Ivanivske was founded in the 18th century under the
Russian Empire as a
dacha of
Bakhmut by
Protopope Ivan Lukyanov. The protopope was known for his spiritual leadership, and many
Cossacks came to his farm to work for the sake of spiritual salvation. In 1776, the lands of the farm were given to Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Vasylyovych Shabelsky, who founded the settlement of Ivanivka on his new possessions. The village continued to grow, and by 1859, it had 667 residents, 87 farmsteads, an Orthodox church, a factory, and three fairs a year. By 1886, the population had grown to 767, with 135 farmsteads, an Orthodox church, a bench, and two fairs a year. In 1908, the village had 1,473 residents. According to records, as a result of the
Holodomor, 52 residents of Ivanivske died. The village's history is also intertwined with the burial mounds of the Bronze Age, which are located near the village.
Russo-Ukrainian War Russian invasion of Ukraine On 7 February 2023, during the
Russian invasion phase of the
Russo-Ukrainian War, fighting began near Ivanivske. It was on the frontline of the
Battle of Bakhmut, during which
Wagner Group mercenaries briefly entered it. On 23 February 2024,
Russian forces began serious operations to capture Ivanivske. Exactly a month later on 23 March, the
Russian Ministry of Defense claimed it had seized the village. The
Institute for the Study of War estimated on 11 April that Russian troops had likely seized all of the settlement. However,
DeepStateMap.Live contested this by reporting on 13 April that Ukrainian forces still held a presence in Ivanivske. This was further corroborated by geolocated footage posted on 15 April showing Russian forces striking Ukrainian positions in the westernmost part of the settlement. == Demographics ==