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Sviatohirsk

Coordinates: 49°02′N 37°34′E / 49.033°N 37.567°E / 49.033; 37.567
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Sviatohirsk
Святогірськ
City
View of the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Andrew Chapel of the Holy Mountains Lavra
View of the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Andrew Chapel of the Holy Mountains Lavra
Flag of Sviatohirsk
Flag
Official logo of Sviatohirsk
Greater Coat of Arms
Sviatohirsk is located in Ukraine
Sviatohirsk
Sviatohirsk
Location of Sviatohirsk within Donetsk Oblast
Sviatohirsk is located in Donetsk Oblast
Sviatohirsk
Sviatohirsk
Location of Sviatohirsk within Ukraine
Coordinates: 49°02′N 37°34′E / 49.033°N 37.567°E / 49.033; 37.567
Country Ukraine
OblastDonetsk Oblast
RaionKramatorsk Raion
HromadaSviatohirsk urban hromada
First mentioned16th century
Government
 • MayorVolodymyr Rydakil[1]
Population
 (2022)
 • Total
4,226
Map

Sviatohirsk (Ukrainian: Святогірськ, IPA: [sʲwʲɐtoˈɦ⁽ʲ⁾irsʲk]; Russian: Святогорск, romanized: Svyatogorsk, IPA: [svʲɐtoˈɡorsk], formerly Slovianohirsk; Ukrainian: Слов'яногірськ) is a city in the northern part of Donetsk Region in Ukraine. 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.

History

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Monument to Artem in Sviatohirsk

A settlement in the area of the Holy Mountains was first mentioned in written sources in the 16th century.[3] 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.[3] 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.[3] The proximity of a nearby selo of Tatyanovka lead to both places sometimes being collectively referred as Bannoye-Tatyanovka (Банное-Татьяновка).[3]

During the Soviet times, the selo was officially known as Bannoye.[3] In 1938, it was granted urban-type settlement status and renamed Bannovsky (Банновский).[3] 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 (Славяногорск), 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.[3] In 2003, the name was changed to Sviatohirsk, after the monastery itself.[4]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

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See also: 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Unlike neighboring Sloviansk, Sviatohirsk was never controlled[failed verification] by the pro-Russian forces who in spring 2014 had made Sloviansk their stronghold.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] On 4 June, as a result of further hostilities in the region, one of the temples of the monastery was engulfed in flames.[9] 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.[10][11] 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.[12][13] The Security Service of Ukraine later accused the mayor of treason over this statement.[14]

According to the Institute for the Study of War, there were reports of fighting near the city after a battle on 31 May.[15][16] On 6 June, Igor Konashenkov, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson, stated that Russian forces were completing the capture of the city.[17] 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.[18] Russian minister of defense Sergei Shoigu announced the city's complete capture the next day, on 7 June.[19] Sviatohirsk's mayor, Volodymyr Bandura, remained mayor after the city's capture, and became the subject of a treason investigation by Ukraine's general prosecutor; Pushilin claimed that the DPR had been in contact with Bandura for "a long time".[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]

In March 2023, Sviatohirsk established a sister city relationship with Easton, Connecticut, United States.[24]

In June 2023, Sviatohirsk established a sister city relationship with Ashland, Oregon, United States.[4]

Culture

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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 15 May 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.[25][26][27] However, since the Artem monument is listed as "National Cultural Heritage" it will not be demolished.[28]

Demographics

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Ethnicities

[edit]

In terms of ethnicity, the town is home to a large Ukrainian majority. Every fifth inhabitant claims to have an ethnic Russian background, smaller minorities are Belarusians and Armenians. The exact composition was as follows:[29]

Ethnic groups in Sviatohirsk
percent
Ukrainians
 
 76.29%
Russians
 
 21.55%
Belarusians
 
 0.55%
Armenians
 
 0.47%
others
 
 1.14%

Native languages

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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 2,492 (65.49%) considered Ukrainian as their mother tongue, 1,292 (33.96%) Russian, 9 (0.24%) Armenian, 5 (0.13%) Belarusian, and 3 (0.08%) Moldovan.[30][31]

Native languages in Sviatohirsk
percent
Ukrainian
 
 65.49%
Russian
 
 33.96%
Armenian
 
 0.24%
Belarusian
 
 0.13%
Moldovan
 
 0.08%
others
 
 0.1%

Tourism

[edit]

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

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[edit]
  • Sviatohirsk Monastery
    Sviatohirsk Monastery
  • Hotel courtyard in Sviatohirsk
    Hotel courtyard in Sviatohirsk

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Focus - War in Ukraine: Russian occupation leaves Donbas town of Sviatohirsk deeply divided". 18 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b 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 4 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Pospelov [1], p. 31
  4. ^ a b "Ashland's Sister City - Administration - City of Ashland, Oregon". www.ashland.or.us. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
  5. ^ Ukraine Declares One-Week Cease-Fire in Fight With Pro-Russia Rebels, The Wall Street Journal (20 June 2014)
  6. ^ Jonathan Beale, Ukraine war: Donbas tourist town braces for Russian assault, BBC news, 19 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Военный эксперт объяснил важность взятия Святогорска" [A military expert explained the importance of capturing Sviatohirsk]. svpressa.ru (in Russian). 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  8. ^ "Від бомбардувань загинули та поранені монахи Святогірської Лаври" [The bombing killed and wounded the monks of the Svyatogorsk Lavra]. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in Ukrainian). 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  9. ^ "Від бомбардувань пожежа охопила Всіхсвятський скит Святогірської Лаври" [Fire engulfed the All Saints Hermitage of the Sviatohirsk Lavra]. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in Ukrainian). 4 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  10. ^ "President Zelensky after Russia's artillery strike on Sviatohirsk Lavra: Russia has no place in UNESCO". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  11. ^ Butenko, Victoria; Presniakova, Julia; Wright, Bex (2022-06-04). "Zelensky says All Saints church in Sviatohirsk has been destroyed after Russian shelling". CNN. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  12. ^ "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). 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  13. ^ Rahutskaia, Lylyia (2022-06-08). "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 2022-06-12.
  14. ^ Shevchenko, Oleh (2022-06-09). "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 2022-06-12.
  15. ^ Stepanenko, Kateryna; Hird, Karolina; Kagan, Frederick W. "Russian offensive campaign assessment, May 31" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
  16. ^ "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 2022-06-02.
  17. ^ "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 2022-06-07.
  18. ^ "Пушилин заявил, что Святогорск "почти освобожден"" [Pushilin said that Sviatohirsk is "almost liberated"]. Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  19. ^ "Шойгу объявил об освобождении Святогорска" [Shoigu announced the liberation of Sviatohirsk]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 7 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  20. ^ "Russia's war in Ukraine | Mayor of captured Ukrainian town switches sides". CNN. 14 June 2022.
  21. ^ "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). 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  22. ^ "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 2022-09-11.
  23. ^ "Война в Украине. Зеленский посетил Изюм и пообещал вернуть все оккупированные территории - Новости на русском языке". 18 August 2022.
  24. ^ "A Message From First Selectman David Bindelglass". Easton CT Government. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  25. ^ Poroshenko signed the laws about decomunization. Ukrayinska Pravda. May 15, 2015
  26. ^ Poroshenko signs laws on denouncing Communist, Nazi regimes, Interfax-Ukraine.
  27. ^ Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols, BBC News (14 April 2015)
  28. ^ (in Russian) Zhebrovsky confirmed that Artyom monument in Svyatogorsk will not be demolished, depo.ua (29 December 2015)
  29. ^ "Національний склад міст".
  30. ^ "Розподіл населення за рідною мовою, Донецька область" [Distribution of population by native language, Donetsk region]. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  31. ^ "Рідні мови в об'єднаних територіальних громадах України".
  32. ^ "A Message From First Selectman David Bindelglass". Easton CT Government. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  33. ^ "Ashland's Sister City". City of Ashland. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.

Sources

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  • [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.
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