Balakliia, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine

🇺🇦 Balakliia or Balakliya ( Балаклія) is a town in the Izium Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, eastern Ukraine, on the north-east side of the Siverskyi Donets River close to where it is joined by the Balakliika River [uk], which runs through the town. It is an important railroad junction in the oblast. Balakliia hosts the administration of Balakliia urban hromada [uk], one of the hromadas of Ukraine.

Geography: Administrative status Until 18 July 2020, Balakliia was the administrative centre of Balakliia Raion. The raion was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Kharkiv Oblast to seven. The area of Balakliia Raion was merged into Izium Raion.

History The land that is now Balakliia has been inhabited since ancient times. Settlements from the Neolithic Age and Bronze Age have been preserved.

The name is derived from the Balakliia River [uk], a tributary of the Donets. The river's name in turn comes from a Turkic word meaning 'fish river'. The Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary judges from the name of the settlement that the town was originally a Tatar settlement.

Russia and the Soviet Union The modern history of the settlement as part of Russia and later Ukraine began in 1663, when it became populated by Russians and served as a guard post against raids from Crimean Tatars. Starting in 1669 or 1670, the settlement served as the centre of the Balakliia Regiment [uk], which existed until 1677. Residents of Balakliia took an active part in the Stenka Razin Rebellion [uk] (1676—1681), the Bulavin Rebellion (1707–1708), and Pugachev's Rebellion (1773–1775).

From 1817 to 1891, the settlement was known as Novo-Serpukhiv.

By the early 20th century, Balakliia had a population of 5,197. Soviet control was established over Balakliia in December 1917, and it received urban status in 1938. During World War II, the town was occupied by the Wehrmacht between 9 December 1941, and 5 February 1943.