Velyka Novosilka (; ; ; ) is a rural settlement in Volnovakha Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. Population: The settlement has been under Russian occupation since 28 January 2025.
Geography The village is located on the eastern, right bank of the Mokri Yaly River, a tributary of the Vovcha in the Dnieper basin, located 90 km from Donetsk and 45 km from the Roy railway station. It is connected by bus services to the cities of Donetsk, Dnipro, Mariupol, and Zaporizhzhia. Two territorial roads pass through the village – T0509 and T0518.
History Foundation and early development The settlement was known as Bolshoy Yanisal (; Urum: , ) before 1946 (since 1930 – Bolshoy Yanisol (), in Ukrainian - Velyka Yanysol (Велика Янисоль).
Velyka Novosyilka was established in 1779 by Mariupol Greeks and Urums who had been evicted from Crimea and moved to the designated colonies of the Russian Empire. Their former settlement was located at the confluence of two Crimean villages, Bolshoy Yanisal (commonly known as Yanisal) and Salgir-Yenisal. Its founders also included residents from the villages of Ayan and Ozenbash. For many years, part of the new Bolshoy Yanisal was informally referred to as Ozenbash.
Under Empress Catherine II’s charter, the settlers were allocated 30 dessiatinas (1 dessiatin ≈ 1.09 hectars) of land per person and were exempt from all duties for 10 years, as well as from conscription for 100 years.
Initially, Bolshoy Yanisal was part of the Mariupol district in the Yekaterinoslav Province of the Novorossiya Governorate. Early settlers established their community along the right bank of the Mokri Yaly River, creating a village that stretched from Shaytankato in the south to the Arym estuary in the north, at the confluence of the Kashlagach and Shaitanka tributaries. The village was organized into three quarters, or streets.
While the inhabitants of Yanisol primarily spoke Greek, those from other villages, such as Ozenbash, spoke Tatar. Most Greek-speaking settlers came from Salgir-Yenisal (Selgir bni Sala), while the Tatar-speaking population primarily originated from Bolshoy Yanisol (Velykyi bni Sala). This linguistic divide persists in the village today. Over time, the Greek-speaking residents in the southern part of the village became known as Greco-Hellenes, while those in the northern area were referred to as Greco-Tatars. The two groups were separated by a boundary known as Bankovsky Lane (later Y. Gagarin Avenue).
The settlement became one of the centers of development of Greek culture in Ukraine. Residents primarily engaged in livestock farming, trade, sericulture, and agriculture. Land was communally managed, and plots were redistributed every 10–12 years.
As part of an administrative reform in the Russian Empire, the settlement became part of the Yekaterinoslav Governorate and the Mariupol uezd in the turn of the century.
Developments in the 19th century In the 19th century, the settlement witnessed significant development in agriculture and early industrial activities.
By 1817, the village had grown to include over 200 households and a population nearing 1,200 residents. The yearly grain harvest, amounted to over 10,000 quarters, while the livestock holdings included tens of thousands of sheep, thousands of cattle, and hundreds of horses.
Over time, the economy diversified. Local resources like chalk, clay, and stone were harnessed for brick-making and pottery production. Skilled artisans produced farming tools, leather goods, and woven textiles, including linen, carpets, and woolen items. These crafts played a crucial role in supplementing the agricultural economy.
Following the 1861 reforms, wealthy kulaks emerged, using hired labor to expand their farms, while poorer peasants often worked as laborers or migrated to industrial centers for employment.
In 1866, Velykyi Yanisol was designated the administrative center of a volost, managing vast tracts of land measuring tens of thousands of acres. The village’s agricultural output remained robust, with several thousand acres dedicated to crops like winter and spring grains, yielding tens of thousands of quarters annually. However, livestock numbers had fallen sharply compared to earlier decades, with the cattle population halved and other livestock holdings significantly reduced. Economic inequalities became more pronounced, as some households owned extensive farmland, while others had little to none. Many small farmers struggled to make ends meet, turning to crafts or becoming hired laborers to survive. A decree allowed the state peasant inhabitants of Bolshoy Yanisol to purchase land.
In the later 19th century, various crafts in the village flourished and specialised. Residents produced bricks and tiles, including a type called "tatarka," and crafted clay items such as bowls, jugs, and other utensils. They also manufactured agricultural tools like plowshares, scythes, and rakes. Leather processing was conducted locally, producing materials for casings and shoes, such as postols. On homemade looms, villagers wove linen, carpets, and runners, while wool products were knitted with notable skill.
Beginning in 1878, the village hosted semi-annual fairs in the autumn and spring. The education sector grew, and by 1886, out of 378 school-age children, 182 were enrolled in school.
By the late 19th century, the village recorded over 100 laborers, including migrants seeking work opportunities. These times also saw the rise of small-scale industry in the village. Industrial and commercial establishments emerged in the village, including two brick and tile factories, four forges, 17 windmills, and one watermill. There were also five shops and taverns. Meanwhile, some villagers left to find work in larger industrial projects, including the Yuzivka Metallurgical Plant and the Mariupol Railway. These changes marked a gradual shift from a predominantly agrarian society to one influenced by industrialization.
20th century and World Wars In the 20th century, the settlement experienced major political upheaval and two devastating World Wars, along with Soviet rule.
During the First Russian Revolution, local peasants and workers protested against tsarist policies. In 1905, the publication of the tsarist manifesto promising political freedoms and the creation of a legislative Duma sparked hope but also skepticism. Teachers and activists like G. I. Kedrova and Kh. S. Sidorenko organized a meeting attended by nearly 500 villagers to discuss the manifesto. Some people denounced it as deceitful and urged resistance, but the authorities quickly retaliated, arresting organizers and exiling them. The village's foreman, S. I. Chotiy, was dismissed from his position. This marked the beginning of a long conflict.
By 1913, the village had three primary schools serving over 400 students.
In the years leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution, Velikiy Yanisol saw deepening economic inequality. Kulaks owned large tracts of land and controlled most agricultural tools, while the majority of peasants struggled with poverty. Many were forced into labor on kulak farms under harsh conditions, receiving meager compensation. By 1917, over a third of the village’s farms were landless, while only a small fraction owned modern agricultural tools like plows and seeders. These disparities fueled dissatisfaction among the poor.
The outbreak of World War I severely impacted the community. Many families lost their source of income, as 936 men from Velyka Novosilka were mobilized into the Imperial Russian Army. The war strained local agriculture and economy, with women and adolescents shouldering much of the labor in the absence of men. Wealthy kulak farms remained relatively stable, employing 60 hired workers to maintain their operations, while smaller farms struggled with insufficient resources.
During the subsequent Russian Civil War, the village experienced further disruption. Local sympathizers with the revolution, among them soldiers and local leaders, agronomists and ex-soldiers, advocated for the redistribution of land and kulak property and began forming councils to implement revolutionary changes.
In 1918, Austro-German troops and the White Guard seized the area and formed the Ukrainian State (Hetmanate), also initiating widespread looting of livestock, grain, and other resources. The village was forced to pay significant contributions to the occupying forces, exacerbating local hardships. This occupation fueled a growing insurgent movement in the region, with up to 900 armed rebels reportedly operating near Velyka Novosilka by late 1918, according to sympathizing sources. By November 1918, forces of the Central Powers were expelled, and revolutionary councils continued the fight against the White Guard, led by Denikin.
By 1920, Soviet forces gained control, establishing the Ukrainian SSR in the USSR. As part of land reforms, kulak properties were confiscated and redistributed among peasants, also establishing communal farms. Revolutionary committees worked to rebuild the economy and support the Red Army, despite ongoing conflicts.
In 1923, the settlement became the center of a new administrative district. By the 1930s, collective farms such as "Red Partisan" and "Gerzamet" were producing significant grain and livestock yields, equipped with modern machinery like tractors and threshers, though not without fierce resistance from wealthy landowners.
The collectivization process, however, brought severe hardships. Resistance to these policies was met with the large-scale mass murder, starvation and deportation of kulaks, which contributed to the broader socioeconomic struggles of the time. To commemorate the victims of the Holodomor and political repression, a memorial sign was erected in the village, which was attended by memorial ceremonies. The NKVD repressions of the 1930s also dealt a great blow to the development of Greek culture in Donetsk Oblast, as a large number of ethnic Greeks was deported to Gulags or executed. All these events, as well as the later post-war ethnic cleansing of Greeks, are described as genocide by numerous scholars.; ;
By the 1939/40 academic year, two secondary schools in the village were educating 800 students. There also was a library with thousands of books, and cultural centers.
During World War II, from October 10, 1941, to September 12, 1943, the village was under occupation by Nazi and Axis forces. During this time, resistance efforts by local partisans and underground groups took shape. An underground Komsomol youth group organized by “Hero of the Soviet Union” O. I. Bilogurov operated within the village, distributing leaflets and rallying resistance. Many members of the resistance were captured and executed by the Nazis in 1942.
Soviet forces retook the village in September 1943. However, the war had left widespread destruction. Agricultural equipment, livestock, and infrastructure were significantly damaged. Post-war reconstruction prioritized rebuilding collective farms, restoring agricultural production, and repairing industrial facilities. By the late 1940s, Velyka Novosilka had regained its pre-war economic levels.
In June 1946, the settlement was renamed to its current name, Velyka Novosilka.