Luhansk

Understand

In 1790, Scottish engineer Charles Gascoigne explored the coal and mineral resources in the "region of SlavyanoSerbia" (the name itself originates from local Serb settlements). By 1795 it was found that natural resources were plentiful, and Russian Empress Ekaterina the Second ordered the creation of a metal factory on the Luhan' river near existing village of Kamyanyi Brid. This started the development of a new major industrial region of Tsarist Russia, and eventually Soviet Ukraine, which steadily thrived consistently up until the decay of Soviet Union in 1991. After the fall of the USSR, the regional coal mining and other industries slowly became unprofitable. Having over 100 industrial plants, Luhansk faced several years, of slowed or stopped production (with a notable exception of alcohol making plant). After this financial crisis, the large metal factory, that had given birth to the town and became over the time a rather famous Ukrainian military and machine tool plant, named after V.I. Lenin, was closed in 2008. However, the single largest locomotive plant named after October Revolution (commonly named "Zavod OR") still struggles through crisis. Overall, Luhansk has now been transformed into a rather remote provincial town with decaying signs of previous glory. The town is divided into 4 districts by natural borders. The main railroad in west-east direction (from Debalceve and Donbas proper to Stanytsia Luhanska) divides the KamyanoBridskyi district from the rest of the town, western (to the west of Olhivka river, with Yuvileynyi satellite) and eastern (east of Ivanishchev yar) sleeper districts form Artemivskyi and Zhovtnevyi (meaning October) districts. Zhovtnevyi district includes a couple of villages on the north-east of town, generally known as Vergunka, all the way to a former recreation area along Pivdennyi Donets river, which was closed for ecological reason; and a satellite Shchastya town near the coal heating plant, making it the municipal district with largest area within Ukraine.

The central, Leninskyi district, together with parts of KamyanoBridskyi district contains most of the main places of interest. Close to the railway on both sides are several buildings and streets which survived the destruction of World War II or were reconstructed, and now form a compact so called "old center," along streets of Dahl, Lenina, Karl Marx and Karl Libknecht. The new center was completely rebuilt or built anew on a rather high hill in the center between Luhan' and Olhivka rivers and Ivanischev yar. Owing to the number of communist oligarchs that l

Getting there

By plane After airports in Luhansk and Donetsk were destroyed, the nearest airport in operation is in Volgograd, from where numerous informal buses and marshrutkas to Luhansk exist.

By train 1 Luhansk railway station (Железнодорожный вокзал), V.Pyatyorkina, 6, ☏ +380 0642 91-38-95. The railway has been electrified but only in the western direction. The notorious 4-hour diesel train to Donetsk has been replaced by elektrichka (only to Yasinuvata since 2014). Routes and timetables can be found on the official website in Russian. Since 2019 doubles as central bus station (see below). (updated Oct 2022) If you are looking for connection from Russia, you can try to reach Luhansk via Kamenka station on Moscow - Rostov-on-the-Don railroad. Minibus 307 will take you from railway station to the center of Donetsk(RF) - every 30 min from 06:30 to 18:30, and then minibus 1 to the border. Alternatively you can take a bus to Donetsk from bus station if you are closer to that area (on M4 highway, about 8 buses a day). Consult bus timetable however (phone Kamensk-Shahtinskii bus stations as internet information is unreliable, you may need to speak Russian to do this though). The border can be crossed on foot (1.5 km total). As of October 2022 all customs and border services on the Luhansk side are closed. There is only passport and security check from the Russian side, though they would still check your luggage and any permits required. From Russian viewpoint, you'll be entering another region of Russia, albeit one where security procedures are not synced with the Russian ones yet and a war state was announced, so prepare accordingly. De facto, the border vibe is still present though. On the Luhansk side from Izvarino there are minibuses to Krasnodon and Luhansk until 18:00. If you go from the south of Russia, you can change to bus in Rostov-on-the-Don.

By bus 2 Republican vokzal complex (Республиканский вокзальный комплекс (РВК)), V.Pyatyorkina, 6. Since 2019 Luhansk train station now doubles as central bus station. Almost all regional and international bus routes start or pass here. Regional bus timetable is here and interregional here (both in Russian). Ticket offices are on the second floor, and buses stop on adjacent overpass on the same level. (updated Oct 2022) 3 Bus station #1 (Луганск АС-1), Oboronnaya str., 28, ☏ +380 642 50-71-45, +380 642 50-71-68. It's in a big Soviet-era built building, with a futuristic interior. Most interregional services are by private companies. Routes and timetables can be found on the official website in Russian. Serves LPR,

Getting around

By tram and trolleybus The once extensive tram and trolleybus networks was closed in 2014, then reopened shortly with only 2 trolleybus routes, 51 and 52, and then finally closed completely in 2022. Wires and rails are slowly being deconstructed in various parts of the town, depots are also closed or redesignated as bus depots. Most of the neat and cosy tram network in the private one-storied sector, is now left only on pictures, or may be recognized by the slightly wider streets. Peculiarities of tram and trolleybuses network included: (former express) tram line to Ostraya Mogila (tram 6), de facto suburb trolleybus line to Yubileiniy settlement (trolleybus 57, although it runs over territory of Luhansk and Yubileyniy, major part of line has out of the town feel), a failed attempt to build an express line to Vergunka - abandoned forever after recreation zone was closed, existed for some time in form of a side line to seventh entrance of Zavod OR, reached by tram 3a.

By bus and marshrutkas The network is quite extensive and is a primary means of transport in the town. One may keep in mind, that the network is organized based on 3 main arteries, the first two of which also have roads in a bit better state than rest of the town. They are:

west - east: Gaevogo kvartal (gate to highway to Donetsk and Yubileyniy, and access to new Yugnii and Zarechii/Mirnii kvartals via the road, that served previously as in-town "by-pass" route) - Sovetskaya street - New town of Zavod OR - Lomonosov street - Eastern kvartals. Route is completely shared with trolleybuses. north - south: Oboronnaya street - Autovokzal - Ostraya Mogila (Krasnodon highway and route to airport). Route is shared with tram to equestrian school in Ostraya Mogila. the old "access to the plants" route through old center: Railroad station - Karl Marx street/Oktyabrskaya street (only west-bound buses and marshrutkas) - Shevchenko/Frunze street (east-bound buses and marshrutkas; trams in both directions) - main entrance to Zavod OR and Vergunka-bound marshrutkas - New town of Zavod OR.

By foot The new and old centers are in principle walkable. A leisure walk through the whole new and old center, visiting museums, is possible to complete within a day if only a bit winded. It's may be advisable to start from the most southern place of interest in center: open museum of stone women statues on the ground of pedagogical institute near "Ukraine" cinema, and then go all the way downtown in order to save energy.

By diesel and elektrichka Some parts of town (mostly remote) are served infrequently by l

See

Churches 1 Saint Ascension Cathedral (Свято-Вознесенский собор), Town of Alexandrovsk,. Constructed in 1840. For almost the entire duration of the Soviet era, this was the only working church in the Luhansk Region. It didn't suffer much during the Great Patriotic War (World War II), and in 1955, it was declared an architectural monument. (updated Sep 2023) 2 Sviato-Petropavlivs'kyi cathedral (Свято-Петропавлівський кафедральний собор), Kooperativnyi 2 ln. (Tram and bus stops "Rabkorovskaya" and ""Rodina" cinema" in KamBrod, then walk uphill from about between the two). One of the oldest temples in Luhansk diocese preserved during mass destruction. In 1905 the church was rebuilt, this time made of stone, with a bell tower, which was seven bells. By 1930, there were 89 icons in the church, 50 of them were three-tier iconostasis. (updated Sep 2023) Sviato-Mykolo-Preobrazhens'kyi Sobor (St.Michael of the Transfiguration cathedral) (Свято-Миколо-Преображенський собор), Internatsional'na str., 103A (Tram and bus stop "October Revolution plant" (officially 10th school/Luganskteplovoz stops), then walk), ☏ +380 642 553803. 3 Saint-Vladimir Cathedral (Свято-Владимирский кафедральный собор), Gorky square (tram stop "Gorky square"). Largest cathedral of South-East Ukraine, built in 1995-2006. By far the most impressive religious building in Luhansk among built in post-perestroika era. (updated Sep 2023)

Sviato-Oleksandro-Nevs'kyi Hram (St. Alexander Nevsky church) (Свято-Олександро-Нєвський Храм), Budennogo str., 119 (University park. Trolleybus and bus stop "Kvartal Yakira"), ☏ +380 642 47-92-19. Strict simplicity and grandeur. The blue color of the walls gives the building the effect of lightness & aspiration to the sky. The temple area is 306 m² decorated with six domes and bell tower. 4 Church of the Holy Martyrs Guria, Samon and Aviv (Церква святих мучеників Гурія, Самона і Авива), Memorial Park (in place of the former Gusinovskiy cemetery) (trolleybus and bus stops at the crossing of Sovetskaya and Oboronnaya street, tram stop "Pedagogicheskii university", then walk. Westbound minibuses on Sovetskaya street can stop directly across the park, near the "Dom Odegdy" store). The first worship service was held in 1998. Guri, Samon and Aviv - these saints venerated as the defenders of marriage and its patrons. Sviato-Panteleimonivs'kyi temple (Свято-Пантелеймонівський храм), Krasnodonskaya str., 8 (On the territory of Oncology Center. Walk from Central Bus Station.), ☏ +380 642 507031. Temple of the Holy Virgin of Tenderness Icon (Храм ікони Пресвятої

Do

30-letiia VLKSM, All-Union Leninist Communist Youth League public garden (Сквер "30-летия ВЛКСМ"Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи), Kotel'nikova str.. Ukrainian Academic Music and Drama Theater (Український академічний музично-драматичний театр), Oboronnaya str., 11, ☏ +380 642 92-20-84. In 1944 creative composition of Ukrainian legitimate drama was directed in Luhansk and in decision of the All-union committee of arts renamed in the Luhansk Ukrainian musical-dramatic theater. In 2002 the rank of academic was appropriated a theater. (updated Sep 2023)

Eat

Budget McDonald's (Ресторан "Макдональдз"), Molodezhnyi block, 20A, ☏ +380 642 50-05-88. Fast Food, Wi-Fi

Mid-range

Splurge

Sleep

Arena Hotel (Гостиница "Арена"), Khersonskaya str., 7A, ☏ +380 642 53-5173. 1 Azimut (Мини-отель Азимут, Луганск), Kirov (вул. Кірова), 67 (near R.S.), ☏ +380 505 23-1987. From US$20/28 (2011). Druzhba Hotel (Гостиница "Дружба"), Pavla Soroky St (ул. Сороки П.А.), 16А, ☏ +380 642 535 353, [email protected]. Single/double from US$50/70. Egoist (Егоїст, готель), Dzherzhynsko (кв. Дзержинського), 9, ☏ +380 642 62-67-25. From US$42. 2 Elit-Komfort Hotel (Гостиница Элит-Комфорт), 50-letiya Obrazovaniya SSSR str., 22, ☏ +380 642 53-2052. Single/double from US$35/53. Evropa (Європа готель), Pyvdennyy (Південний квартал)), 9 (SW 4 km), ☏ +380 66 772-51-81. From US$38. Gostinyi Dvor Hotel (Гостинний двір, готель), Lenina (вул. Леніна), 54, ☏ +380 642 33-15-16. Single from US$66. Inter (Гостиница Интер), Vidrodzhennya St(ул. Возрождения), 11 (E 9 km), ☏ +380 642 357 171. Randevu (Гостиница Рандеву), Восточный, 20, ☏ +380 642 50-3250. Start (Гостиница"Старт"), Sovetskaya str.,48, ☏ +380 63 859 5187, [email protected]. U parovoza Hotel (Гостиница "У паровоза"), Krasnoarmeiskaya str., 80, ☏ +380 642 52-2385. Slovianska Hotel (Гостиница Славянская), Slavyanskaya str.(ул. Славянская), 2а (1 km), ☏ +380 642 34 57 02, [email protected]. Single/double US$38-55/53-80, apt US$112-144. Vostok Hotel, Vostochnyi block, 20 (5 km E), ☏ +380 50 732-59-69. Turist Hotel (гостиницы Турист), Oboronnaya str.,112 (SE 4 km), ☏ +380 642 42-7589. 120 beds. Initsial Hotel (Гостиница "Инициал"), Oboronnaya str. (ул. Оборонная), 118A, ☏ +380 642 42-8350, [email protected]. Single/double from US$45/58 (Nov 2011). Tropikana Night club, motel? (Развлекательный комплекс "Тропикана"), Leninskogo komsomola block, 2 (SW 4 km), ☏ +380 642 71-17-04. From US$40. Terrikon (Террикон, готель), (вул. П'ята), 1 (S 3.5 km, Трам, 1,2 to «3-й километр»), ☏ +380 642 33-11-20. From US$33/45 (2013). Taiyr (Таїр, готель), (вул.Оборонна), 26 (S 2 km, Трам 6,13 to «СШ №5» stop), ☏ +380 642 50-58-81. From US$33/42.

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Go next

Aleksandrovsk - a satellite town, nominally part of Luhansk. Hosting Holy Ascension Cathedral, largest within town of Luhansk or its satellites, built in 1840. Dnipro - 380 km west Donetsk - 140 km west Kharkiv - 340 km northwest Krasnodon, Roven'ki - museums and memorials to youth anti-fascist komsomol group "Molodaya Gvardiya" (Young Guard), active during World War II, and mostly tortured and executed later by the Germans. Roven'ki's museum is in the building, where captured members of the group were hold, and features torture tools used, while Krasnodon museum which is the central for the several museums to "Young Guard", that appeared after the war in USSR, is in specially constructed building. Memorials in both towns are in the places of execution. Visiting is possible via bus tour, which can be recommended if you want to hear the story and will happen to find English-language guide. Otherwise connection is via local bus and minibus network. Mariupol - 255 km southwest