Lugansk or Luhansk, formerly known as Voroshilovgrad, was the administrative center of Luhansk Oblast
in easternmost Ukraine.
The city itself was also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast.
Since 18 May 2014 it is the capital city of Lugansk People's Republic.
The current estimated population is around 425,848.
History
The region was largely depopulated after the Mongol-Tatar slave raids and was a part of
"Wild Fields".
The city traces its history to 1795, when the British industrialist Charles Gascoigne
founded a metal factory there.
Thus began an industry that still thrives there as of 2014.
Lugansk achieved the status of city in 1882.
Located in the Donets Basin, Lugansk developed into an important industrial center of Eastern
Europe, particularly as a home to the major locomotive-building company Luhanskteplovoz.
The city was occupied by Nazi Germany between July 14, 1942 and February 14, 1943.
On November 5, 1935, the city was renamed Voroshilovgrad in honour of Soviet military
commander and politician Kliment Voroshilov.
On March 5, 1958, with the call of Khrushchev not to give names of living people to cities,
the old name was reinstated.
On January 5, 1970, after Voroshilov died, the name was changed again to Voroshilovgrad.
Finally, on May 4, 1990, a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR gave the city
back its original name.
During the 2014 protests in Eastern Ukraine, separatists seized governmental buildings
in the region proclaiming the Lugansk People's Republic.
An independence referendum was held on May 11, 2014.
The legitimacy of the referendums was not recognized by any government.
Ukraine does not recognize the referendum, while the EU and US said the polls were illegal.
In August 2014, government forces completely surrounded rebel-held Lugansk.
Heavy shelling may have caused civilian casualties in Lugansk.
On August 17, Ukrainian soldiers entered rebel-controlled Lugansk and gained control over a police station.
Demographics Native language as of the Ukrainian Census
of 2001: Russian 85.3%
Ukrainian 13.7% Armenian 0.2%
Belarusian 0.1% Sport
Lugansk is home to Zorya Luhansk which now plays in the Ukrainian Premier League annual
football championship and plays at the Avanhard Stadium.
The club won the 1972 Soviet Top League.
The other football team was Dynamo Luhansk.
Merheleva Ridge
On September 7, 2006, archaeologists in Ukraine announced that an ancient structure had been
discovered near Lugansk, which the press reported as a pyramid antedating those in Egypt by
at least 300 years.
The stone foundations of the structure were said to resemble Aztec and Mayan pyramids
in Mesoamerica.
It was later concluded that the site in question was not a pyramid but was still of great interest.
Notable people
Mykola Shmatko, sculptor, professor and painter.
Serhiy Bubka, Soviet and Ukrainian pole vaulter, former World Record holder, and Olympic Champion
Vasyliy Bubka, Soviet and Ukrainian pole vaulter Volodymyr Dahl, Russian lexicographer
Fedir Emelianenko, a mixed martial arts champion Andriy Serdinov, Ukrainian swimmer
Klyment Voroshylov, Soviet military commander Mikhail Matusovsky, Soviet poet, songwriter
Oleksandr Zavarov, Soviet and Ukrainian football player and coach
Valeriy Brumel, Soviet olympic champion Serhiy Semak, Russian football player
Viktor Onopko, Russian football player Yelizaveta Bryzhina, Sprinter, Bronze Medal
4x100m Relay London 2012 Climate
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities Luhansk is twinned with:
Cardiff, United Kingdom Lublin, Poland
Székesfehérvár, Hungary Daqing, China
See also East Ukraine Volodymyr Dahl National University
Lugansk Airlines Luhansk Airport
Lugansk State Medical University Luhanskteplovoz
University of Luhansk References
External links Media related to Luhansk at Wikimedia Commons
Topographic map 1:100 000 Historic images of Luhansk
The sightseeings of Luhansk Marble sculpture of King of marble of Nicolai
Shmatko.