In 1869, Welshman John James Hughes founded the "New Russia Company Ltd." and purchased land from Prince Sergey Kochubey from Poltava in the Yekaterinoslav province, on the banks of the Kalmius River. Here he began the construction of a metallurgical plant and a worker settlement near the village of Aleksandrovka.

In the summer of 1870, at the age of 55, Hughes moved to the Russian Empire. He arrived on eight ships, bringing not only all the necessary equipment for the metallurgical plant but also a significant number of skilled workers from South Wales.

By 1875, a hundred Welsh families lived in Hughesovka. Thus, Yuzovka was born, now known as Donetsk.