russian: Северодоне́цк , other_name = Severodonetsk , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = Severodoneck prapor.png , image_shield = Severodoneck gerb.png , nickname = , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = Map of Ukraine with Severodonetsk highlighted , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 =

Oblast An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdo ...

, subdivision_name1 = , subdivision_type2 =

Raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is c ...

, subdivision_name2 = Sievierodonetsk Raion , established_title = Founded , established_date = 29 April 1934 , established_title1 = City status , established_date1 = 1958 , established_title2 = , established_date2 = , parts_type = , parts_style = para , p1 = , leader_title = Head of Military-Civil Administration , leader_name = Oleksandr Stryuk , area_magnitude = , area_total_km2 = 42.1 , area_land_km2 = , area_water_km2 = , population_as_of = 2021 , population_note = , population_total = 101135 , population_footnotes = , population_urban = , population_density_km2 = auto , population_demonym = Sievierodonets, Severodonets , timezone =

UTC+2 UTC+02:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02:00. In ISO 8601, the associated time would be written as 2020-11-08T23:41:45+02:00. This time is used in: As standard time (year-round) ''Principal cities: Cairo, Pretoria, C ...

(EET) , timezone1_DST =

UTC+3 UTC+03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +03:00. In areas using this time offset, the time is three hours later than the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Following the ISO 8601 standard, a time with this offset would be wr ...

(EEST) , pushpin_map = Ukraine Lugansk Oblast#Ukraine , pushpin_label_position = , pushpin_map_caption = Location of Sievierodonetsk , pushpin_mapsize = , coordinates = , elevation_m = 51 , postal_code_type =

Postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal ...

, postal_code = 93400 , area_code_type =

Area code A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, r ...

, area_code = +380 6452(645) , registration_plate_type = Number plate , registration_plate = BB, HB , blank_name =

Climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

, blank_info = Dfb , website
www.sed-rada.gov.ua
, footnotes = , name = , pushpin_relief = y , module = Sievierodonetsk, Siverodonetsk uk, Сіверодонéцьк, Siverodonetsk or Severodonetsk is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Luhansk Oblast Luhansk Oblast ( uk, Луга́нська о́бласть, translit=Luhanska oblast; russian: Луганская область, translit=Luganskaya oblast; also referred to as Luhanshchyna, uk, Луга́нщина) is the easternmost Adminis ...

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 inva ...

. It is located to the northeast of the left bank of the

Siverskyi Donets 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, Don ...

river and approximately to the northwest from the oblast capital, Luhansk. It faces Lysychansk across the river. The city, whose name comes from the above-mentioned river, had a 2021 population of making it then the second most populous city in the oblast. Since June 2022, it has been militarily occupied and administered by the

Russian Federation 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 ...

. Sievierodonetsk has several factories and a significant chemical production centre " Azot", part of the Ostchem group. There is also an

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

to the south of the city. Since 2014, Sievierodonetsk had served as the administrative centre of Luhansk Oblast, due to the city of Luhansk falling under the control 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 ...

during the War in Donbas. As part of the

2022 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. A ...

, Sievierodonetsk had come under heavy attack from Russian forces and was the forefront of the Battle of Donbas, resulting in extensive destruction to the city, including residential areas. By 25 June 2022, the city was completely captured by Russian and separatist forces, with Ukrainian authorities claiming that the civilian population was approximately 10,000, ten percent of its pre-war level.

History

Soviet era

The foundation of modern Sievierodonetsk is closely connected with the beginning of construction of the Lysychansk Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant within the limits of Lysychansk,

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

in 1934. Donets itself was already combined with Lysychansk. The first settlement of workers on the construction site was called Lyskhimstroi, near Donets. In September 1935, the first school was opened in the settlement, a silicate brick plant started production, and the first three residential two-story houses were built. In 1940, there were 47 houses, a school, a club, a kindergarten, a nursery, and 10 buildings of a chemical combine in Lyskhimstroi. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, Lyskhimstroi and surrounding areas were occupied by German forces on 11 July 1942. On 1 February 1943, over half a year later, it was retaken by the

41st Guards Rifle Division The 41st Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in August 1942, based on the 1st formation of the 10th Airborne Corps, and served in that role until after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It was the last ...

and 110th Tank Brigade of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

. Work to restore and expand the Lysychansk Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant began on 10 December 1943 and by 1946, the pre-war housing stock was completely restored, which amounted to 17,000 square meters. A domestic airport south of the Lyskhimstroi began operations in May 1948, it would undergo major renovations during the early 1960s. Four new names were proposed for the settlement in 1950: Svetlograd, Komsomolsk-on-Donets, Mendeleevsk and Severodonetsk. It was renamed Severodonetsk, after the Siverskyi Donets River. Severodonetsk would receive the status of an urban settlement the same year. On 1 January 1951, the Lysychansk Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant would produce its first output of ammonium nitrate. A local newspaper starting publishing in the city in April 1965.

Independent Ukraine

War in Donbas

During the war in Donbas, the town was captured late May 2014 by combined pro-Russian forces, who totaled up to 1,000. Some locals supported the Russian-backed forces but most say they suffered extortion, violence and intolerance under a "reign of terror." No Ukrainian presidential election in 2014 was held in the city as the separatists did not allow the voting places to open and much of

Election Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...

's property was either stolen or destroyed. On 22 July 2014, Ukrainian forces regained control of the city. Heavy fighting continued around the city for a number of days; on 23 July 2014 the National Guard of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Army released a statement that said they were "continuing the cleansing of Sievierodonetsk". A bridge across Siverskyi Donets river was severely damaged during the war in 2014; it was re-opened in December 2016. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...

contributed 93.8% of the funding for the restoration. In 2016, there was a proposal in Ukraine's parliament, the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ( uk, Верхо́вна Ра́да Украї́ни, translit=, Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy, translation=Supreme Council of Ukraine, Ukrainian abbreviation ''ВРУ''), often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the ...

, to rename the city Siverskodonetsk (), changing the Russian exonym to a native Ukrainian version with the same meaning.

2022 Russian invasion

Attack on the center of Severodonetsk by Russian forces

During the larger Battle of Donbas of the

, Sievierodonetsk became the center of intense fighting and media attention. In May, Russian forces made Sievierdonetsk its major focus in an attempt to capture Luhansk Oblast. On 31 May, the city's mayor stated that Russian forces had seized control of half of the city. By 14 June, Russian forces had control of 80% of the city and had cut off all escape routes. On 24 June, the Ukrainian government ordered its forces to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk. On 26 June, Russian Defense Minister Spokesman

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

Igor Konashenkov Lieutenant General Igor Yevgenyevich Konashenkov (russian: Игорь Евгеньевич Конашенков; born 15 May 1966) is a Russian military officer serving as the chief spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federa ...

stated the Luhansk People's Militia and

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...

had "completely liberated the cities of Severodonetsk and Borovskoye as well as populated localities Voronovo and Sirotino in the Lugansk People's Republic".

Demographics

Ethnicity of the city's residents as of the 2001 census: *

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 ...

: 59% *

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

: 38.7% *

Belarusians , native_name_lang = be , pop = 9.5–10 million , image = , caption = , popplace = 7.99 million , region1 = , pop1 = 600,000–768,000 , region2 = , pop2 ...

: 0.6% *Other: 1.7%

Economy

Chemical industries formerly active in Sievierdonetsk include: *" Azot" – one of the largest chemical plants in Europe. *Khimpostavschik, a private enterprise *Himexele

Sports

The first Ukrainian championship in

bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two teams wearing ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The international governing body for bandy is ...

was held in Sievierodonetsk in February 2012. Azot Severodonetsk, a bandy club based in the city, came out victorious in the tournament.

Sister cities

Sievierodonetsk is twinned with the following municipalities: * Jelenia Góra,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Rivne Rivne (; uk, Рівне ),) also known as Rovno (Russian: Ровно; Polish: Równe; Yiddish: ראָוונע), is a city in western Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast ( province), as well as the surrounding Rivne ...

Notable people

Notable residents of Sievierodonetsk include: * Irina Antanasijević (born 1965), Russo-Serbian

philologist Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined ...

literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. ...

and

translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

* Nikolay Davydenko (born 1981), retired professional

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

player * Pavel Gubarev (born 1983), former head of the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a disputed en ...

Serhiy Haidai Serhiy Volodymyrovych Haidai ( uk, Сергій Володимирович Гайдай; born 6 November 1975) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and politician. He is the current head of the Luhansk Regional Military–Civil Administration since 25 ...

(born 1975), entrepreneur and current head of the Luhansk Regional Military–Civil Administration * Yuriy Hritsyna (born 1971), professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

coach and former player *Yosip Kurlat (1927-2000),

children's writer Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

and translator * Snejana Onopka (born 1986), Ukrainian fashion model *Valentin Pukhalsky (1887-1981), Soviet

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

*Borys Romanov (born 1949),

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscip ...

artist *Kurt Schmid (born 1942), Austrian conductor and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

*Dmytro Semenenko (born 1988), Ukrainian powerlifter *Svitlana Talan (born 1960),

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

ist

Notes

References

External links

*
City portal
{{Authority control Cities in Luhansk Oblast Destroyed cities Donets Populated places established in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Populated places established in 1932 1932 establishments in Ukraine Russification Territorial disputes of Ukraine Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Sievierodonetsk Raion