Donetsk
Donetsk (Template:Lang-uk, Donets'k; Template:Lang-ru) 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 Donets Basin region, or Donbass.
The city has 1,131,700 inhabitants (2005) and the metropolitan area has 1,566,000 inhabitants (2004). It is currently the fourth-largest city in Ukraine.
History
Donetsk was founded in 1869 when a Welsh businessman John Hughes built a steel plant and several coal mines near a Cossack settlement Olexandrivka. The town initially was given the name Yuzovka (Юзовка) ("Yuz" being a Russian or Ukrainian approximation of Hughes). By the beginning of the 20th century Yuzovka had approximately 50,000 inhabitants (mostly migrants from neighboring Russian territories), and attained the status of a city in 1917.
In 1924, under the Soviet rule, the city's name was changed to Stalino after Joseph Stalin. 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. During Nikita Khrushchev's second wave of destalinization in November 1961, all Soviet cities named after Stalin were renamed. Stalino's name was changed to Donetsk, after the Donets river, a tributary of the Don.
Contemporary Donetsk
Donetsk and the surrounding territories are heavily urbanized and agglomerated into conurbation. The workforce is heavily involved with heavy industry, especially coal mining.
Donetsk lies 95 km north of the Sea of Azov, a popular vacation spot for the city's inhabitants.
The city's professional football teams are FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Metalurg Donetsk.
In 1962-1996 Donetsk had economic partnerships with Magdeburg in Germany. Donetsk is currently twinned with:
Administrative subdivisions
The territory of Donetsk is divided into 9 administrative raions (districts):
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Transportation
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 (about 130km), 17 trolley bus lines (about 188km), and about 115 bus lines. Both the tram and trolley bus systems in the city are served by 2 depots each.
There are about 32 taxi companies in Donetsk.
There is currently a metro system under construction in Donetsk, but no station is yet operational. Proposed map of the Donetsk Metro.
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: Putchenkovo, located in the Kyivskyi Raion; Mandrykino (Petrovskyi Raion), and Mushketovo (Bydionivskyi Raion).
The city also has a children' railway.
Air
Donetsk has an international airport. There is a city-based DonbassAero airline, which operates the airport.
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Ethnopolitics
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 [1], 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.
Views of Donetsk
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A cathedral in Donetsk -
Church of Ignatiy Mariupolsky in Donetsk -
Donetsk Botanical Garden -
Drama Theater of Donetsk -
Opera Theater of Donetsk -
The central market in Donetsk -
Donetsk train museum -
Serhiy Bubka monument
Famous People From Donetsk
- Serhiy Bubka, Soviet-Ukrainian Pole Vault athlete
- Rinat Akhmetov, Ukrainian business oligarch
- Polina Astakhova, Ukrainian gymnast
- Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko, Russian Mathematician and lecturer at the Moscow University
- Pavel Gililov, Russian Pianist
- Natan Scharansky
- Lilia Podkopayeva
- Oleksiy Pecherov
- Mircea Lucescu, a Romanian football (soccer) coach
External links
