19th century. Its development was long associated with the agricultural development of the steppe Donetsk region and the Vovcha River basin. In the 1930s, an artificial reservoir on the Vovcha River was created near the village - the Karlivka Reservoir. It became a key object of critical infrastructure for the entire Donetsk region, as it provided drinking and technical water to a significant part of the region (in particular, the cities of Donetsk, Yasynuvat, Pokrovsk, Selidove, Dobropillya).

The main areas of activity of local residents were agriculture, maintenance of water management facilities, as well as the recreational sphere - the banks of the reservoir served as a popular place for recreation and fishing for residents of surrounding cities. Before the administrative-territorial reform, Karlivka was part of the Galitsynivka Village Council of the Maryinsky District of the Donetsk Region.

In 2020, as a result of the decentralization reform, the village of Karlivka became part of the Novogrodivsk urban territorial community of Pokrovsky district. Within the community, Karlivka belonged to the Galitsynivsk starostyn district of the Novogrodivsk city council, which allowed solving local issues of village life and providing basic administrative services.

Due to the relatively small population, children in the village received preschool and secondary education mainly in educational institutions in neighboring Galitsynivsk (Galitsynivsk secondary education institution) and other nearby settlements of the community, to which transportation was organized.

The main centers of cultural events and leisure for residents were the village house of culture and the library in Halytsynivka. The village itself preserved local traditions related to fishing, rural life and a careful attitude to the environment of the Karlivka reservoir. The village commemorated the memory of those who died in World War II, and since 2014 Karlivka has become a symbol of resilience due to the events of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war.

Primary medical and sanitary assistance to the residents of Karlivka was provided by specialists from the Halytsynivka general practice outpatient clinic - family medicine (or paramedic station), which was subordinate to the Center for Primary Medical and Sanitary Assistance. To receive specialized and secondary medical assistance, residents turned to the hospitals of Novogrodivka and Pokrovka. The village had retail outlets to provide residents with food and basic necessities, and there was a transport connection to the community center.

The Russian-Ukrainian War and Temporary Occupation Karlivka has a dramatic history in the events of modern warfare due to its strategic location near the reservoir dam and the M30 (E50) highway.

In May 2014, a heavy battle took place near the village between Ukrainian volunteers (the Donbass battalion) and pro-Russian militants. In July 2014, the Armed Forces of Ukraine completely liberated Karlivka, after which it remained an important stronghold of the defense of the Ukrainian Donbas for a long time. With the beginning of the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation, Karlivka was subjected to systematic massive shelling by the Russian occupiers. The enemy purposefully destroyed the Karlivka reservoir dam and civilian infrastructure.

Due to the high threat to life, the Novogrodov city military administration, together with police evacuation units and volunteers, evacuated the local population. As a result of intense and prolonged fighting in the Pokrovsky direction, in late summer 2024, the village of Karlivka was temporarily occupied by Russian troops.

Karlivka is forever inscribed in the modern history of Ukraine as a frontier of stability, where the defense of the Donetsk region was tempered. The memory of the work of the builders of the reservoir, the life and everyday life of many generations of the village residents, as well as the exploits of the Ukrainian defenders remains an integral part of the historical heritage of the Novogrodov community.