Shchastia

Shchastia (IPA: [ʃtæs.ʧ̑j.ə], Ukrainian: Ща́стя, romanized: Shchastia, lit. 'Happiness', Russian: Сча́стье) is a town in the Shchastia Raion of the Luhansk Oblast (province) in Ukraine. Population: 11,552 (2021 est.).[2]

Shchastia
Щастя
City
Shchastia
Coat of arms
Country Ukraine  Luhansk People's Republic
OblastLuhansk Oblast
RaionShchastia Raion
Founded1754
City Status1963
ControlRussia[1]
Population
 (2021)
 • Total11,552
Area code(s)(+380)
Vehicle registrationBB / 13
ClimateDfa

Just north of Shchastia, there is the Luhansk power station, a large powerplant built in the 1950s. The town of Shchastia is situated on the river Seversky Donets. During the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, the city became a key site of fighting.

History
City on the map of Luhansk is identified by number "1".

The village of Shchastia was founded in 1754.

In 1953, construction began on the Luhansk power station. Shchastia received town status in 1963.

In 2014 Shchastia was controlled by the separatist Luhansk People's Republic from late April 2014 till the Ukrainian army retook the city on 14 June 2014.[3] It was mainly retaken by the volunteer fighters of the Aidar battalion who according to Amnesty International then with “virtually no oversight or control” committed war crimes in Shchastia and nearby cities.[4] According to Shchastia residents this behaviour continued until Aidar was incorporated into the Ukrainian army in spring 2015.[4]

On 5 August 2014, a monument of Lenin was removed from the city of Shchastia.

To facilitate the governance of Luhansk Oblast during the War in Donbas, the Verkhovna Rada on 7 October 2014 made some changes in the administrative divisions, so that the localities in the government-controlled areas were grouped into districts. In particular, Shchastia was transferred from Luhansk Municipality to Novoaidar Raion.

On 9 February 2016 112 Ukraine reported that part of the settlement was under control of Ukrainian forces.

On February 24, 2022, the first day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Shchastia came under attack by Russian forces and was quickly occupied.[5] 80% of the town has been destroyed in the invasion.[6] According to locals 90% of all houses were destroyed by shelling.[7]

Demographics

Native language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[8]

  • Shchastia cathedral
  • Cranes monument
  • Horse monument
  • WW2 monument in Shchastia
  • Mertvy Donets River near Shchastia
  • Luhansk thermal power plant

References
  1. "«Майже знищені». Щастя та Станиця Луганська на межі гуманітарної катастрофи — голова Луганської ОДА".
  2. Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2021 / Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2021 (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine.
  3. (in Ukrainian) The terrorists started firing at Luhansk with "Grad" - source
  4. Growing up apolitical in Ukraine’s war zone, OpenDemocracy (31 July 2017)
  5. "Battles against Russian occupiers ongoing near Shchastia, Sumy, Hostomel Airport". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  6. Gazeta.ua (2022-02-25). "Щастя знищене на 80 відсотків – голова ОДА". Gazeta.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  7. "'Ninety per cent of houses are damaged': thousands trapped in Ukraine's small towns". the Guardian. 2022-03-04. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  8. http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua


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