Founded in 1960 as Komsomolsk-na-Dnipri, the city was purposely planned and built as the residential and civic area for the
Poltava Mining and Extraction Combinat (now controlled by the
Ferrexpo) - the most important
iron ore-mining company in Ukraine. 80% of the city residents are employed by the mining industry. There are two gigantic
open pit mines and several
spoil tips on the city territory, to the north-east and south of the residential area. The industry is served by several railway stations. However, the passenger service was discontinued and the city relies on intercity and suburban bus links. The combinat operates its own freight
river port. Due to the profitability of mining, small city of Horishni Plavni usually ranks high in all-Ukraine city rankings of
birth rate, living standards, (un)employment and housing. On 15 May 2015
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a bill into law that started a six months period for the
removal of communist monuments and the mandatory renaming of settlements with names related to
Communism. On 19 May 2016, the
Verkhovna Rada adopted the decision to rename Komsomolsk to Horishni Plavni. Until 18 July 2020, Horishni Plavni was designated as a
city of oblast significance. As part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Poltava Oblast to four, the city was merged into Kremenchuk Raion. == Gallery ==