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 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 fifth-largest city in Ukraine. [1]
GeographyDonetsk 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.
Administrative subdivisionsThe territory of Donetsk is divided into 9 administrative raions (districts):
DemographicsWhile 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 [5], 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.
Modern DonetskDonetsk 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.
The city's professional football teams are FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Metalurh Donetsk.
In 1962-1996 Donetsk had economic partnerships with Magdeburg in Germany.
Donetsk is currently twinned with:
Transportation Local transportationThe 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. 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 Yuzhniy (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 Pultikovskiy - 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. [6]
RailroadsDonetsk'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 Yasinuvata (outside the city borders) instead. Although not used for regular transportation means, the city also has a children' 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.
AirIn addition to public and rail transport, Donetsk has an international airport. [7] 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.
Architecture 19th centuryDonetsk, 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.[8] 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.[8] 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 New Russia (Novorossiya) company - Moldingauyer.[8] 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.[8] Here were located the: indoor market (rynok), 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.
20th centuryThe 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.[8]
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 Governmental award of the USSR for architecture in the city of Donetsk in 1978.[8]
Culture EducationDonetsk is a well-known educational location of the surrounding area, accompanied with several universities. The most important ones are the National Technical University [9][10] (known as the Polytechnical Institute in the 1930s), and 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.
MediaFive television station operate within Donetsk:
In Donetsk, there is a 360 metre tall TV mast, one of the tallest structures in the city, which was completed in 1992.
Famous people from Donetsk Footnotes and references
