Sviatohirsk
Святогірськ | |
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Sviatohirsk Location of Sviatohirsk within Donetsk Oblast Sviatohirsk Location of Sviatohirsk within Ukraine | |
Coordinates: 49°02′N 37°34′E / 49.033°N 37.567°E | |
Country | Ukraine |
Oblast (Province) | Donetsk |
Raion (District) | Kramatorsk Raion |
Hromada | Sviatohirsk urban hromada |
First mentioned | 16th century |
Government | |
• Mayor | Volodymyr Rydakil [1] |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 4,226 |
Sviatohirsk (Ukrainian: Святогі́рськ, pronounced [sʲwʲɐtoˈɦ⁽ʲ⁾irsʲk]) or Svyatogorsk (Russian: Святого́рск, pronounced [svʲɐtoˈɡorsk]) is a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Region of Ukraine. A part of the Sloviansk Municipality, it stands on the banks of the Siverskyi Donets River, 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the city of Sloviansk. The population is 4,226 (2022 estimate).[2] The 16th-century Sviatohirsk Lavra Monastery is located in the city.
In March 2023, Sviatohirsk established a sister city relationship with Easton, Connecticut, United States.[3]
History
A settlement in the area of the Holy Mountains was first mentioned in written sources in the 16th century.[4] In 1624, the Sviatohirsk Lavra Holy Mountains monastery was established here, but in the end of the 18th century all monastic lands were secularized and passed on to private owners.[4] One of the new owners built a bathing house on the nearby lake, which led to the settlement being called Banne (Ukrainian: Банне)/Bannoye (Russian: Банное) or Bannovskoye (Банновское); literally bathing.[4] The proximity of a nearby selo of Tatyanovka lead to both places sometimes being collectively referred as Bannoye-Tatyanovka (Банное-Татьяновка).[4]
During the Soviet times, the selo was officially known as Bannoye.[4] In 1938, it was granted urban-type settlement status and renamed Bannovsky (Банновский).[4] The settlement served as a resort destination and steadily grew in size, until in 1964 it was granted town status and renamed Slovianohirsk (Ukrainian: Слов'яногірськ)/Slavyanogorsk (Славяного́рск), with the first part of the name (Sloviano-/Slavyano-) being after the nearby city of Sloviansk (Slavyansk), and the second part (-hirsk/-gorsk) being after the Holy Mountains.[4] In 2003, the name was changed to Sviatohirsk, after the monastery itself.[5]
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Unlike neighboring Sloviansk, Sviatohirsk was never controlled by the pro-Russian forces who in spring 2014 had made Sloviansk their stronghold.[6] In contrast to most of the Donbas region, which is largely flat open landscape, Sviatohirsk is set among hills and forests - providing some natural defences - making it harder for an army to manoeuvre with artillery and tanks.[7] The city is seen as strategically important during the conflict, due to it being one of the key points preventing an encirclement of the Ukrainian army in Donetsk oblast.[8]
Following the start of the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war, the press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) reported the deaths of two monks and a nun of the city's monastery as a result of shelling on 1 June 2022.[9] On June 4, as a result of further hostilities in the region, one of the temples of the monastery was engulfed in flames.[10] Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russian forces for the resulting burning of the temple and mourned the victims, while calling for Russia's expulsion from UNESCO over it.[11][12] However, the mayor of the city, Volodymyr Bandura, blamed Ukrainian forces for the burning of the temple while in Russian captivity, accusing Zelenskyy of lying.[13][14] The Security Service of Ukraine later accused the mayor of treason over this statement.[15]
According to the Institute for the Study of War, there were reports of the city partially coming under Russian control after a battle on May 31.[16][17] On June 6, Igor Konashenkov, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson, stated that Russian forces were completing the capture of the city.[18] Later that day, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, stated that Sviatohirsk was almost cleared of Ukrainian forces, except for an unnamed height somewhere in the city.[19] Russian minister of defense Sergei Shoigu announced the city's complete capture the next day, on June 7.[20]
Following the Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive of 2022, on 10 September, reports appeared in Ukrainian media that the Ukrainian armed forces had retaken the city from Russian control.[21][22] On 12 September 2022, the Ukrainian armed forces confirmed that they were in control of the city.[23]
Culture
Sviatohirsk includes the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra, the Holy Mountains National Park, an historical and architectural reserve, as well as a resort of national importance; thirty objects, among them a monumental sculpture of Communist leader Artem (Fyodor Sergeyev) and a World War II memorial (opened on the day of 40th anniversary of victory) are included in the historic monuments complex of the reserve. The town has been visited by well-known cultural figures, including Hryhorii Skovoroda, Fyodor Tyutchev, Ivan Bunin, Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Marina Tsvetaeva, and Ilya Repin.
On May 15, 2015, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a bill into law that started a six months period for the removal of communist monuments and the mandatory renaming of settlements with a name related to Communism.[24][25][26] However, since the Artem monument is listed as "National Cultural Heritage" it will not be demolished.[27]
Demographics
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the population of the city was 4,226 (2022 estimate).[2] The results of the 2001 Ukrainian census found that the city's population was 3,805, of which 65.49% considered Ukrainian as their mother tongue, 33.96% Russian, 0.24% Armenian, 0.13% Belarusian, and 0.08% Moldovan.[28]
Tourism
The development plan of Sviatohirsk provides a significant expansion of the resorts, recreational, and tourism network. Within the Sviatohirsk resort are the Holy Mountain sanatorium and hotel-and-tourist complexes. The town carries out a construction and modernization of recreation departments for children and adults.
Early in 2009, a four-star hotel opened. Sviatohirsk also offers the Siverskyi Donets River, chalk mountains, coniferous and mixed forests, centuries-old oak trees, and clean air.
Sister cities
Gallery
- Sviatohirsk Monastery
- Hotel courtyard in Sviatohirsk
References
- ↑ "Focus - War in Ukraine: Russian occupation leaves Donbas town of Sviatohirsk deeply divided". October 18, 2022.
- 1 2 Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2022.
- ↑ "A Message From First Selectman David Bindelglass". Easton CT Government. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pospelov [1], p. 31
- ↑ Pospelov [2], p. 387
- ↑ Ukraine Declares One-Week Cease-Fire in Fight With Pro-Russia Rebels, The Wall Street Journal (June 20, 2014)
- ↑ Jonathan Beale, Ukraine war: Donbas tourist town braces for Russian assault, BBC news, 19 April 2022.
- ↑ "Военный эксперт объяснил важность взятия Святогорска" [A military expert explained the importance of capturing Sviatohirsk]. svpressa.ru (in Russian). June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ "Від бомбардувань загинули та поранені монахи Святогірської Лаври" [The bombing killed and wounded the monks of the Svyatogorsk Lavra]. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in Ukrainian). June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ↑ "Від бомбардувань пожежа охопила Всіхсвятський скит Святогірської Лаври" [Fire engulfed the All Saints Hermitage of the Sviatohirsk Lavra]. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in Ukrainian). June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ "President Zelensky after Russia's artillery strike on Sviatohirsk Lavra: Russia has no place in UNESCO". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ Butenko, Victoria; Presniakova, Julia; Wright, Bex (June 4, 2022). "Zelensky says All Saints church in Sviatohirsk has been destroyed after Russian shelling". CNN. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ↑ "У полоні чи перейшов на сторону рашистів? Міноборони рф виклало відео з мером Святогірська Бандурою — ІА «Вчасно»" [In captivity, or did he side with the Rashists? The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation posted a video with the mayor of Sviatohirsk Bandura]. vchasnoua.com (in Ukrainian). June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ Rahutskaia, Lylyia (June 8, 2022). "Мэр Святогорска на Донетчине открыто поддержал оккупантов: в ГБР начали расследование. Видео" [The mayor of Sviatohirsk in Donetsk oblast openly supported the invaders: the State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation.]. Obozrevatel (in Russian). Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ↑ Shevchenko, Oleh (June 9, 2022). "Меру Святогірська загрожує довічне за держзраду: стало відомо, хто його просував" [The mayor of Sviatohirsk is facing life imprisonment for treason: it has become known who promoted him]. Obozrevatel (in Ukrainian). Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ↑ Stepanenko, Kateryna; Hird, Karolina; Kagan, Frederick W. "Russian offensive campaign assessment, May 31" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ↑ "Боятся быть разбитыми: на одном из направлений враг остановился из-за опасений мощного удара от ВСУ" [They are afraid of being defeated: in one of the directions the enemy stopped because of fears of a powerful blow from the Armed Forces of Ukraine]. Апостроф (in Russian). Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ↑ "Военные РФ заявили, что завершают взятие под контроль города Святогорска в ДНР" [The military of the Russian Federation announced that they were completing the capture of the city of Sviatohirsk in the DPR]. Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ↑ "Пушилин заявил, что Святогорск "почти освобожден"" [Pushilin said that Sviatohirsk is "almost liberated"]. Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ↑ "Шойгу объявил об освобождении Святогорска" [Shoigu announced the liberation of Sviatohirsk]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ↑ "The head of the so-called DPR, Pushilin, fled from Donetsk against the backdrop of a counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine". Gazeta.ua (in Ukrainian). September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Паблики ОРДЛО сообщают о полном окружении Изюма и потере Святогорска" [Occupied territories of Ukraine report complete encirclement of Izium and loss of Sviatohirsk]. DonPress (in Russian). Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Война в Украине. Зеленский посетил Изюм и пообещал вернуть все оккупированные территории - Новости на русском языке". August 18, 2022.
- ↑ Poroshenko signed the laws about decomunization. Ukrayinska Pravda. May 15, 2015
- ↑ Poroshenko signs laws on denouncing Communist, Nazi regimes, Interfax-Ukraine.
- ↑ Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols, BBC News (April 14, 2015)
- ↑ (in Russian) Zhebrovsky confirmed that Artyom monument in Svyatogorsk will not be demolished, depo.ua (29 December 2015)
- ↑ "Розподіл населення за рідною мовою, Донецька область" [Distribution of population by native language, Donetsk region]. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ↑ "A Message From First Selectman David Bindelglass". Easton CT Government. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Ashland's Sister City". City of Ashland. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
Sources
- [1] Е. М. Поспелов (Ye.M. Pospelov). "Имена городов: вчера и сегодня (1917–1992). Топонимический словарь." (City Names: Yesterday and Today (1917–1992). Toponymic Dictionary.) Москва, "Русские словари", 1993.
- [2] Е. М. Поспелов (Ye.M. Pospelov). "Географические названия мира" (Geographic Names of the World). Москва, 1998.
External links
- Official web site of Sviatohirsk (in Russian)