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101-759: Igor Sorkin was born on March 3, 1967, in Donetsk . He graduated from high school in 1984. In 1988–1996 he served in the Soviet Army and the National Guard of Ukraine (commander landing assault platoon, reconnaissance battalion and regimental intelligence chief of the National Guard). Ihor Sorkin has three higher education degrees: Since 1996 he has been working in the system of the National Bank of Ukraine (economist of 1st category, leading economist, chief economist at

202-458: A decree claiming to annex four regions , including Donetsk, as part of Russia . This annexation has been seen by the global community as a breach of international law. Donetsk lies in the steppe landscape, surrounded by scattered woodland , hills, spoil tips , rivers and lakes . The northern outskirts are mainly used for agriculture. The Kalmius River links the city with the Sea of Azov , which

303-667: A federative South-Eastern state with its capital in Kharkiv . Donetsk Mayor Oleksandr Lukyanchenko , however, stated that no one wanted autonomy, but rather sought to stop the Orange Revolution demonstrations going on at the time in Kyiv and negotiate a compromise. After the Orange Revolution's victory, some of the organisers of the congress were charged with "encroachment upon the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine", but no convictions were made. In other parts of Ukraine during

404-550: A high concentration of heavy industries and a skilled workforce. The density of heavy industries (predominantly steel production, chemical industry, and coal mining) determined the city's challenging ecological situation. In 2012, a UN report ranked Donetsk among the world's fastest depopulating cities. The original settlement in the south of the European part of the Russian Empire was first mentioned as Aleksandrovka in 1779, during

505-543: A new, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, which Russian president Vladimir Putin said was intended to "protect" the people of the Donbas from the "abuse" and "genocide" of the Ukrainian government. However, Putin's claims have been refuted. The DPR and LPR joined Russia's operation; the separatists stated that an operation to capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast had begun. On 18 April 2022,

606-599: A population of over 985,000 inhabitants in 2009 and over 1,566,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2004. It was the fifth-largest city in Ukraine. The structure of the Donetsk City Municipality by ethnicity as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001 : Native language of the population of the city of Donetsk: In a 1991 poll one-third of the population identified as Russian , one-third as Ukrainian while

707-751: A referendum on the self-rule was held in Donetsk. The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic election commission, Roman Lyagin, said that almost 90 percent of those who voted in the Donetsk Region endorsed political independence from Kyiv . Ukraine does not recognize the referendum , while the EU and US stated that the polls were illegal. Heavy shelling by the Ukrainian Army and paramilitary units have caused civilian fatalities in Donetsk. Human Rights Watch has called on both warring factions to cease using

808-461: A regional level. In the 1990s and the 2000s, hundreds were killed in coal mine collapses in Donetsk and the region. These included the 2008 Ukraine coal mine collapse , the 2007 Zasyadko mine disaster , and the 2015 Zasyadko mine disaster . Ukraine has had many mining accidents since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with one reason cited as the linking of miners' pay to production, which

909-631: A short time with the help of its German and Austro-Hungarian allies. During the 1917–22 Russian Civil War , Nestor Makhno , who commanded the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine , was the most popular leader in the Donbas. Along with other territories inhabited by Ukrainians, the Donbas was incorporated into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the aftermath of the Russian Civil War. Cossacks in

1010-438: A significant presence in the Donbas, particularly in the district of Mariupol , where they constituted 36.7% of the population. Despite this, Russians constituted the majority of the industrial workforce. Ukrainians dominated rural areas, but cities were often inhabited solely by Russians who had come seeking work in the region's heavy industries. Those Ukrainians who did move to the cities for work were quickly assimilated into

1111-603: A total of 125 spoil tips. Donetsk's climate is moderate hot summer continental ( Köppen : Dfa ). The average temperatures are −4.1 °C (25 °F) in January and 21.6 °C (71 °F) in July. The average number of rainfall per year totals 162 days and up to 556 millimetres per year. Starting on 7 April 2014, Donetsk was de facto governed by the Donetsk People's Republic as its capital city. The Donetsk People's Republic

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1212-405: A total production output of more than 120 billion rubles per year and more than 20,000 medium-small sized organizations. The city's coal mining industry comprises 17 coal mines and two concentrating mills; the metallurgy industry comprises 5 large metallurgical plants located throughout the city; the engineering market comprises 67 organizations, and the food industry — 32 organizations. After

1313-616: Is 95 km (59 mi) to the south, and a popular recreational area for those living in Donetsk. A wide belt of farmlands surrounds the city. The city stretches 28 km (17 mi) from north to south and 55 km (34 mi) from east to west. There are 2 nearby reservoirs : Nyzhnekalmius (60 ha ), and the Donetsk Sea (206 ha). 5 rivers flow through the city, including the Kalmius , Asmolivka (13 km), Cherepashkyna (23 km), Skomoroshka and Bakhmutka . The city also contains

1414-544: Is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine . The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War . The word Donbas is a portmanteau formed from " Donets Basin ", an abbreviation of " Donets Coal Basin " ( Ukrainian : Донецький вугільний басейн , romanized :  Donetskyi vuhilnyi basein ; Russian : Донецкий угольный бассейн , romanized :  Donetskiy ugolnyy basseyn ). The name of

1515-565: Is an incentive to ignore safety procedures that slow production. In a summit in Moscow in 2008, Donetsk was recognised as the best city in the Commonwealth of Independent States for its implemented development strategies; in 2012 and 2013 Donetsk was recognised as the best place for business in Ukraine . Whilst getting praise for its business potential in 2009, Donetsk also received criticism for

1616-545: Is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast , which is currently occupied by Russia as the capital of the Donetsk People's Republic . The population was estimated at 901,645 (2022 estimate) in the city core, with over 2 million in the metropolitan area (2011). According to the 2001 census , Donetsk was the fifth-largest city in Ukraine. Administratively, Donetsk has been

1717-535: 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 ). Directly under the city lie coal mines, which have recently seen an increase in mining accidents , the most recent accident being at the Zasyadko mine , which killed over 100 workers. Donetsk's economy consists of about 200 industrial organizations that have

1818-420: Is home to a significantly higher number of cities and villages that were named after Communist figures compared to the rest of Ukraine. Despite this portrayal, surveys taken across that decade and during the 1990s showed strong support for remaining within Ukraine and insignificant support for separatism. From the beginning of March 2014, demonstrations by pro-Russian and anti-government groups took place in

1919-765: Is home to two major professional football clubs: Shakhtar Donetsk , which played at the Donbas Arena prior to 2014 but now plays at NSC Olimpiyskiy , and FC Olimpik Donetsk , which currently plays in Chernihiv Stadium . Until 2021, both played in the Ukraine Premier League , but in 2021, Olimpik was relegated to the Ukrainian First League . Shakhtar Donetsk won the Ukrainian Championship and Ukrainian Cup multiple times, and in 2009 they became

2020-517: Is the only elite level team in the country. After playing a single season in the Russian Major League , the club upgraded its arena to Kontinental Hockey League regulations, and joined the league in 2012. When moving to the KHL, the club created a local farm club to play in the Ukrainian Championship under the name HC Donbass-2 , which won the 2012 and 2013 national titles. In 2013 Donetsk was hosting

2121-529: The 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship . The stadiums hosting the event on behalf of Donetsk were RSC Olimpiyskiy (which hosted the final) and the Metalurh Stadium . Donetsk is home to the ice hockey club HC Donbass , playing at the Druzhba Arena since 2011 (but discontinuing operations is 2014 and then moving to Druzhkivka in 2015), which won the 2011 Ukrainian Hockey Championship , and which

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2222-500: The 2012–13 IIHF Continental Cup ice hockey Super Final, which HC Donbass won, and the 2013 IIHF World Championship Division I – Group B , where Ukraine finished 1st and earned promotion to Group A (both were hosted at the Druzhba Arena ). After the team resumed operations in 2015, it withdrew from the KHL, ultimately ending up in the Ukrainian Hockey League , where it has won four of the last five championships. Donetsk

2323-399: The Commonwealth of Independent States . Close to 90% of voters voted in favour of these propositions. None of them were adopted since the vote was nationwide. Ukraine remained a unitary state , Ukrainian was retained as the sole official language, and the Donbas gained no autonomy. Nevertheless, the Donbas strikers gained many economic concessions from Kyiv, allowing for an alleviation of

2424-409: The Russo-Ukrainian War . The conflict was thus, in the words of historian Hiroaki Kuromiya, "secretly engineered and cleverly camouflaged by outsiders". There was limited support for separatism in the Donbas before the outbreak of the war, and little evidence of support for an armed uprising. Russian claims that Russian speakers in the Donbas were being persecuted or even subjected to " genocide " by

2525-611: The Soviet Union . Turnout was 76.7% in Donetsk Oblast and 80.7% in Luhansk Oblast. In October 1991, a congress of South-Eastern deputies from all levels of government took place in Donetsk, where delegates demanded federalisation. The region's economy deteriorated severely in the ensuing years. By 1993, industrial production had collapsed, and average wages had fallen by 80% since 1990. The Donbas fell into crisis, with many accusing

2626-503: The Ukrainian government . Amid that conflict, the self-proclaimed republics held referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on 11 May 2014. In the referendums, viewed as illegal by Ukraine and undemocratic by the international community, about 90% voted for the independence of the DPR and LPR. The initial protests in the Donbas were largely native expressions of discontent with

2727-413: The battle of Donbas began, a Russian offensive in mid-2022 within the larger eastern Ukraine campaign . By September 2024, Russia had control of about 80% of the region. According to the 2001 census, ethnic Ukrainians form 58% of the population of Luhansk Oblast and 56.9% of Donetsk Oblast. Ethnic Russians form the largest minority, accounting for 39% and 38.2% of the two oblasts respectively. In

2828-417: The fall of the Soviet Union , Donetsk and other neighboring cities of the Donbas suffered heavily, as many factories were closed down and many inhabitants lost their jobs. About 412,000 square metres (4,434,731 sq ft) of living space, 7.9 km (4.9 mi) of gas networks, and 15.1 km (9.4 mi) of water supply networks were constructed in the city during 1998–2001. The city also houses

2929-520: The "Donbas clan", a group of people that controlled economic and political power in the region. Prominent members of the "clan" included Viktor Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov . A brief attempt at gaining autonomy by pro-Viktor Yanukovych politicians and officials was made in 2004 during the Orange Revolution . The so-called South-East Ukrainian Autonomous Republic was intended to consist out of nine South - Eastern regions of Ukraine. The project

3030-466: The "Donetsk" special economic zone . Donetsk currently has nine sister cities . The German city of Magdeburg had economic partnerships with Donetsk during 1962–1996. In 2012, Donetsk was rated the best city for business in Ukraine by Forbes . Donetsk topped the rating in five indicators: human capital , the purchasing power of citizens, investment situation, economic stability , as well as infrastructure and comfort . The shopping areas in

3131-457: The 2000s, the Donbas was often perceived as having a "thug culture", as being a "Soviet cesspool", and as "backward". Writing in the Narodne slovo newspaper in 2005, commentator Viktor Tkachenko said that the Donbas was home to " fifth columns ", and that speaking Ukrainian in the region was "not safe for one's health and life". It was also portrayed as being home to pro-Russian separatism. The Donbas

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3232-668: The 2005 Davis Cup . Donetsk was home to the Alexander Kolyaskin Memorial , which was held between 2002 and 2008 and part of the ATP Challenger Series , and Donetsk is the home of the female Viccourt Cup , which is classified as an ITF Women's Circuit and started in 2012. Donbas The Donbas ( UK : / d ɒ n ˈ b ɑː s / , US : / ˈ d ɒ n b ɑː s , d ʌ n ˈ b æ s / ; Ukrainian : Донбас [donˈbɑs] ; ) or Donbass ( Russian : Донбасс [dɐnˈbas] )

3333-513: The Donbas and its population into Ukraine. The plan would give Russian-backed political entities partial control of the electorate and has been described by Zerkalo Nedeli as "implanting a cancerous cell into Ukraine's body." This was never implemented, and was subject to public protest. A 2018 survey by Sociological Group "Rating" of residents of the Ukrainian-controlled parts of the Donbas found that 82% of respondents believed there

3434-459: The Donbas autonomous status, whilst 34% supported a ceasefire and "freezing" the conflict, 23% supported military action to recover the occupied Donbas territories, and 6% supported separating these territories from Ukraine. On 21 February 2022, Russia officially recognised the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, effectively killing the Minsk agreements . Russia subsequently launched

3535-421: The Donbas became gripped by pro-Russian and anti-government unrest . This unrest later grew into a war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists affiliated with the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk "People's Republics", who were supported by Russia as part of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War . The conflict split the Donbas into Ukrainian-held territory, constituting about two-thirds of

3636-435: The Donbas was largely unpopulated until the second half of the 17th century, when Don Cossacks established the first permanent settlements in the region. The first town in the region was founded in 1676, called Solanoye (now Soledar ), which was built for the profitable business of exploiting newly discovered rock-salt reserves. Known for being a Cossack land, the " Wild Fields " ( Ukrainian : дике поле , dyke pole ),

3737-460: The Donbas, Russia abandoned what has been called its " hybrid war " approach, and began a conventional invasion of the region. As a result of the Russian invasion, DPR and LPR insurgents regained much of the territory they had lost during the Ukrainian government's preceding military offensive. Only this Russian intervention prevented an immediate Ukrainian resolution to the conflict. This forced

3838-750: The Donbas, as part of the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and the Euromaidan movement. These demonstrations, which followed the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation , and which were part of a wider group of concurrent pro-Russian protests across southern and eastern Ukraine , escalated in April 2014 into a war between the Russian-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR respectively), and

3939-527: The Donbas. According to linguist George Shevelov , in the early 1920s the proportion of secondary schools teaching in the Ukrainian language was lower than the proportion of ethnic Ukrainians in the Donbas – even though the Soviet Union had ordered that all schools in the Ukrainian SSR should be Ukrainian-speaking (as part of its Ukrainization policy). Surveys of regional identities in Ukraine have shown that around 40% of Donbas residents claim to have

4040-607: The Donbas. A subject of continuing research controversies, and often denied in these two oblasts, is the extent of forced emigration and deaths during the Soviet period, which particularly affected rural Ukrainians during the Holodomor which resulted as a consequence of early Soviet industrialization policies combined with two years of drought throughout southern Ukraine and the Volga region. Nearly all Ukrainian Jews either fled or were murdered in

4141-729: The Donbas. Other large cities (over 100,000 inhabitants) include Mariupol , Luhansk , Makiivka , Horlivka , Kramatorsk , Sloviansk , Alchevsk , Sievierodonetsk , and Lysychansk . The Kurgan hypothesis places the Pontic steppes of Ukraine and southern Russia as the linguistic homeland of the Proto-Indo-Europeans . The Yamnaya culture is identified with the late Proto-Indo-Europeans. The region has been inhabited for centuries by various nomadic tribes, such as Scythians , Alans , Huns , Bulgars , Pechenegs , Kipchaks , Turco-Mongols , Tatars and Nogais . The region now known as

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4242-673: The Holocaust in Ukraine during the German occupation in World War II . The Donbas is about 6% Muslim according to the official censuses of 1926 and 2001 . Prior to the Revolution of Dignity, the politics of the region were dominated by the pro-Russian Party of Regions , which gained about 50% of Donbas votes in the 2008 Ukrainian parliamentary election . Prominent members of that party, such as former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, were from

4343-485: The Kiev Pechersky District Court approved the arrest Sorkin in absentia on suspicion of embezzlement . Sorkin's parents live in Moscow , Russia . Where his father Vyacheslav Sorkin is an executive of Gazprom . Sorkin's wife Anzhela is a former executive of UkrBusinessBank . The head of the board of this bank was Sorkins predecessor as national bank governor Serhiy Arbuzov ; while UkrBusinessBank

4444-624: The Russian-speaking worker class. In April 1918 troops loyal to the Ukrainian People's Republic took control of large parts of the region. For a while, its government bodies operated in the Donbas alongside their Russian Provisional Government equivalents. The Ukrainian State , the successor of the Ukrainian People's Republic, was able in May 1918 to bring the region under its control for

4545-497: The UEFA standards for stadiums of "Elite" category. When the joint bid for the UEFA Euro 2012 was won by Poland and Ukraine , Donetsk's Donbas Arena was chosen as the location for three Group D matches, one quarter-final match, and one semi-final match. The RSK Olimpiyskyi Stadium was chosen as a reserve stadium. Donetsk, together with the nearby Mariupol , were the host towns of

4646-466: The Ukrainian government, forcing its hand to intervene, were deemed false by Voice of America . Fighting continued through the summer of 2014, and by August 2014, the Ukrainian "Anti-Terrorist Operation" was able to vastly shrink the territory under the control of the pro-Russian forces, and came close to regaining control of the Russo-Ukrainian border. In response to the deteriorating situation in

4747-463: The Ukrainian side to seek the signing of a ceasefire agreement. Called the Minsk Protocol , this was signed on 5 September 2014. As this failed to stop the fighting, another agreement, called Minsk II was signed on 12 February 2015. This agreement called for the eventual reintegration of the Donbas republics into Ukraine, with a level of autonomy. The aim of the Russian intervention in the Donbas

4848-579: The United Nations still overwhelmingly considered the areas to be Ukrainian, with only Syria , North Korea , and Russia itself considering them to be Russian. The territory of Donetsk is divided into 9 administrative districts , whose local government is administered by district councils , which are subordinate to the Donetsk City Council. See article: Russians in Ukraine Donetsk had

4949-597: The administrative center of which was Bakhmut . During the First Ukrainian–Soviet War , Yuzivka was captured by the Bolshevik forces on 5 January 1918, but then recaptured by Ukraine in April. Soviet forces captured Yuzivka again during the Second Ukrainian–Soviet War. Donetsk became a part of Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic from its declaration of independence on 12 February 1918. The Republic

5050-687: The area that is now called the Donbas was largely under the control of the Ukrainian Cossack Hetmanate and the Turkic Crimean Khanate until the mid-late 18th century, when the Russian Empire conquered the Hetmanate and annexed the Khanate. In the second half of the 17th century, settlers and fugitives from Hetman's Ukraine and Muscovy settled the lands north of the Donets river. At

5151-589: The beginning of the 20th century, Yuzovka had approximately 50,000 inhabitants, and attained the status of a city in 1917. The main district of Yuzovka is named English Colony, and the British origin of the city is reflected in its layout and architecture. When the Russian Civil War broke out, Yuzivka became a part of Ukrainian People's Republic as per the Third Universal . It became a part of Cuman Zemlia ,

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5252-406: The centre of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the larger economic and cultural Donets Basin ( Donbas ) region. Donetsk is adjacent to another major city, Makiivka , and along with other surrounding cities forms a major urban sprawl and conurbation in the region. Donetsk has been a major economic, industrial and scientific centre of Ukraine with

5353-425: The city and surrounding areas. Throughout the war, the city of Donetsk has been administered by the pro-Russian separatist forces as the center of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), with outlying territories of the Donetsk region divided between the two sides. Donetsk International Airport became the epicenter of the war in 2014 with almost a year-long battle. As of October 2022 , Russia has full control of

5454-406: The city include the enclosed shopping mall Donetsk City . Donetsk is a large sports center, has a developed infrastructure, and has repeatedly held international competitions – Davis Cup , UEFA Champions League . Representatives of the city are state leaders sports such as football, hockey, basketball, boxing, tennis, athletics and others. The most popular sport in Donetsk is football . Donetsk

5555-479: The city was briefly called Trotsk—after Leon Trotsky —for a few months in late 1923. At the start of World War II , the population of Stalino was 507,000. After the war, the population was 175,000. The invasion by Nazi Germany almost completely destroyed the city. It was occupied by German and Italian forces as part of the Reichskommissariat Ukraine between 16 October 1941 and 5 September 1943. It

5656-682: The city was renamed Donetsk, after the Seversky Donets River, a tributary of the Don in order to distance it from the former leader Joseph Stalin . In 1965, the Donetsk Academy of Sciences was established as part of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR . After the declaration of independence made by the Ukrainian parliament on 24 August 1991 the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum

5757-445: The city, with Ukrainian and Russian forces still in combat near the city. One of the early mining settlements in the territory of Donetsk was Alexandrovka (Oleksandrivka)  [ ru ; uk ] . The existence of Aleksandrovskaya (Oleksandrivska) Cossack sloboda in its place is attested by 1779, with the Aleksandrovsky (Oleksandrivska) coal mine  [ ru ; uk ] eventually being opened there. The city of Donetsk

5858-545: The coal basin is a reference to the Donets Ridge ; the latter is associated with the Donets river. There are numerous definitions of the region's extent. The Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine defines the "small Donbas" as the northern part of Donetsk and the southern part of Luhansk regions of Ukraine, and the attached part of Rostov region of Russia. The historical coal mining region excluded parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts , and included areas in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Southern Russia . A Euroregion of

5959-454: The coal industry led to a population boom in the region, largely driven by Russian settlers. Donetsk , the most important city in the region today, was founded in 1869 by Welsh businessman John Hughes on the site of the old Zaporozhian Cossack town of Oleksandrivka. Hughes built a steel mill and established several collieries in the region. The city was named after him as Yuzivka (Ukrainian: Юзівка ) or Yuzovka (Russian: Юзовка ). With

6060-443: The conflict broke out in 2014, the Ukrainian government registered 1.6 million internally displaced people who had fled the Donbas to other parts of Ukraine. Over 1 million were said to have fled elsewhere, mostly to Russia. At the time of the report, 2.7 million people were said to continue to live in areas under DPR and LPR control, comprising about one-third of the Donbas. Despite the Minsk agreements, low-intensity fighting along

6161-399: The congress, claiming to represent over 35 million citizens. Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov and an advisor from the Russian Embassy were present in the presidium. There were calls for the appointment of Viktor Yanukovych as president of Ukraine or prime minister , for declaring of martial law in Ukraine, dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada , creation of self-defence forces, and for the creation of

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6262-400: The country. The city used to be the home of few notable at the time yet now defunct clubs. The MFC Shakhtar Donetsk club won the Ukrainian futsal championship five times, but was dissolved in January 2011 midway through the season due to financial problems (at the time – the most titled club in Ukraine ). One of the top Soviet volleyball teams at the time, VC Shakhtar Donetsk , who were

6363-456: The course of the occupation. In Voroshilovgrad Oblast, now Luhansk Oblast , 45,649 were killed. In 1943 the Operation Little Saturn and Donbas strategic offensive by the Red Army resulted in the return of Donbas to Soviet control. The war had taken its toll, leaving the region both destroyed and depopulated. During the reconstruction of the Donbas after the end of the Second World War, large numbers of Russian workers arrived to repopulate

6464-440: The department, head of the sector, deputy head of the department, since 2001 - head of Banking Supervision department in Office of the National Bank of Ukraine in the Donetsk Oblast ) In July 2010 he was appointed deputy governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Since January 17, 2011 he was the 3d ranking civil servant . In December 2012 he became acting governor of the National Bank of Ukraine and on January 11, 2013, he

6565-431: The development of Yuzovka and similar cities, large numbers of landless peasants from peripheral governorates of the Russian Empire came looking for work. According to the Russian Imperial Census of 1897, Ukrainians (" Little Russians ", in the official imperial language) accounted for 52.4% of the population of the region, whilst ethnic Russians constituted 28.7%. Ethnic Greeks, Germans , Jews and Tatars also had

6666-424: The economic crisis in the region. Small strikes continued throughout the 1990s, though demands for autonomy faded. Some subsidies to Donbas heavy industries were eliminated, and many mines were closed by the Ukrainian government because of liberalising reforms pushed for by the World Bank . Leonid Kuchma , who had won the 1994 presidential election with support from the Donbas and other areas in eastern Ukraine,

6767-414: The end of the 18th century, many Russians , Ukrainians , Serbs and Greeks migrated to lands along the southern course of the Donets river, into an area previously inhabited by nomadic Nogais , who were nominally subject to the Crimean Khanate. Tsarist Russia named the conquered territories " New Russia " (Russian: Новороссия , Novorossiya ). As the Industrial Revolution took hold across Europe,

6868-484: The last team to win the Soviet Volleyball Championship , in 1992. The team also won the first two championships in the independent Ukraine league, in 1992 and 1993 (the 1992 Ukraine championship was held in Donetsk), and won the Ukraine Cup in 1993, but after having financial issues, the club was relegated in 1997, and after one season in the second tear it was shut down. Donetsk hosted the USSR Tennis Championship in 1978, 1979 and 1980, and hosted some tennis matches of

6969-410: The line of contact between Ukrainian government and Russian-controlled areas continued until 2022. Since the start of the conflict there have been 29 ceasefires, each intended to remain in force indefinitely, but none of them stopped the violence. This led the war to be referred to as a " frozen conflict ". On 11 January 2017, the Ukrainian government approved a plan to reintegrate the occupied part of

7070-478: The main government building, in Donetsk. The police did not offer resistance. Later in the week the authorities of Donetsk disallowed a referendum on the status of the region and the police retook the Donetsk OSA building. Donetsk became one of the centers of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine . On 7 April 2014, pro-Russian activists seized control of Donetsk OSA and declared the " Donetsk People's Republic ", asking for Russian intervention. On 11 May 2014,

7171-401: The majority of the rest declared themselves Slavs . Smaller minorities include in particular ethnic groups from the South Caucasus and northeast Anatolia region, including Armenians , Azerbaijanis , Georgians , and Pontic Greeks (including those defined as Caucasus Greeks ). Donetsk and the surrounding territories are heavily urbanised and agglomerated into conurbation. The workforce

7272-405: The new Ukrainian government. Russian involvement at this stage was limited to its voicing of support for the demonstrations. The emergence of the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk began as a small fringe group of the protesters, independent of Russian control. This unrest, however, only evolved into an armed conflict because of Russian military backing for what had been a marginal group as part of

7373-537: The new central government in Kyiv of mismanagement and neglect. Donbas coal miners went on strike in 1993, causing a conflict that was described by historian Lewis Siegelbaum as "a struggle between the Donbas region and the rest of the country". One strike leader said that Donbas people had voted for independence because they wanted "power to be given to the localities, enterprises, cities", not because they wanted heavily centralised power moved from "Moscow to Kyiv". This strike

7474-436: The next year, 80,085. In 1929–31 the city's name was changed to Stalino. The city did not have a drinking water system until 1931, when a 55.3 km (34.4 mi) system was laid underground. In July 1933, the city became the administrative center of the Donetsk Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR . In 1933, the first 12 km (7 mi) sewer system was installed, and the use of gas began the next year. Some sources state that

7575-784: The ongoing conflict in the country. Instead of Donetsk, the tournament was organized in Kraków , Poland. Eventually, Ukraine co-organized 2017 IIHF World Championship Division I , again Group A, but in its capital, Kyiv . Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the area around Donetsk has seen full-scale fighting between Ukrainian forces against Russian forces and their DNR counterparts. Russian-installed local officials have repeatedly accused Ukrainian armed forces of shelling Donetsk. On 30 September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed

7676-476: The present day, the Donbas is a predominately Russophone region . According to the 2001 census, Russian is the main language of 74.9% of residents in Donetsk Oblast and 68.8% in Luhansk Oblast. Residents of Russian origin are mainly concentrated in the larger urban centers. Russian became the main language and lingua franca in the course of industrialization, boosted by the immigration of many Russians, particularly from Kursk Oblast , to newly founded cities in

7777-588: The region were subjected to decossackisation during 1919–1921. Ukrainians in the Donbas were greatly affected by the 1932–33 Holodomor famine and the Russification policy of Joseph Stalin . As most ethnic Ukrainians were rural peasant farmers, they bore the brunt of the famine. The Donbas was greatly affected by the Second World War . In the lead-up to the war, the region was racked by poverty and food shortages. War preparations resulted in an extension of

7878-469: The region, and separatist-held territory, constituting about one-third. The region remained this way for years until Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine . On 30 September 2022, Russia unilaterally declared its annexation of Donbas together with two other Ukrainian oblasts, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia . The city of Donetsk (the fifth largest city in Ukraine) is considered the unofficial capital of

7979-450: The region, further altering the population balance. In 1926, 639,000 ethnic Russians resided in the Donbas, and Ukrainians made up 60% of the population. As a result of the Russification policy, the Ukrainian population of the Donbass then declined drastically as ethnic Russians settled in the region in large numbers. By 1959, the ethnic Russian population was 2.55 million. Russification

8080-563: The reign of the Empress Catherine the Great . In 1869, the Welsh businessman John Hughes founded a steel plant and several coal mines in the region, and the town was named Hughesovka or Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role ("Yuz" being a Russian-language approximation of Hughes ). During Soviet times, the city's steel industry expanded. In 1924, Yuzovka was renamed Stalin. In 1929, Stalin

8181-609: The same name is composed of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in Ukraine and Rostov Oblast in Russia . The Donbas formed the historical border between the Zaporizhian Sich and the Don Cossack Host . It has been an important coal mining area since the late 19th century, when it became a heavily industrialised territory. In March 2014, following the Euromaidan protest movement and the resulting Revolution of Dignity , large swaths of

8282-620: The second team from Ukraine (after FC Dynamo Kyiv ) to win a European competition, the UEFA Cup . Donetsk was also home to the women's football club WFC Donchanka , one of the most successful clubs in the history of the Ukrainian Women's League , but it ceased operations in 2014. Donetsk is home to the football stadium Donbas Arena , which was opened in 2009. It became the first stadium in Eastern Europe designed and constructed according to

8383-547: The strong mafia connection of its growing oligarchy, and for an increasing poverty rate. Some analysts warned of a long-term collapse of the Donetsk economy; and that it could share Detroit 's gloomy fate, due to its failure to combat crime and poverty. After President Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine to seek asylum in Russia, Russian-backed separatists took over the Regional State Administration Building ,

8484-419: The unguided BM-21 Grad missiles in populated areas, and has said the use of these weapons systems was a violation of international humanitarian laws and could constitute a war crime . It also called on the insurgents to avoid their deployment in densely populated areas. The 2015 IIHF World Championship Division I , Group A was scheduled for 18 to 24 April 2015 in Donetsk, but Ukraine withdrew as hosts due to

8585-407: The vast coal resources of the region, discovered in 1721, began to be exploited in the mid-late 19th century. It was at this point that the name Donbas came into use, derived from the term "Donets Coal Basin" (Ukrainian: Донецький вугільний басейн ; Russian: Донецкий каменноугольный бассейн ), referring to the area along the Donets river where most of the coal reserves were found. The rise of

8686-486: The working day for factory labourers, whilst those who deviated from the heightened standards were arrested. Nazi Germany 's leader Adolf Hitler viewed the resources of the Donbas as critical to Operation Barbarossa . As such, the Donbas suffered under Nazi occupation during 1941 and 1942. Thousands of industrial labourers were deported to Nazi Germany for use in factories. In what was then called Stalino Oblast , now Donetsk Oblast , 279,000 civilians were killed over

8787-532: Was also home to the basketball club BC Donetsk , which played in the Ukrainian Basketball Super League , and won the 2012 champion title. The club played at the Druzhba Arena , and Donetsk had been chosen as one of the 6 Ukrainian cities to host the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 . However, the club discontinued play after 2014 due to the ongoing war, and the 2015 FIBA tournament had to be moved out of

8888-518: Was appointed governor of the National Bank of Ukraine by Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine after being proposed by President Viktor Yanukovych . Since January 18, 2013 he has been a member of National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine . On 24 February 2014, just after the " Maidan revolution ", the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Sorkin as governor of the National Bank of Ukraine. On 17 March 2014

8989-413: Was at that time not recognized internationally , and all UN member states recognized the city as Ukrainian. However, in February 2022, Russia recognized the DPR and the neighboring Luhansk People's Republic as sovereign states, and later that year officially annexed them (along with various other parts of Ukraine that were then at least partially under Russian military occupation). The member states of

9090-586: Was disbanded at the 2nd All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets on 20 March 1918, when the independence of the Ukrainian Soviet Republic was declared. It failed to achieve recognition, either internationally or by the Russian SFSR , and was abolished under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk . In 1924, under Soviet rule , the city's name was changed to Stalin. In that year, the city's population totaled 63,708, and in

9191-464: Was followed by a 1994 consultative referendum on various constitutional questions in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, held concurrently with the first parliamentary elections in independent Ukraine. These questions included whether Russian should be declared an official language of Ukraine, whether Russian should be the language of administration in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, whether Ukraine should federalise, and whether Ukraine should have closer ties with

9292-432: Was founded in 1869 by Welsh businessman John Hughes , who operated a steel plant and several coal mines at Aleksandrovka. The worker's settlement at the plant merged with Aleksandrovka and the place was named Yuzovo/Yuzove, later Yuzovka/Yuzivka ( Russian : Юзово, Юзовка , Ukrainian : Юзове, Юзівка ), after Hughes. In its early period, it received immigrants from Wales, especially from the town of Merthyr Tydfil . By

9393-618: Was further advanced by the 1958–59 Soviet educational reforms, which led to the near elimination of all Ukrainian-language schooling in the Donbas. By the time of the Soviet Census of 1989 , 45% of the population of the Donbas reported their ethnicity as Russian. In 1990, the Interfront of the Donbass was founded as a movement against Ukrainian independence. In the 1991 referendum on Ukrainian independence, 83.9% of voters in Donetsk Oblast and 83.6% in Luhansk Oblast supported independence from

9494-541: Was held on 1 December 1991. In this referendum 83.90% of Donetsk's voters voted in favour of independence. After experiencing a tough time in the 1990s, when it was the center of gang wars for control over industrial enterprises, Donetsk modernised quickly, largely under the influence of big companies. In 1994 a consultative referendum was held in Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast , with around 90% supporting recognition of Russian as an official language alongside Ukrainian , and for Russian to be an official language on

9595-617: Was initiated on 26 November 2004 by the Luhansk Oblast Council, and was discontinued the next month by the Donetsk Oblast Council. On 28 November 2004, in Sievierodonetsk , the so-called First All-Ukraine Congress of People's Deputies And Local-Council's Deputies took place, organised by the supporters of Viktor Yanukovych. A total of 3,576 delegates from 16 oblasts of Ukraine, Crimea and Sevastopol took part in

9696-668: Was mostly rebuilt on a large scale after the war. In 1945, young men and women aged 17 to 35, from the Danube Swabian (Schwowe) communities of Yugoslavia , Hungary and Romania (the Batschka and Banat ), were forcibly sent to Russia as Allied "war reparations", being put to work as slave labour to rebuild Stalino and to work in its mines. The conditions were so poor that many died from disease and malnutrition. During Nikita Khrushchev 's second wave of destalinization in November 1961,

9797-416: Was no discrimination against Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. Only 11% saw some evidence of discrimination. The same survey also found that 71% of respondents did not support Russia's military intervention to "protect" the Russian-speaking population, with only 9% offering support for that action. Another survey by Rating, conducted in 2019, found that only 23% of those Ukrainians polled supported granting

9898-562: Was owned by Oleksandr Yanukovych who is the son of president Viktor Yanukovych at the time of the appointment of Sorkin as national bank governor. Sorkin was Merited Economist of Ukraine (since December 1, 2011) Donetsk Donetsk ( UK : / d ɒ n ˈ j ɛ t s k / don- YETSK , US : / d ə n -/ dən- ; Ukrainian : Донецьк [doˈnɛtsʲk] ; Russian : Донецк [dɐˈnʲetsk] ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka , Yuzivka (or Hughesovka ), Stalin , and Stalino ,

9999-408: Was re-elected as president of Ukraine in 1999 . President Kuchma gave economic aid to the Donbas, using development money to gain political support in the region. Power in the Donbas became concentrated in a regional political elite, known as oligarchs , during the early 2000s. Privatisation of state industries led to rampant corruption. Regional historian Hiroaki Kuromiya described this elite as

10100-414: Was renamed Stalino, and in 1932, the city became the centre of the Donetsk region. Renamed Donetsk in 1961, the city today remains a centre for coal mining and for the steel industry . Since April 2014, Donetsk and its surrounding areas have been one of the major sites of fighting in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War , as pro-Russian separatist forces battle against Ukrainian military forces for control of

10201-497: Was to establish pro-Russian governments that, upon reincorporation into Ukraine, would facilitate Russian interference in Ukrainian politics. The Minsk agreements were thus highly favourable to the Russian side, as their implementation would accomplish these goals. The conflict led to a vast exodus from the Donbas: half the region's population were forced to flee their homes. A UN OHCHR report released on 3 March 2016 stated that, since

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