Luhansk Oblast

Luhansk Oblast Луганська область Luhans’ka oblast’
Oblast
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Eastern gate of Ukraine,[1][2] dawn of Ukraine,[3][4][5] Luhanshchyna, Luhan'
Coordinates: 48°55′N 39°01′E / 48.92°N 39.02°ECoordinates: 48°55′N 39°01′E / 48.92°N 39.02°E
Country	Ukraine
Established	June 3, 1938
Administrative center	Luhansk (de jure) Sievierodonetsk (de facto)
Government
• Governor	Yuriy Harbuz[6] (Petro Poroshenko Bloc[6])
• Oblast council	124 seats
• Chairperson	Valerij Holenko (Party of Regions[7])
Area
• Total	26,684 km^2 (10,303 sq mi)
Population (September 1, 2014[8])
• Total	2,239,500
• Rank	Ranked 7th
Demographics
• Official language(s)	Ukrainian, Russian
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	?
Area code	+380-64
ISO 3166 code	UA-09
Vehicle registration	BB
Raions	18
Cities (total) — Regional cities	37 14
Urban-type settlements	109
Villages	792
FIPS 10-4	UP14
Website	loga.gov.ua oblrada.lg.ua

Luhansk Oblast (Ukrainian: Луганська область, translit. Luhanśka oblastj, Russian: Луганская область, translit. Luganskaja oblastj; also referred to as Luhanshchyna – Ukrainian: Луганщина, Luhanščyna) is the easternmost oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast (until 1958 and again 1970 to 1990) in honor of Kliment Voroshilov. Population: 2,256,551 (2013 est.)^[9].

Important cities within the oblast include: Alchevsk, Antratsyt, Brianka, Kirovsk, Krasnyi Luch, Krasnodon, Lysychansk, Luhansk, Pervomaisk, Rovenky, Rubizhne, Sverdlovsk, Sievierodonetsk, Stakhanov.

Due to the War in Donbass, the administrative center of the oblast was relocated to Sievierodonetsk.^[10]

Geography

Geographic map

Luhansk Oblast is located in eastern Ukraine. The area of the oblast (26,700 km²), comprises about 4.42% of the total area of the country.

Its longitude from north to south is 250 km, from east to west – 190 km. The oblast has the longest segment of the Ukrainian international border with Russia among other regions (see State Border of Ukraine) consisting of 746 km (464 mi). It borders the Belgorod and Voronezh Oblasts of Russia on the north, while the Rostov Oblast is located to the east and the south. Among Ukrainian regions, the oblast borders the Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts to its west.

The region is located in the valley of Siversky Donets which splits the region approximately in half. The southern portion of the region is elevated by the Donetsk Ridge which is located closer to the southern border. The highest point is Mohyla Mechetna (367 m (1,204 ft)) which is the highest point of Donetsk Ridge.

The left bank of Siversky Donets is part of the Starobilsk Plain which to the north transforms into the Central Russian Upland.

History

A monument to Don Cossacks in Luhansk. "To the sons of glory and freedom"

The oblast originated in 1938 as Voroshylovhrad (Russian: Voroshilovgrad) Oblast after the Donetsk Oblast was split between Voroshylovhrad and Stalino (today Donetsk Oblast) oblasts. After the invasion by Nazi Germany in 1941 the region came under a German military administration, due to its proximity to frontlines.

During the Soviet times the Oblast bore its current name between 1958 and 1970. In the 1991 referendum, 83.86% of votes in the oblast were in favor of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.

In 1994 a 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; however, the referendum was annulled by the Kiev government.^[11][12]

On April 8, 2014, following the annexation of Crimea by Russia, pro-Russian separatists occupying the Luhansk Oblast administrative building planned to declare the independence of the region as the Luhansk Parliamentary Republic, after other pro-Russian separatists declared Donetsk People's Republic in the Donetsk Oblast (April 7, 2014). When the Luhansk Parliamentary Republic ceased to exist, the separatists declared the Luhansk People's Republic (April 27, 2014) and held a disputed referendum on separating from Ukraine on May 11, 2014. The legitimacy of the referendums was not recognized by any government.^[13] Ukraine does not recognize the referendum, while the EU and US said the polls were illegal.^[14] Subsequently, the War in Donbass started.

As a result of the War in Donbass, Luhansk insurgents control the southern third of the oblast, which includes the city of Luhansk, the region's most populous city as well as the capital of the oblast. Due to this, most oblast government functions have moved to Severodonetsk, which forces of the Government of Ukraine recaptured in July 2014. Many universities located in the occupied areas have moved to government-controlled cities such as Severodonetsk, Starobelsk or Rubizhne.^[15][16] A survey conducted in December 2014 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 5.7% of the oblast's population supported their region joining Russia, 84.1% did not support the idea, and the rest were undecided or did not respond; insurgent-controlled areas were not polled.^[17]

Administrative subdivisions

English Name	Local Name	Type	Area (km^2)	Population Census 2001	Population Estimate 1 Jan 2012	Admin.ctr
Alchevsk	Алчевськ	city of regional significance	49	119,193	112,071	Alchevsk
Antratsit	Антрацит	city of regional significance	61	90,835	78,482	Antratsit
Antratsitivsky	Антрацитівський (район)	raion	1,662	36,971	31,454	Antratsit
Bilokurakynsky	Білокуракинський (район)	raion	1,436	23,807	19,858	Bilokurakyne
Bilovodsky	Біловодський (район)	raion	1,597	27,559	24,459	Bilovodsk
Brianka	Брянка	city of regional significance	64	61,357	54,085	Brianca
Kirovsk	Кіровськ	city of regional significance	35	45,012	36,708	Kirovsk
Krasnodon	Краснодон	city of regional significance	77	118,168	104,640	Krasnodon
Krasnodonsky	Краснодонський (район)	raion	1,386	32,846	29,983	Krasnodon
Krasnyi Luch	Красний Луч	city of regional significance	154	145,129	125,166	Krasnyi Luch
Kreminsky	Кремінський (район)	raion	1,627	51,927	42,357	Kreminna
Luhansk	Луганськ	city of regional significance	286	503,248	466,627	Luhansk
Lutuhynsky	Лутугинський (район)	raion	1,057	73,914	67,977	Lutuhyne
Lysychansk	Лисичанськ	city of regional significance	96	133,258	120,785	Lysychansk
Markivsky	Марківський (район)	raion	1,166	19,002	15,991	Markivka
Milovsky	Міловський (район)	raion	971	17,415	15,696	Milove
Novoaidarsky	Новоайдарський (район)	raion	1,536	28,451	25,618	Novoaidar
Novopskovsky	Новопсковський (район)	raion	1,623	38,322	35,271	Novopskov
Perevalsky	Перевальський (район)	raion	807	87,383	72,387	Perevalsk
Pervomaisk	Первомайськ (Міськрада)	city of regional significance	89	80,622	70,581	Pervomaisk
Popasniansky	Попаснянський (район)	raion	1,325	50,559	41,232	Popasna
Rovenky	Ровеньки	city of regional significance	217	91,712	84,366	Rovenky
Rubizhne	Рубіжне	city of regional significance	34	65,322	60,750	Rubizhne
Sievierodonetsk	Северодонецьк	city of regional significance	58	129,752	120,264	Sieverodonetsk
Slovianoserbsky (raion)	Слов'яносербський (район)	raion	1,113	62,125	55,462	Slovianoserbsk
Stakhanov	Стаханов	city of regional significance	92	108,266	92,818	Stakhanov
Stanychno-Luhansy	Станично-Луганський (район)	raion	1,896	52,762	49,732	Stanychno-Luhanske
Starobilsky	Старобільський (район)	raion	1,582	57,755	47,765	Starobilsk
Svativsky	Сватівський (район)	raion	1,739	43,069	37,652	Svatove
Sverdlovsk	Свердловськ	city of regional significance	84	110,159	99,024	Sverdlovsk
Sverdlovsky	Свердловський (район)	raion	1,132	14,574	12,210	Sverdlovsk
Troitsky	Троїцький (район)	raion	1,633	25,704	21,205	Troitske
Total Oblast	Луганська (Область)	oblast	26,683	2,546,178	2,272,676	Luhansk

Like the rest of the provinces in Ukraine, Luhansk Oblast has double jurisdiction. The oblast is predominantly administrated by the Luhansk Oblast State Administration headed by the governor of the oblast and appointed by the President of Ukraine. The province also has a representative body, the provincial council, which is headed by its chairman and elected by popular vote.

The province is primarily divided into 18 raions (districts), and 37 cities, including 14 cities of regional significance. The administrative center is Luhansk. These are listed below with their areas and populations.^[18]

The province's secondary division consists of various municipalities. Those municipalities may consist of one or more populated places. The municipalities are administratively subordinate to the raion in which they are located, with the exception of 14 cities subordinated directly to the oblast. In addition, the city of Luhansk is subdivided into its own four city-districts (boroughs).

All subdivisions are governed by their respective councils (radas).

Cities

Demographics

City Day in Lysychansk

Map of Luhansk Oblast and former Slavo-Serbia (1753–64).

The population is largely Russian-speaking, although ethnic Ukrainians constitute a majority (58.0%). Among the minorities are native Russians (39.1%), Belarusians (0.8%), and others (1.4%). Ukrainians constitute the majority in all raions except for Stanytsia-Luhanska Raion and Krasnodon Raion, both of which are east of Luhansk. Ethnic Russians also constitute the majority in regionally significant cities, such as Krasnodon, Sverdlovsk, Krasnyi Luch and Stakhanov.

According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, more than 68.8% of the population consider themselves Russian speakers, while 30.0% consider themselves Ukrainian speakers. The Russophone population predominates in the southern portion of the region and around the city of Luhansk, while the northern region is less populated, mostly agricultural and Ukrainophone.

Its population (as of 2004) of 2,461,506 constitutes 5.13% of the overall Ukrainian population. The Luhansk Oblast rates fifth in Ukraine by the number of its inhabitants, having an average population density of 90.28/km². About 87% of the population lives in urban areas, while the remaining 13% reside in agricultural areas. According to the national census, 54% of the population are Ukrainians and 42% are Russians.

Age structure

0-14 years: 12.3% (male 143,272/female 134,803)

15-64 years: 71.4% (male 768,544/female 838,639)

65 years and over: 16.3% (male 117,782/female 248,914) (2013 official)

Median age

total: 42.1 years

male: 38.2 years

female: 45.9 years (2013 official)

Economy

Economically the region is connected with the Donets Basin.

Extracting industry

• Lysychansk Coal
• Luhansk Coal
• Sverdlov Anthracite
• Anthracite
• Pervomaisk Coal
• Rovenky Anthracite
• Donbas Anthracite

Machine building

Luhanskteplovoz

• Luhanskteplovoz
• Krasnyi Luch Machine building Factory
• Pervomaisk Power mechanical Factory
• Stakhanov Railcar Plant

Metallurgy

• Alchevsk Metallurgy Combine
• Alchevsk Coke-chemical Factory

Chemical and oil refinery

• Severdonetsk Association Azot
• Association Skloplastyk
• Lysynchansk Oil Refinery

Agriculture

• Derkul Horse Factory

Power generation

• Sievierodonetsk Power Station
• Luhansk power station
• Shteriv power station (liquidated)

Transport

Through the region pass two major European routes and . There are 24 Russo-Ukrainian international border checkpoints of various entry.

• within the Luhansk Oblast uses highway that starts from Debaltseve (Donetsk Oblast), passes through the city of Krasnyi Luch, and enters the Russian Federation at the border checkpoint "Dovzhansky" (settlement Dovzhanske, town of Biryukove).
• within the Luhansk Oblast uses highway that starts from Debaltseve (Donetsk Oblast), passes through the city of Luhansk, and enters the Russian Federation at the border checkpoint "Izvaryne" (town of Izvaryne).
• There is also another highway H21 that runs from north to south and connects Starobilsk, Luhansk, and Krasnyi Luch with Donetsk.

Rail transportation is administered by the Donetsk Railway.

There is also its regional airport Luhansk International Airport with its own carrier.

Education

• East Ukrainian National University
• University of Luhansk
• Donbas State Technical University

Specialized

• Luhansk State Medical University
• Luhansk National Agrarian University
• Luhansk State University of Internal Affairs

Points of interest

Dal's house in Luhansk

Mścichowski Palace (remnants)

The following sites were nominated for the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.

• The house of Dal's birth (Luhansk)
• Fighters for the Revolution monument
• Derkul horse factory
• Royal Rocks (Luhansk State Preserve)
• Chasm Steppe (Sverdlovsk Raion)
• Ram Foreheads (limestone rocks)
• Mścichowski Palace (Палац Мсциховського)

See also

• Luhansk status referendum, 2014

References

1. Oda, UA: LG, 2007.
2. Umoloda, Kiev, UA.
3. Oda, UA: LG, 1930.
4. "Territory", 70 years, UA: LG, 2008-03-14 [1977].
5. "70 years", Calendar, UA: LG, 2008-04-11.
6. Poroshenko appoints MP Harbuz as governor of Luhansk region instead of Tuka, Interfax-Ukraine (29 April 2016)
7. Владимир Николаевич ПРИСТЮК [Vladimir nikolaevich Pristyuk] (in Russian), Luhansk Oblast council.
8. "State Statistics Committee of Ukraine". Retrieved September 1, 2014.
9. "Чисельність наявного населення України (Actual population of Ukraine)" (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
10. "In Severodonetsk, Petro Poroshenko presented Luhansk RSA Head Hennadiy Moskal". President of Ukraine, official website.
11. http://thekievtimes.ua/society/372400-donbass-zabytyj-referendum-1994.html
12. http://www.nakanune.ru/articles/18807/
13. "Ukraine's Eastern Region Of Luhansk May Now Hold Referendum On Joining Russia". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
14. BBC News 12 May 2014
15. http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/31372.html
16. "Lugansk University. Location, phone, address, contacts.". luganskukraine.info.
17. Лише 3% українців хочуть приєднання їх області до Росії [Only 3% of Ukrainians want their region to become part of Russia]. Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (in Ukrainian). 3 January 2015.
18. State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, Kiev.

External links

• Official site of Luhansk Oblast Administration (Ukrainian)
• Information Card of the Region – official site of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
• The Official Site of the Radomysl Castle