Lysychansk

Lysychansk is located in the North-Western part of the Luhansk region, 115 km from Luhansk, on the high right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River. The area is surrounded by large hills, ravines and valleys. The city is situated on the northern spur of the Donets Ridge.

Lysychansk lies in the continental climate of the steppe zone of Ukraine. Water resources stemming from here are one of the most important resources. Siverskyi Donets River is the main water artery of the Lysychansk and the whole region. The length of the Siverskyi Donets River within the city is 26.5 km. Verkhnia Bilenka River, a tributary of the Siverskyi Donets River, flows through the southern part of the city, the length of the river within the city is 7.7 km.

Lysychansk has a humid continental climate (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification system.

Summers are warm and sometimes humid with average high temperatures of 26–27 °C (78.8–80.6 °F) and lows of 14–15 °C (57.2–59 °F). Winters are relatively cold with average high temperatures of -1 °C (30.2 °F) and lows of −8 to -6 °C (17.6 to 21.2 °F). Spring and autumn are generally chilly to mild.[3]

The highest ever temperature recorded in the city was 41.0 °C (105.8 °F) on June 1984. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −34.0 °C (−29.2 °F) on February 1954.

Annual precipitation is 480 millimeters (18.9 in) with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Light snowfall mainly occurs from December through March, but snow cover does not usually remain for long.[4]

In 1721, coal was first discovered in the Donets coal basin at Lisya Balka, a Cossack village established in 1710.[5] Lysychansk was established as the first coal-mining settlement of the Donets basin in 1795.[5]

Previously existing settlements in the area around Lysychansk were completely destroyed by the Muscovy punitive expedition against the Bulavin Rebellion. After the suppression of the uprising the area was resettled with Voronove (founded by Khokhlov's Cossacks), Syrotyne (Popov's and Sirotin's Cossacks), Borivske (partly settled by former residents of the burned the Borovskaya Sloboda), Metiolkine (Metelnikov's Cossacks) and Smolianynove (Smolkin's Cossacks).

• 
  "Old Town"
• 
  The first coal mine
• 
  "Old Town"
• 
  Damaged building in Lysychansk, 2014

A local newspaper is published in the city since January 1918.[6]

The present borders of Lysychansk were finalized by the mid-1960s. In 1962, the city of Sievierodonetsk separated from Lysychansk and became its own independent city. In 1963, the towns of Novodruzhesk and Pryvillia were included in the city limits of Lysychansk and became cities. In 1965, Lysychansk incorporated the cities of Verkhnie and Proletarsk.

During the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine the town was captured early April 2014 by pro-Russian separatists.[7][8] On 22 July 2014 Ukrainian Ukrinform reported that the separatists "massively left Lysychansk" with "seized cars from the population and in parking lots;" Russian ITAR-TASS reported the same day that the separatists had "decided to leave the town in order to save the population and stop clashes." This was mainly because their defeat in the Siege of Sloviansk and the evacuation of Kramatorsk made holding the city untenable.[9][10] The next day heavy fighting continued around the town while the Ukrainian National Guard and the Ukrainian army released a statement that stated "the military plan to free Lysychansk, Luhansk region, from terrorist groups in the near future."[11][12] On 24 July 2014 the Ukrainian army claimed its troops had entered Lysychansk and its Col. Andriy Lysenko stated "We will take the town, and the road will be open to Horlivka, then Donetsk."[13][14] On 25 July 2014, Ukrainian forces secured the city from the pro-Russian separatists.[15]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lysychansk came under heavy shelling from the Russian military. Some of the most intense strikes occurred late in March 2022, which destroyed dozens of buildings and caused civilian casualties.[16]

• As of 1 January 2014 the population of Lyscychansk was 103,459.[17]
• According to the 2001 Census the population of the city proper was 115,229 people, while the population of the total area governed by the city council was 133,258 people.[18]

Ethnic Groups:[19]

• Ukrainians — 66.7%
• Russians — 30.5%
• Belarusians — 1%
• Others — 1.8%

• 
  Carnival-Maslenitsa
• 
  Carnival-Maksim Park
• 
  War veterans
• 
  City Day
• 
  City Day

When Lysychansk was a city in the Soviet Union it was among the biggest industrial centres in Luhansk region.[20] It kept this status long after Ukraine became independent in 1991.[20] But since 2010 most major plants have been closed leading to massive lay-offs.[20]

The city and the surrounding area has 5 coal mines owned by Lysychanskvuhillia. Production of coal reserves amounts to 179.7 million tons. Production capacity - 2.8 million tons of coal per year.

• 
  Lysychansk Oil Refinery
• 
  Coal mine
• 
  Descend into the mine
• 
  Lysychansk Plant Soda (under construction)

• The newspaper "Новый путь"
• Television and Radio Company "Акцент"
• Publishing house "Час Пик"

Institutes of higher education in Lysychansk include the Donbas State Technical University and Luhansk State University of Internal Affairs.

• Fox Beam - "the cradle of Donbas."
• Pereiznianska Church.
• National History Museum and the Polovtsian stone images (center, Lenin).
• Monument to the first mine in the Donbas Region.
• Monument Rudoznavtsiu Gregory Kapustin (the central market).
• Monument to Marshal of the Soviet Union Kliment Voroshilov (District Pereizna).
• House-Museum of Marshal of the Soviet Union Kliment Voroshilov (St.Pereizna, the former switch tower) - destroyed.
• T34 Tank - a monument to the defenders and liberators of Lysychansk.
• Monument Lysychanam - pilots of the WWII (District RTI, on a former airfield).
• WWII Memorial[21]
• "Chernobyl" Monument
• Monument to the Ukrainian poet Volodymyr Sosiura (Glass District, Square at DC).
• Sosiura Palace of Culture.
• Claw lake and Recreation area 48°54.1′N 38°30.5′E
• City Park "Water Station" 48°55.58′N 38°26.02′E
• Gresovsky Recreation Park: in the woods on the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets River opposite of the Mount of Kirov. The park is now under repair. Between 1940—1960 the recreation park of the city, "Lyssoda" and Power Plant was full of attractions and a great stadium for sporting events. 48°54.1′N 38°28.7′E

In the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, Viktor Yanukovych won 92.51% of the vote in Lysychansk. Runner-up Viktor Yushchenko received 5.08% of the vote.[25]

In the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election, Viktor Yanukovych won 90.95% of the vote in Lysychansk. Runner-up Yulia Tymoshenko received 5.91% of the vote.[26]

• Nikolai Chuzhikov – Olympic canoeist
• Dmytro Lalyenkov – Ukrainian theater and film actor
• Igor Sergeyev – Minister of Defense of Russia and Marshal of the Russian Federation
• Volodymyr Sosiura – Ukrainian poet
• Kuzema Vadim – Russian chanson singer
• Kliment Voroshilov – Marshal of the Soviet Union and Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet

• 
  Polovtsian Women.
• 
  Dovzhenka Street.
• 
  Park.
• 
  Sosiury Street.
• 
  Hrushevsky Street.
• 
  Next to the SBU building.
• 
  Peremohy Avenu.

• Media related to Lysychansk at Wikimedia Commons