Perevalsk

Perevalsk Перевальськ
City
Perevalsk City Hall
Coat of arms
Perevalsk Perevalsk
Coordinates: 48°26′N 38°49′E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Luhansk Oblast
Raion	Alchevsk Raion
Hromada	Alchevsk urban hromada
Founded	1902
City status	1964
Area	30 km2 (10 sq mi)
Elevation	259 m (850 ft)
Population  (2022)	24,817
Climate	Dfb

Perevalsk (Ukrainian: Перевальськ; Russian: Перевальск) is a city in Alchevsk urban hromada, Alchevsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast (region), Ukraine. Population: 24,817 (2022 estimate), 25,941 (2013 est.).

Perevalsk borders immediately on the larger town of Alchevsk which in 1961–1991 also was named after the Paris Commune as Kommunarsk.

Perevalsk has been occupied by Russia and its proxy the Luhansk People's Republic since 2014.

History

Perevalsk was founded in 1889 as Seleznyovsky Quarry, for the workers in coal mining and it belonged to Podolian nobleman and Imperial Russian loyal subject Kazimierz Mscichowski. Over time it grew by incorporating similar miner's settlements. In 1924 it was renamed as imeni Parizhskoi Kommuny (after the Paris Commune) out of brevity was referred to as Parkommuna. In 1938 it adopted its shortened name, Parkommuna, as official, and in 1964 it acquired its present name. In 1964, it became the administrative center of the newly established Perevalsk Raion.

During World War II

During the Second World War, in December 1941, the front line was around 20 to 30 kilometers away from the city. On 12 (or 13) July 1942, the German army occupied the city. They occupied the city for almost 14 months. During the occupation, the German army carried out mass executions against both Soviet prisoners-of-war and local residents. The corpses of the 1,100 victims who were massacred by the Germans were ruthlessly thrown into a nearby mine shaft, where they were dumped and littered. The entire Jewish community of the city of Perevalsk was also massacred by the Germans. Around 1,180 residents from the city were also taken and forcibly deported to Germany for hard labor. The city suffered great damage because of destruction caused by the Germans, who disabled the city's mines, and destroyed many buildings and institutions, turning them into large ruins.

The city was ultimately liberated from German occupation by the Soviet troops on 2 September 1943.

Many adult residents of the city went to the frontline and fought against the German troops in battles, for which they were awarded orders and battles. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union were awarded to the following three residents of the city, including: Alexander Pikalov, Soviet commander of a platoon and his comrade Vladimir Kosinov, a company party organizer, and Nikolai Polyakov, a Soviet soldier who died while fighting against the German troops during the Soviet Invasion of Hungary in 1945.

During the conflict and war with Russia

Since 2014, Perevalsk has been administered as a part of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). Perevalsk Raion was abolished by the Ukrainian government in 2020. Following the 2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine, Russia has declared the territory as their own, as part of their LPR.

Demographics

As of the 2001 Ukrainian census, the town had a population of 29,220. Ethnic Ukrainians and Russians account for more than 95% of the city's population, while Belarusians, Moldovans and Tatars form small minorities.

Ethnic groups in Perevalsk Ethnic groups percent Ukrainians   55.79% Russians   41.42% Belarusians   1.18% Tatars   0.35% Moldovans   0.19% Armenians   0.19% Azerbaijanis   0.16% Poles   0.11% Georgians   0.11%

Notable people

• Anatoliy Yarosh (born 1952), Ukrainian athlete