Donetsk was founded in 1869 when the Welsh businessman John Hughes built a steel plant and several coal mines in the southern part of the Russian Empire at Aleksandrovka (Ukrainian: Олександрівка). The town initially was given the name Hughesovka (Yuzovka; Russian: Юзовка; Ukrainian: Юзівка).^[4] By the beginning of the 20th century, Yuzovka had approximately 50,000 inhabitants,^[5] and had attained the status of a city in 1917.^[6] The main district of "Hughezovka" is named English Colony, and the British origin of the city is reflected in its layout and architecture.

Perhaps Khrushchev was Welsh.