Krasnodon
Encyclopedia
Krasnodon is a city
in the Luhansk Oblast
(province
) of south-eastern Ukraine
. Serving as the administrative center
of the Krasnodonskyi Raion (district
), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast.
The population of Krasnodon in 1972 was 70,400, in 1989 it was around 53,000, in 2001 it was 49,921.
, as the settlement of Sorokino. It soon became one of the centers of the coal mining
industry of the Donbass region. By a Decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
, on October 28, 1938 it was renamed Krasnodon.
During the German-Soviet War Krasnodon was occupied by Nazi Germany
from July 20, 1942 to February 14, 1943. In that period, between October 1942 and January 1943, the anti-nazi Komsomol
organization Young Guard
operated in the city. There are monuments and the memorial
complex built to the Young Guard in Krasnodon.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in the Luhansk Oblast
Luhansk Oblast
Luhansk Oblast ) is the easternmost oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast in honor of Kliment Voroshilov....
(province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) of south-eastern Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Serving as the administrative center
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the Krasnodonskyi Raion (district
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast.
The population of Krasnodon in 1972 was 70,400, in 1989 it was around 53,000, in 2001 it was 49,921.
History
Krasnodon was established in 1914 along the banks of the Welikyj Kamjaniza, a tributary of the Seversky Donets RiverSeversky Donets
Seversky Donets is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine and then again through Russia to join the Don River, about from the Sea of Azov...
, as the settlement of Sorokino. It soon became one of the centers of the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
industry of the Donbass region. By a Decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet was a Soviet governmental institution – a permanent body of the Supreme Soviets . This body was of the all-Union level , as well as in all Soviet republics and autonomous republics...
, on October 28, 1938 it was renamed Krasnodon.
During the German-Soviet War Krasnodon was occupied by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
from July 20, 1942 to February 14, 1943. In that period, between October 1942 and January 1943, the anti-nazi Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
organization Young Guard
Young Guard (Soviet resistance)
The Young Guard was an underground anti-fascist Komsomol organization, in the German-occupied Soviet city of Krasnodon . They were active during the Great Patriotic War until January 1943. They carried out several acts of sabotage and protest before being betrayed to the Germans...
operated in the city. There are monuments and the memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
complex built to the Young Guard in Krasnodon.