It is located on the Zhovta River approximately 70 km (43 mi) north of the metropolitan area's center, Kryvyi Rih.

[7] Considerable parts of the city and its surrounding farmland are severely and dangerously polluted with uranium ore (and consequently radon gas in buildings built on uranium ore found naturally in the granite of the city, or due to the use of uranium containing granite in building foundations),[8] with radioactivity levels in some instances in the city comparable to heavily contaminated areas surrounding Chernobyl,[9] with residents suffering increased incidence of congenital conditions and cancers, many of which have been conclusively linked to radiation exposure.

The area has been referred to by the term Zhovti Vody (literally 'yellow waters') and contain Cossack settlements "zymivnyks" (wintering places) information about which is scarce.

The story of the modern settlement starts with times when in the Russian Empire geological studies and mining surveying of the area were carried out in 1895.

During the period of industrialization in the Soviet Union, in the settlement were built several shops mechanical, steam locomotive, cooling tower, high voltage transmission lines, compressor station, two electrical substations.

Before the World War II, the settlement had several multi-story buildings, two hospitals, two schools, a club, a library.

The municipality was abolished in July 2020 as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of oblast.