Kamianka, Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Kamianka (Ukrainian: Кам'янка), known as Kuibysheve (Ukrainian: Куйбишеве) from the Soviet period until May 2016, and Bilmak (Ukrainian: Більмак) until October 2021, is an urban-type settlement in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southern Ukraine. It is located in the eastern part of the oblast. Population: 6,358 (2022 estimate).[1] It is the center of Kamianka settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.
Kamianka
Кам'янка | |
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Kamianka Location in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Kamianka Location in Ukraine | |
Coordinates: 47°21′48″N 36°39′19″E | |
Country | Ukraine |
Oblast | Zaporizhzhia Oblast |
Raion | Polohy Raion |
Hromada | Kamianka settlement hromada |
Population (2022)[1] | |
• Total | 6,358 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
History
It was founded as "Kamianka" some time in the 18th century. The name probably comes from the Kamianka river, on which the village sits.[2] At some point during the Soviet era, Kamianka was renamed to "Kuibysheve" in honor of the Soviet politician Valerian Kuybyshev.[2]
After Ukrainian independence, on 21 May 2016, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a decision to rename Kuibysheve Raion to Bilmak Raion and Kuibysheve to "Bilmak" according to the law prohibiting names of Communist origin.[3] The new name was chosen because of a nearby Turkic burial mound named "Belmak". However, when transferred to the Ukrainian language, "bilmak" can mean roughly "a person with a black eye". This offended the residents of the town, and they continued to use the Communist name in colloquial speech. They suggested returning to its original name of "Kamianka"[2] and the Verkhovna Rada adopted this proposal on 6 October 2021.[4]
Economy
Transportation
The settlement is on Highway H08 connecting Zaporizhzhia and Mariupol.
The closest railway station is at Komysh-Zoria, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast of Kamianka. It has connections to Zaporizhzhia, Volnovakha, and Berdiansk. There is passenger traffic through the station.
References
- Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
- Astafiev, Denis (28 September 2020). "Жителі селища Більмак Запорізької області вимагають повернути населеному пункту історичну назву" [Residents of the village of Bilmak, Zaporizhzhia region, demand to return the settlement's historical name]. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- "Pro perejmenuvannja dejakih naselenih punktiv" (in Ukrainian). Holos Ukrainy. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
- "Верховна Рада підтримала перейменування селища Більмак на Запоріжжі" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 16 September 2023.