Debaltseve city was founded in 1878 as a railway station due to the construction of the Catherine railway (special government railway of Russian empire built in 1882-1904). Though at that time this station was well-equipped, it had a number of disadvantages: lack of office buildings, nowhere to place inspectors, a railway hospital was a room with eight beds in a paramedic’s apartment. On December 1, 1878 regular train traffic commenced at the Donetsk coal line. The station has been built by landless peasants and poor people from surrounding villages. By 1897, 2048 people inhabited the village close by the railway station. From November 25 to November 27, 1898 a first strike at the station took place. 60 pointsmen were not working demanding reduction of a 16-hour duty shift.