Unrecognizable: here is what Kharkiv looked like in the 1930s

Kharkiv is one of the largest cities in Ukraine, a major industrial and scientific center. The settlement was founded in 1654 as a fortress to deter attacks by Crimean Tatars and Nogais. Later, after the abolition of the Cossack system in Slobozhanshchyna, Kharkiv became a provincial city.

The events of the early twentieth century led to a sharp increase in the city's importance. Kharkiv became a cultural, commercial, industrial, and educational center in eastern Ukraine. The archival photos of the city in the 1930s, when Kharkiv was the first capital of Ukraine, were posted on Instagram.

The city has a long history. Back in the days of Kyivan Rus, the ancient city of Donets was located on the site of Kharkiv. The modern name probably comes from the city of the same name. There is also a version that the name originated from the founder of the settlement of the Kharkiv hamlet, the Cossack Kharko (Kharkiv).

Until 1765, Kharkiv was the regimental center of the Kharkiv Sloboda Cossack Regiment.

Kharkiv has long been a scientific and cultural center. An important event was the foundation of Kharkiv University in 1805. The first publications on linguistics, ethnography, history, and literary works in the vernacular appeared here.

After 1917, Kharkiv was governed by representatives of various authorities, including the Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party, the Socialist Revolutionary Party, the Bolsheviks, the The Armed Forces of South Russia, and others.

From December 1919 to January 1934, Kharkiv became the first capital of the Ukrainian SSR. Since then, the era of industrialization has begun. The population grew dramatically, as factories and plants began to be built and labor migration developed rapidly. Among the largest factories were the Kharkiv Tractor Plant, the Turboatom, the Kharkiv Machine-Tool Building Plant, the Electric Engineering Plant, and others.

The German army occupied the city in October 1941. Historians say that Kharkiv was one of the most destroyed cities in Europe during the Second World War.

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