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Donetsk




Geographic position.  Donetsk region is situated in the steppe zone of the south-eastern part of Ukraine and reaches the Sea of Azov shores in the South. Donetsk region is the biggest one and most densely populated region in Ukraine. The city is situated in the central part of Donets Basin to the south of Donets ridge, in the steppe area, surrounded by small forests, hills, rivers and lakes. At a distance of 95 km to the south of Donetsk is the Sea of Azov. 2 reservoirs – Nizhnekalmiusskoye reservoir and Donetsk sea are in Donetsk. 4 rivers: Kalmius, Asmolovka, Cherepashkina, Skomoroshka flow through the city. Total area of Donetsk is 358 square kilometers.  

Climate. Moderate continental. Warm weather is set in mid-April and lasts for 170-180 days. Frost-free period is on average 190-200 days. In the summer in Donetsk are high temperatures, drought and biting changeable wind. First cold appears in November, month is windy, sometimes with frost and snow, but snow rarely lies more than one or two days. In the cold season dominates Asian anticyclone. The climate is unstable, because flat terrain favors free advance of Atlantic, Arctic and continental air masses, frosts are often replaced by thaws.  

History.
First finds of people living on the territory of modern Donetsk are dated by the end of New Stone Age – beginning of Copper-Bronze Age. Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Goths, Slavs lived in the valley of Kalmius river, in which is located Donetsk. From 13 to 16 century land near Kalmius river became deserted and belonged to the Wild Field. Part of modern Donets Basin was under control of Don Cossacks. Settlements of Zaporizhzhya Cossacks were also in the area of Kalmius river. Cossacks opened up in 17 century waterway on Kalmius river to Azov Sea and formed along it fortified farmsteads-winter abodes, of which settlements were formed later. After the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 on the initiative of Catherine II is carried out active colonization of Donetsk steppe and land near Azov Sea: land was distributed to officers, migration of Greeks from Crimea, Romanians, Wallachians, Armenians is taking place.    The first written record about the settlement on the territory of modern city dates back to 1779. These are “Materials for historic and statistical description of Ekaterinoslav diocese” of Theodosius Makaryevsky that mention the foundation of Alexandrovka. In 1820 coal was discovered here and first small mines appeared. In 1841 on the order of Governor-General Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov three mines of Alexandrovsky minery were built. In 1869 businessman John Hughes begins construction of steel plant in the area of village Alexandrovka. Together with construction of the plant and mines in the summer of 1869 appears village Yuzovka, or Yuzov. The date of construction of the village is considered to be the time of founding of the city of Donetsk. First blast furnace was built on April 24, 1871 and on January 24, 1872 first cast iron was received. Plant, founded by Hughes, becomes one of the industrial centers of Russian Empire. Since December 1919 Soviet power was established in Donetsk. In 1923 Yuzovka became the regional center. In 1924 Yuzovka was renamed to Stalino. In July 1932 the city became the center of created Donetsk region. On October 26, 1941 the city was occupied by German troops. The city was included to war zone, directly under command of the German army. The city was liberated on September 8, 1943. On November 9, 1961 the city of Stalino was renamed to Donetsk as the center of Donetsk region.  
Attractions. There are 254 officially registered monuments of cultural heritage in Donetsk. There are 11 cinemas, 53 Palaces of Culture and clubs, 368 libraries with stock of over 15 522 662 books, 16 special primary schools of art in the city. Digital “Planetarium” was opened on August 30, 2008 in the center of Donetsk city in the public garden “Falcon”. There are 140 museums and museum rooms in Donetsk. Among them are two large state regional museums: Donetsk Regional Arts Museum and Donetsk Regional Local History Museum. There are several theaters in the city: Donetsk Academic Ukrainian Music Drama Theater (Art Director – Mark Matveevich Brovun), Donetsk A.B. Solovyanenko Academic State Opera and Ballet Theater (Art Director – People’s Artist of Ukraine Vadim Pisarev). International festival “Stars of world ballet”, regional theater festival “Theatrical Donbass” are regularly held in Donetsk. There is a lot of greenery in Donetsk. Pushkin Boulevard, Shcherbakov Park with its famous rose gardens, park of forged figures, Japanese garden are situated in the center of the city. Donetsk is a major sports center. The city conducted major international competitions: match meetings of the Davis Cup, UEFA Champions League.   







Svyatogorsk is a district town in Donetsk region of Ukraine. It is located on Seversky Donets river, near the border of three regions – Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lugansk. It is the most northern town of Donetsk region. Settlement in the area of Svyatogorsk was founded in the XVI century by Cossacks and runaway peasants from the territories of modern Central Russia and Right-Bank Ukraine.  
Svyatogorsk is located on the territory of national natural park “Svyati Gory” (“Holy Mountains”). Chalk mountains, where rare plants have survived antiquity, are in the park.   
Opposite the town, on the right bank of Seversky Donets river, is located Svyatogorsk Holy Assumption Lavra – Orthodox monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The founder of Svyatogorsk monastic community is considered Venerable Joasaph. First written mention of the locality “Svyati Gory” refers to 1526. In 1787 on decree of Empress Catherine II Svyatogorsk monastery was abolished, and villages, land and holdings, belonging to it, were taken away to treasury. The cloister was in abolished state for almost 57 years. In 1844 on decree of Emperor Nicholas I Svyatogorsk monastery was restored to rank and charter of Glinksy hermitage of Kursk diocese. Over the next 70 years it ha reached an unprecedented prosperity, becoming one of the largest in Russian Empire. Before the First World War there were about 600 monks in the monastery. Events of 1917 and arrival of new Soviet government had a tragic influence on future fate of Svyatogorsk monastery, plunder of which began since January 1918. In 1922 the monastery was liquidated, and on its place was formed a rest home for workers of Donbass. It was the time of the final plunder of the monastery. Svyatogorsk cloister was reopened in 1992. On March 9, 2004 the Holy Synod of Ukrainian Orthodox Church adopted a decision on awarding the monastery status of lavra.   

The city of Mariupol is situated on the shores of the Azov Sea at the mouth of rivers Kalmius and Kalchik. This is one of the most important centers of metallurgy and machine building, a major seaport. Mariupol is among the ten largest cities in Ukraine. It is known since the beginning of XVI century as Cossack fortress, but it became the real city only after moving to lands near Azov Sea of Crimean Greeks in 1778-1780.