The territory where the city of Dneprodzerzhinsk is located today, belongs to five sites of Ukraine, occupied by the people during the Paleolith epoch (100-40 millennium BC). During the Kiev Russian period the territory of the future Dneprodzerzhinsk, important trading occurred with the Varangians from Greece. According to the legend, the Ukrainian Cossacks played an important role in the city’s formation. The villages Romankovo and Kamenskoye, on which place Dneprodzerzhinsk is located, were founded by the Zaporozhye Cossacks. The first written mention of village Kamenskoye is dated 1750. In New Sechi (1734-1775) Kamenskoye was a part of Kodatsk of the Army Zaporozhye.
Building (1887-1889) by Polish, Belgian and French shareholders of Dneprovsky metal works on the land of the village Kamenskoye, redeemed at rural association, led to fast growth of the village. In the end of XIX – the XX-th century beginning settlements for employees and workers of factory – the Top and Bottom colonies grew. In 1896 there were 18 thousand inhabitants in Kamenskoy, and by 1913, the village had grown to 40407. In June, 1917 the Provisional government gave the village Kamenskoye the status of a city. On February, 1st, 1936 Kamenskoye was renamed Dneprodzerzhinsk. In 1938 its structure included villages Romankovo and Trituznoe. In days of industrialisation 1930-1950 in Dneprodzerzhinsk boiler-welding, nitrogen-mineral, cement and concrete factories, garment factory, car-building and a number of other enterprises were constructed.
Before the Great Patriotic War (World War II) Dneprodzerzhinsk had approximately 148, 000 inhabitants. The Great Patriotic War became a heartrending experience for the city. About 18 thousand citizens went to war on the fronts. About 11 thousand citizens were in the front lines of the war. During German occupation of the city which lasted 26 months, fascists shot 1069 citizens and 2999 persons were taken out for forced hard labour to Germany. On October, 25th, 1943 the city was released by the Soviet armies. In only 26 days after the release of the city, the first fusion at Dneprovsky metallurgical industrial complex was accomplished. The city’s complete recovery was finally finished in 1950.
In the post-war period the industrial complex of the city was replenished with new factories. The Dneprodzerzhinsk HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATION was placed in operation. From 1950-1980 the modern architectural shape of the city was formed. New buildings were built, especially on left bank of the Dniper River. In 1970 the city was awarded the order of the Red Labour Banner. According to the new Constitution of Ukraine, Vasily Jakovlevich Shvets was selected as mayor of Dneprodzerzhinsk that constituted as a city for the first time in 1996.
Dneprodzerzhinsk is the third city in value in area after Dnepropetrovsk and Krivoi Rog. Dneprodzerzhinsk, in its geography, history of economic development and an industrial profile has much in common with Dnepropetrovsk. Between these cities and along the rivers Business in Ukraine connecting them, railway and automobile roads connect the settlements where majority of inhabitants who work at the enterprises of both cities.
The main industries of Dneprodzerzhinsk are 1. Metallurgical – Dneprovsky metallurgical industrial complex of F. E. Dzerzhinskogo and Open Society which is one of the largest enterprises of an industrial complex in Ukraine with a full metallurgical cycle on release of 5600 thousand tons of agglomerate, 4350 thousand tons of pig-iron, 3850 thousand tons of a steel, 3829 thousand tons of ready hire. Open Society is the unique supplier in Ukraine which rents axial preparation for railway transportation, piles of type Larsen, rails contact for underground, steel grinding spheres and trumpet preparation;
2. Machine-building – Open Society Dneprovagonmash (Of the newspaper “Truth”), one of leading enterprises of Ukraine and the CIS countries on designing and manufacturing of freight cars for the main railways and various industries; 3. Chemical and cocechemistry- chemical industrial complex, 2 cocechemistry factories, DneproAzot; 4. The industry of building materials – a cement works (Open Society Dneprotsement), precast concrete factory; 5. A number of the enterprises of the food-processing industry; 6. Port on Dnepr River, a railway junction, road service station;