Kremenchuk, city in central Ukraine, in Poltava Oblast. Kremenchuk is located on the low left bank of the Dnieper River, about 130 km (about 80 mi) northwest of Dnipropetrovs'k. The city is a regional and industrial center based on hydroelectric power generated at the Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Station, a dam on the Dnieper above Kremenchuk. Industries in Kremenchuk produce medium and heavy trucks, rail freight cars, road-building machinery, petrochemicals, building materials, food, and consumer goods. Institutions include a technology institute, a pedagogical museum, and a pilot school. Its notable historical buildings were destroyed during World War II (1939-1945). Founded in 1571, Kremenchuk acquired a Polish fortress in 1596. From 1648 to 1667, Kremenchuk served as headquarters for Cossack regiments. During the 1700s, Kremenchuk gradually came under direct rule of the Russian Empire. As such it was capital of Novorossiya (1765-1783) and Yekaterinoslav (1784-1789) provinces. Population (1998 estimate) 241,000.
