Shostka, Sumy Oblast, Ukraine

🇺🇦 Shostka (Шостка) is a city in Sumy Oblast in the north-east of Ukraine. Shostka serves as the administrative centre of Shostka Raion. It is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast significance and does not belong to the raion.

The town lies on the Shostka River, a tributary of the Desna, from which it gets its name. Shostka is an important centre of industry: in chemicals (see Svema) and in dairy, the Shostka City Milk Plant was recently acquired by the Bel Group.

History Shostka started out as a village at the beginning of the 17th century for Ukrainian Cossacks which were based there. In 1739, a gunpowder factory was built there. Since that time Shostka was one of the most important gunpowder suppliers in the Russian Empire. In 1893, a branch of a nearby railroad line was built. Shostka was granted municipal rights in 1920. In 1931, a film factory was built in Shostka which was one of the main suppliers of cinema and photo film in the USSR.

During the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Shostka was besieged by Russian troops on February 24. and may have been partially occupied. During the withdrawal from the Chernihiv region and Sumy region, Russian troops left Shostka.

Demographics Shostka's population: 1926 — 8,600 inhabitants, 1959 — 39,000 inhabitants, 1970 — 64,000 inhabitants, 1979 — 80,000 inhabitants, 1984 — 84,000 inhabitants.

Sport Shostka is home to the Ukrainian football team Impuls Shostka.