Donetsk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Location | |||||
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| Government | |||||
| Country Oblast Raion |
 Ukraine Donetsk OblastDonetsk City Municipality |
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| Founded | 18691 | ||||
| City rights | 1917 | ||||
| Mayor | Oleksandr Lukianchenko | ||||
| Geographical characteristics | |||||
| Area - City |
358 km² |
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| Population - City (2005) - Density - Metro area |
1,131,700 2,960/km² 1,566,0002 |
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| Coordinates | |||||
| Elevation | 169 m | ||||
| 1 Donetsk was founded in 1869 as Yuzovka. 2The population of the metropoliten area is as of 2004. |
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| Other Information | |||||
| Postal Code | 83000 | ||||
| Dialing Code | +380 622, 623 | ||||
| Sister cities | Bochum, Charleroi, Kutaisi, Pittsburgh, Sheffield, Taranto, Moscow, Vilnius | ||||
| Website: www.donetsk.org.ua | |||||
Donetsk (Ukrainian: Донецьк, translit. Donets’k; Russian: Доне́цк, translit. Donetsk; see also: Cities' alternative names) is a city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbas) region.
The city has 1,131,700 inhabitants (2005) and the metropolitan area has 1,566,000 inhabitants (2004). It is currently the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.[1]
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[edit] Geography and climate
Donetsk lies in the steppe landscape of Ukraine, which is surrounded by small forests, hills (slag heaps), rivers, and lakes. The northern territories of the city are mainly used for agriculture. The Azov Sea, 95 km south of Donetsk, is a popular vacation spot for the city's inhabitants. The surfaces in the far periphery of the city are predominantly agrarian.
The city's length from north to south is 28 km, and from east to west - 55 km. The city has 2 nearby reservoirs: Nyzhnekalmius (60 ha), and the "Donetsk Sea" (206 ha). There are 5 rivers flowing through the city, which include the: Kalmius, Asmolivka (13 km), Cherepashkyna (23 km), Skomoroshka, and Bakhmutka. The city also contains a total of 125 slag heaps.
Donetsk's climate is moderate continental. The average temperatures are −5°C (23°F) in January and +18°C (66°F) in June. The average number of rainfall per year totals 162 days.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ave. high °C (°F) | -2 (27) | -1 (29) | 3 (39) | 13 (57) | 20 (68) | 23 (74) | 25 (77) | 24 (76) | 19 (67) | 11 (53) | 3 (39) | 0 (32) | 11 (53) |
| Ave. low °C (°F) | -7 (18) | -7 (19) | -2 (28) | 5 (41) | 10 (51) | 13 (57) | 15 (60) | 14 (58) | 10 (50) | 3 (39) | -1 (30) | 5 (23) | 4 (40) |
| Source: Weatherbase[2] | |||||||||||||
[edit] History
Donetsk was founded in 1869 when a Welsh businessman John Hughes built a steel plant and several coal mines in southern part of Russia at the border of Yekaterinoslav region and Don Cossack Host.The town initially was given the name Hughesovka (Yuzovka; Russian: Юзовка).[3] By the beginning of the 20th century, Yuzovka had approximately 50,000 inhabitants,[4] and had attained the status of a city in 1917.
In 1924, under the Soviet rule, the city's name was changed to Stalino. In that year, the city's population totaled 63,708, and in the next year — 80,085. The city did not have a drinking water system until 1931, when a 55.3 km system was laid underground. In July of 1933, the city became the administrative center of the Donetsk Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR. In 1933, the first 12 km sewer system was installed, and in 1934 - the first exploitation of gas was conducted within the city.
In the beginning of World War II, the population of Stalino consisted of 507,000, and after the war - only 175,000. The Nazi invasion during World War II almost completely destroyed the city, which was mostly rebuilt on a large scale at the war's end.
The territory of Donetsk in the Great Patriotic War[5] consisted mainly of a Jewish ghetto, in which 3,000 Jews died, and a concentration camp in which 92,000 people were killed. During the war, a collective responsibility system was enforced. For every killed Nazi soldier, 100 inhabitants were killed, and for every killed policeman, one inhabitant was killed.
During Nikita Khrushchev's second wave of destalinization in November of 1961, all Soviet cities named after Stalin were renamed. Stalino's name was changed to Donetsk, after the Seversky Donets river, a tributary of the Don.
[edit] Government and administrative divisions
| Bydionivskyi Raion Voroshylovskyi Raion Kalininskyi Raion Kyivskyi Raion Kirovskyi Raion | Kuybyshevskyi Raion Leninskyi Raion Petrovskyi Raion Proletarskyi Raion |
While Donetsk is the administrative center of the Donetsk Oblast (province), the city is the capital of the Donetsk City Municipality. However, Donetsk is a city of oblast subordinance, thus being subject directly to the oblast authorities rather to the Donetsk City Municipality housed in the city itself.
The territory of Donetsk is divided into 9 administrative raions (districts):
- Bydionivskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Будьонівський район) — 25 km², 100,300 inhabitants
- Voroshylovskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Ворошилівський район) — 10 km², 97,300 inhabitants
- Kalininskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Калінінський район) — 19 km², 109,700 inhabitants
- Kyivskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Київський район) — 33 km², 143,700 inhabitants
- Kirovskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Кировский район) — 68 km², 171,700 inhabitants
- Kuybyshevskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Куйбишевський район) — 51 km², 120,800 inhabitants
- Leninskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Ленінський район) — 37 km², 107,800 inhabitants
- Petrovskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Петровский район) — 57 km², 88,600 inhabitants
- Proletarskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Пролетарский район) — 58 km², 102,800 inhabitants
In every raion, there are raion councils, which are subordinate to the Donetsk City Council.
[edit] Demographics
While the majority of people in central and western Ukraine speak Ukrainian, most residents of Donetsk are Russian-speaking Ukrainians and ethnic Russians. According to 2001 population census,[6] Ukrainians are 56,9% of Donetsk oblast and Russians are 38,2%. The Russian language is dominant in Donbas.
Residents of the city tend to be more pro-Russian in political leanings. This has been massively exploited during 2004 presidential election.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Architecture
[edit] 19th century
Donetsk, at the time Yuzovka, was "divided" into two parts: north and south. In the southern part of Yuzovka, were the city's factories, train depots, the telegraph buildings, hospitals, and the city's schools.[7] Not far from the factories was the English colony where the engineers and their bosses lived. After the construction of the residence of John Hughes and the various complexes for the foreign workers, the city's southern portion was conducted mainly in the English style.
These buildings used rectangular and triangular shaped facads, green rooftops, large windows, which occupied a large portion of the building, and balconies.[7] In this part of the town, the streets were large and had sidewalks. A major influence on the formation of architecture in Donetsk was the official architect of a Novorossiya company — Moldingauyer.[7] Preserved buildings of the southern part of Yuzovka consisted of: the residence of John Hughes (1891, partially preserved), residence of Bolfur (1889), and the residence of Bosse.
In the northern part of Yuzovka, Novyi Svet, lived the traders, craftsmen, and bureaucrats.[7] Here were located the: indoor market, the police headquarters, and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Jesus. The central street of Novyi Svet and the neighbouring streets were mainly surrounded by 1 to 2 story residential buildings, markets, restaurants, hotels, конторами, and banks. A famous preserved building in the northern part of Yuzovka was the Hotel Great Britain.
[edit] 20th century
The first general plan of Stalino was made in 1932 in Odessa by the architect P. Golovchenko. In 1937, the project was partly reworked. These projects were the first in the city's construction bureau's history.[7]
A large portion of the city's building of the second portion of the 20th century were designed by the architect Pavel Vigdergauz, which was given the title Government award of the USSR for architecture in the city of Donetsk in 1978.[7]
[edit] Sports
Two major professional football clubs in the city include FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Metalurh Donetsk, which currently play for the Ukrainian Premier League.
In Donetsk, the USSR Tennis Championship took place within the city in 1978, 1979, and 1980 near the Donetsk Railroad tennis courts. Some tennis matches of the Davis Cup took place in Donetsk in 2005.
In Donetsk, the Soviet Championship on Light Athletics in Youth took place in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1984. A monument to famous pole vault athlete Serhiy Bubka is installed in the city.
In the city, sailboat championships take place on the city's Kalmius river.
[edit] Media
Five television station operate within Donetsk:
- TRK Ukraina (Russian: ТРК Украина)[8]
- KRT, Kievskaya Rus' (Russian: КРТ, Киевская Русь)[9]
- First Municipal (Russian: Первый муниципальный)[10]
- Kanal 27 (Russian: 27 канал)
- TRK Nadezhda (Russian: ТРК Надежда)
In Donetsk, there is a 360 metre tall TV tower, one of the tallest structures in the city, which was completed in 1992.
[edit] Famous people from Donetsk
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[edit] Transportation
[edit] Local transportation
The main forms of transport within Donetsk are: trams, electric trolley buses, buses, and marshrutkas (private minibuses). The city public transportation system is controlled by the united Dongorpastrans municipal company. The city has 12 tram lines (~130 km), 17 trolley bus lines (~188 km), and about 115 bus lines. Both the tram and trolley bus systems in the city are served by 2 depots each. Another method of transport within the city is taxicab service, of which there are 32 in Donetsk.
The city also contains autostations located within the city and its suburbs: autostation Yuzhny (South), which serves transport lines to the south, hence its name; autostation Tsentr (Centre), which serves transport in the direction of Marinka and Vuhledar; the autostation Krytyi rynok (Indoor market), which serves transport in the north and east directions; and the autostation Pultikovsky, which serves the north and northwest transport directions.
There is currently a metro system under construction in Donetsk, but no station is yet operational. When finished, the first section of the red line (Proletarsko-Kyivs’ka) shall contain 6 stations.[11]
[edit] Railroads
Donetsk's main railway station Donetsk is located in the northern part of the city. There is a museum near the main station, dealing with the history of region's railroads. Other railway stations in the city are: Rutchenkogo, located in the Kyivskyi Raion; Mandrykino (Petrovskyi Raion), and Mushketogo (Bydionivskyi Raion). Some passenger trains avoid Donetsk station and serve the station Yasynuvata, located outside the city borders, instead. Although not used for regular transportation means, the city also has a children's railway.
As the Donetsk Oblast is an important transportation hub in Ukraine, so is its center Donetsk. The Donetsk Railways, based in Donetsk, is one of the largest railway divisions in the country. It serves the farming and industrial businesses of the area, and the populations of the Donetsk, Luhansk, partly the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia and Kharkiv oblasts.
[edit] Air travel
In addition to public and rail transport, Donetsk has an international airport.[12] It was constructed in the end of the 1940's to the beginning of the 1950's. The whole airport complex was finished in 1973. The city-based DonbassAero airline operates the airport.
[edit] Economy
| City | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Charleroi |  Belgium |
|
| Sheffield |  England |
|
| Bochum |  Germany |
1987 |
| Taranto |  Italy |
|
| Vilnius |  Lithuania |
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| Pittsburgh |  United States |
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| Kutaisi |  Georgia |
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| Moscow |  Russia |
Donetsk and the surrounding territories are heavily urbanized and agglomerated into conurbation. The workforce is heavily involved with heavy industry, especially coal mining. The city is an important center of heavy industry and coal mines in the Donets Basin (Donbas) and the Ukraine. Directly under the city lie the coal mines, which have recently seen an increase in mining accidents.
Donetsk's economy consists of about 200 industrial organizations that have a total production output of more than 5 billion hryvnias per year and more than 20,000 medium-small sized organizations.[13] The city's coal mining industry comprises 17 coal mines and two concentrating mills; the metallurgy industry comprises 5 large metallurgical plants located throught the city; the engineering market comprises 67 organizations, and the food industry — 32 organizations.[13]
In spite of the difficult economic situation in Ukraine, Donetsk is a developing city.[13] About 412 thousand m² of living space, 7.9 km of gas networks, and 15.1 km of water supply networks were constructed in the city during 1998-2001.[13]
The city also houses the "Donetsk" special economic zone.[13] Donetsk currently has seven sister cities. The German city of Magdeburg had economic partnerships with Donetsk during 1962-1996.
[edit] Education
Donetsk is a well-known educational location of the surrounding area, accompanied with several universities. The most important and prominent educational institutions include:
- the National Technical University[14][15] (known as the Polytechnical Institute in the 1930s),
- the National University which was founded in 1965. The National Technical University held close contacts with the University in Magdeburg. Since 1970, more than 100 students from Germany (GDR, etc.) have completed their higher education at either one of the two main universities in Donetsk.
There are also several scientific research institutes, and an Islamic University within Donetsk.
[edit] Footnotes and references
- ^ ukrcensus.gov.ua — URL accessed on August 28, 2006
- ^ Historical Weather for Donetsk. Weatherbase, Retrieved on March 15, 2007
- ^ Yuz is a Russian or Ukrainian approximation of Hughes
- ^ The population included mostly migrants from neighboring Russian territories
- ^ Great Patriotic War is another name for the Eastern Front of World War II.
- ^ ukrcensus.gov.ua — URL accessed on August 28, 2006
- ^ a b c d e f Архитектура Донецка (Russian). Russian Wikipedia.
- ^ trkukr.tv — TRK Ukraina official website
- ^ kievruss.tv — Kievan Rus' official website
- ^ 12-ua.tv — First Municipal official webiste
- ^ Commons:Image:Metro Donezk.svg — Proposed map of the Donetsk Metro
- ^ vip-terminal.dn.ua Service information about the airport
- ^ a b c d e Donetsk City Hall — Official website URL accessed on March 15, 2007
- ^ donntu.edu.ua — Donetsk National Technical University (DonNTU) (Ukrainian)/(Russian)
- ^ masters.donntu.edu.ua — Master's portal of DonNTU (Ukrainian)/(Russian)
- Kilesso, S. (1982). Donetsk. Architectural-historical summary. Kiev: Budivelnyk, 152.
- Partner-Portal — Everything about Donetsk (Russian). Partner-Portal. Интернет-агентство «Партнер». Retrieved on August, 28, 2006.
[edit] External links
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General
- donetsk.org.ua — Donetsk city administration website (Ukrainian)/(Russian)
- geocities.com — History of Donetsk and the story of the founder John Hughes
- (Russian) partner.donetsk.ua — Informational portal about Donetsk
- ukrtelecom.ua — Ukrtelecom webcam of the Artema Street
Historic
- ukrstor.com — Early history of Yuzovka
- bfcollection.net — Historic images of Donetsk
Maps
- maps.google.com — Google maps satellite view of Donetsk
- wikimapia.org — Wikimapia view of Donetsk
- gorod.dn.ua — City map browsable and searchable by address
