Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, although it is administered by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

as capital of the

Luhansk People's Republic The Luhansk or Lugansk People's Republic (russian: Луга́нская Наро́дная Респу́блика, Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika, ; abbreviated as LPR or LNR, rus, ЛНР) is a disputed entity created by Russian-backed ...

(LPR). As of 2021, the population was estimated to be 399,559, making Luhansk the most populous city in the region and the 12th largest in Ukraine. In 2001, nearly half of the population was ethnically Ukrainian, and 47% was ethnically Russian. Luhansk has been the capital and administrative center of Luhansk Oblast, although the Ukrainian administration was relocated to

Sievierodonetsk russian: Северодоне́цк , other_name = Severodonetsk , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = Severodoneck prapor.png , image_shield ...

when the

War in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

broke out following the establishment of LPR.

Etymology

Luhansk was named after the

Luhan Lu Han (Chinese: 鹿晗, born April 20, 1990), also known mononymously as Luhan, is a Chinese singer and actor. He was a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-group Exo-M, before leaving the group in October 2014. Tha ...

River, which flows through the city. According to folk etymology, the name is also derived to the word "Luh" (Ukrainian: Луг), which means "meadow", referring to the floodplains around the river.

History

The city traces its history to 1795 when the British industrialist Charles Gascoigne founded a metal factory near the

Zaporizhian Cossacks The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host, (, or uk, Військо Запорізьке, translit=Viisko Zaporizke, translit-std=ungegn, label=none) or simply Zaporozhians ( uk, Запорожці, translit=Zaporoz ...

settlement Kamianyi Brid. The settlement around the factory was known as ''Luganskiy Zavod''. In 1882 the factory settlement Luganskiy Zavod was merged with the town of Kamianyi Brid into the city of Luhansk (also Luhanske, according to the Kharkiv orthography). Located in the

Donets Basin The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Done ...

, Luhansk developed into an important industrial center of Eastern Europe, particularly as a home to the major locomotive-building company

Luhanskteplovoz Luhanskteplovoz ( uk, Луганськтепловоз or Luhansk Locomotive Works), earlier known as Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works is a large industrial company in Luhansk, Ukraine, manufacturing locomotives, multiple unit trains (both electr ...

. The city was occupied by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

between 14 July 1942 and 14 February 1943. On 5 November 1935, the city was renamed Voroshilovgrad (russian: Ворошиловград, Voroshilovgrad; uk, Ворошиловград, Voroshylovhrad) in honour of Soviet military commander and politician

Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov (, uk, Климент Охрімович Ворошилов, ''Klyment Okhrimovyč Vorošylov''), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (russian: link=no, Клим Вороши́лов, ''Klim Vorošilov''; 4 Februa ...

. On 5 March 1958, after Khrushchev's call to not name cities after living people, the old name was reinstated. On 5 January 1970, after the death of Voroshilov on 2 December 1969, the name changed again to Voroshilovgrad. On 4 May 1990, a decree of the

Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (Ukrainian: Верховна Рада Української РСР, tr. ''Verkhovna Rada Ukrayins'koyi RSR''; Russian: Верховный Совет Украинской ССР, tr. ''Verkhovnyy Sovet U ...

gave the city back its original name. In 1994 a consultative referendum took place in the Donetsk Oblast and the Luhansk Oblast, with around 90% supporting the Russian language gaining status of an official language alongside Ukrainian, and for the Russian language to be an official language on a regional level. Secessionists barricade in Luhansk

During the

war in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

, separatists seized governmental buildings in the region, proclaiming the

. An

independence referendum An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence does not alwa ...

, unconstitutional under Ukrainian law, was held on 11 May 2014. This referendum was not recognized as legitimate by any government. In August 2014, Ukrainian government forces completely surrounded rebel-held Luhansk. Heavy shelling caused civilian casualties in the city. On 17 August, Ukrainian soldiers entered the rebel-controlled Luhansk and for a time had control over a police station. After the Ilovaisk counteroffensive, LPR forces regained Lutuhyne and other Luhansk suburbs. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the

Luhansk International Airport Luhansk International Airport ( uk, Міжнародний аеропорт "Луганськ") was an airport in Luhansk, Ukraine . The airport was located 20 km (12 miles) south of the city center, 9 km to the city limit. Since 11 Ju ...

on 1 September 2014, after heavy fighting. Luhansk became the capital and the administrative center of the rebel state of the Luhansk People's Republic. The administration of the Luhansk Oblast was moved to

Sievierodonetsk russian: Северодоне́цк , other_name = Severodonetsk , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = Severodoneck prapor.png , image_shield ...

by the government of Ukraine. On September 30, 2022, during the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

, Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

signed a decree declaring the annexation of four regions of Ukraine (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhiya Oblasts) to

. The annexation was illegal under

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

and was condemned by the

General Assembly of the United Nations The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

Raions in the city (City districts)

* Artemivskyi Raion ** city of Oleksandrivsk ** urban-type settlement Yuvileine * Kamiano-Bridskyi Raion * Zhovtnevyi Raion * Leninskyi Raion

Higher education

Some of the more prestigious universities in Ukraine have their home in Luhansk. Luhansk is the location of the main campus of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Luhansk,

East Ukrainian Volodymyr Dahl National University Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University (SNU) ( uk, Східноукраїнський національний університет імені Володимира Даля) is one of the leading establishments of higher education in ...

and of Luhansk State Medical University.

Demographics

In the Ukrainian Census of 2001, 49.6% of the inhabitants declared themselves as ethnically

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...

and 47% as Russians. 85.3% of the population spoke Russian as their native language, while 13.7% spoke Ukrainian, 0.2%

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

and 0.1% Belarusian.

Sport

Luhansk is home to

Zorya Luhansk FC Zorya Luhansk ( uk, ФК «Зоря» Луганськ ) is a Ukrainian football team. Zorya Luhansk is based in the city of Luhansk, Ukraine. However, because of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the team play their games at Slavutych-Arena in Zapor ...

which now plays in the

Ukrainian Premier League The Ukrainian Premier League ( uk, "Українська Прем'єр-ліга", ''Ukrayinska Premier Liha'') or UPL is the highest division of Ukrainian annual football championship. As the Vyshcha Liha ( uk, Вища ліга, ''Top 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 7 September 2006, archaeologists in Ukraine announced that an ancient structure had been discovered near Luhansk, 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 Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica ...

. It was later concluded that the site in question was not a pyramid but was still of great interest.

Gallery

During 2014 and 2015, Luhansk has been the scene of intense fighting and most of these buildings are damaged to some extent. Some may be destroyed. File:Институт Культуры.jpg, Luhansk University File:Night Luhansk sovetskya street.jpg, Radianska Street at night File:Гостиница "Луганск".jpg, Luhansk Hotel File:Свято-Владимирский кафедральный собор.jpg, St. Volodymyr Cathedral File:Эстакада.jpg, Luhansk railway station File:Кукольный Театр.jpg, Soviet buildings in the central city File:В.И.Даль 02.jpg, City old hospital File:В.И.Даль 01.jpg, Monument to Vladimir Dal File:Lugansk Lenini kujuga 09.08. 2015.jpg, Luhansk Drama Theatre File:Sõjapurustused Luganskis.jpg, A consumer electronics and appliance store, heavily damaged as a consequence of the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Rev ...

. File:LUHANSK 111.jpg, Monument to the Revolution Heroes

Climate

Luhansk has a hot summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Dfa''). Luhansk has both the highest and lowest temperature recorded in Ukraine. A record high of was recorded on 12 August 2010, which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Ukraine. A record low of was recorded on 8 January 1935.

Notable people

* Vladislav Anisovich (1908–1969) a Russian and Soviet painter and art educator * Vladimir Bobrov (1915–1970) a Soviet fighter pilot and

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

Nadiya Bychkova Nadiya Bychkova ( uk, Надія Бичкова) (born 24 August 1989) is a Ukrainian ballroom and Latin American dancer who is a multiple-time Slovenian Ballroom and Latin Champion and two-time World and European Champion in ‘10’ Dance. In 20 ...

(born 1989) a Ukrainian-Slovenian ballroom and Latin American dancer * Vladimir Dal (1801–1872), Russian

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries. * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries. * Theoretica ...

and

polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all Eu ...

* Dov Feigin (1907-2000) an Israeli sculptor. *

Pavel Luspekayev Pavel Borisovich Luspekayev (russian: Па́вел Бори́сович Луспека́ев) (20 April 1927, Luhansk — 17 April 1970, Moscow) was a Soviet actor who is best known for his role of Vereschagin in the classic Russian movie '' White ...

(1927—1970) a Soviet actor * Yulia Malinovsky (born 1975), Israeli politician * Mikhail Matusovsky (1915–1990), Soviet poet, songwriter * Julia Rysina (born 1989) stage name ''

T-DJ Milana T-DJ Milana (Julia Igorevna Rysina; born February 12, 1989 in Lugansk) is a Ukrainian DJ, composer, dancer and model, best known for performing in top-less in her sets. Biography Julia Rysina was born on February 12, 1989 in Lugansk. Until 20 ...

'', DJ, composer, dancer and model * Leonid Pasechnik (born 1970) leader of the self-proclaimed

. * Igor Plotnitsky (born 1964) former leader of the self-proclaimed

. * Andriy Portnov (born 1973) a Ukrainian lawyer and politician. * Aleksandr Ptushko (1900–1973) a Soviet animation and fantasy film director * Nikolay Shmatko (1943–2020), sculptor, professor and painter * Tatyana Snezhina (1972–1995) a Russian poet and singer-songwriter. * Kostiantyn Sytnyk (1926–2017) a Ukrainian and Soviet scientist and academician *

(1881–1969), Soviet military commander * Yevheniy Yevtukhov (born 1984) stage name '' DJ Sender'' a Ukrainian DJ, music producer, songwriter and singer

Sport

* Sergey Andreyev (born 1956) a football manager and a former player with 617 club caps and 26 for the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Valeriy Brumel Valeriy Nikolayevich Brumel (russian: Валерий Николаевич Брумель; 14 April 1942 – 26 January 2003)Great Russian Encyclopedia (2006), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya Enciklopediya Publisher, vol. 4, p. 243 was a Russian hi ...

(1942–2003), a Soviet high jumper; silver medallist at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

and gold medallist at the 1964 Summer Olympics *

Viktor Bryzhin Viktor Arkadyevich Bryzhin ( uk, Віктор Аркадійович Бризгін, russian: Виктор Аркадьевич Брызгин, ''Viktor Bryzgin;'' born 22 August 1962 in VoroshilovgradGreat Russian Encyclopedia (2006), Moscow: Bol ...

(born 1962) a former sprinter, team gold medallist at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

. * Yelyzaveta Bryzhina (born 1989), sprinter, team bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics * Sergey Bubka (born 1963), Soviet and Ukrainian

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

er, former World Record holder, and gold medallist at the

* Vasiliy Bubka (born 1960), Soviet and Ukrainian pole vaulter *

Fedor Emelianenko Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( rus, Фёдор Влади́мирович Емелья́ненко, r=Fyodor Vladimirovich Yemelyanenko, p=ˈfʲɵdər vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ jɪmʲɪˈlʲjænʲɪnkə, IPA; born ...

(born 1976), Russian heavyweight

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

and judoka *

Vyacheslav Glazkov Vyacheslav Valeriyovych Glazkov ( uk, В'ячеслав Валерійович Глазков, born 15 October 1984) is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 2009 to 2016. He challenged once for the vacant IBF heavyweight titl ...

(born 1984) boxer, bronze medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics * Irina Kirichenko (1937–2020) a Soviet sprint cyclist * Serhiy Malyi (born 1990) footballer with over 150 club caps and 46 for

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

* Viktor Onopko (born 1969), Russian football player with 462 club caps and 109 for

Sergei Semak Sergei Bogdanovich Semak (russian: Серге́й Богда́нович Сема́к ; uk, Сергій Богданович Семак; born 27 February 1976) is a Russian football manager and a former international midfielder who currently ...

(born 1976), footballer and manager with 552 club caps and 65 for

* Andriy Serdinov (born 1982), butterfly swimmer, bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics. * Oleh Shelayev ( born 1976) footballer with over 400 club caps and 36 for

* Anton Shoutvin (born 1989), Israeli basketball player * Tetyana Skachko (born 1954) long jumper, bronze medallist at the 1980 Summer Olympics * Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova (born 1969), hurdler, bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics * Sergei Yuran (born 1969), football player with 276 club caps and 25 for

* Oleksandr Zavarov (born 1961), Soviet and Ukrainian football player and coach with over 450 club caps and 41 for the

International relations

Luhansk is twinned with: *

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, United Kingdom * Lublin, Poland * Székesfehérvár, Hungary * Daqing, China * Saint-Étienne, France *

Pernik Pernik ( bg, Перник ) is a town in western Bulgaria (about south-west of Sofia) with a population of 70,285 . Pernik is the most populated town in western Bulgaria after Sofia. It is the main town of Pernik Province and lies on both bank ...

, Bulgaria

References

External links

* *
Official website of the Luhansk city councilFormer website of the Luhansk city council (last updated July 2015)

Topographic map 1:100 000
{{Authority control Cities in Luhansk Oblast Slavyanoserbsky Uyezd Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic Populated places established in 1795 Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Populated places established in the Russian Empire Donets City name changes in the Soviet Union Former Soviet toponymy in Ukraine Oblast centers in Ukraine 1795 establishments in Europe Territorial disputes of Ukraine

Etymology

History

Raions in the city (City districts)

Higher education

Demographics

Sport

Merheleva Ridge

Gallery

Climate

Notable people

Sport

International relations

See also

References

External links