Kirovsk, Luhansk Oblast

This article is about a city in Luhansk Oblast.. For other meanings, see Kirovsk.

Kirovsk Кіровськ
City
Flag Seal
Kirovsk Kirovsk
Coordinates: 48°38′15″N 38°38′36″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Luhansk Oblast
Founded	1764
City status	1962
Area
• Total	3,496 km2 (1,350 sq mi)
Elevation	189 m (620 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,967
Climate	Dfb

Kirovsk (Template:Lang-uk, Template:Lang-ru) is a city in Luhansk Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is incorporated as a city of oblast significance. Population: 26,967 (2020 est.), 28,529 (2013 est.).

History

The populated place was founded in 1764 as a village Golubovka by the Russian colonel and a native of Serbia Peter Golub. Its history follows closely the history of industrial development in the Eastern Ukraine.

The town grew when coal mines were set up in the area and the village was known as a settlement Golubovskiy Rudnik; reaching its peak size in the 1980s. When the area was recaptured from Nazi Germany in 1944, the settlement was renamed as Kirovsk after the Russian mayor of Leningrad. In 1962 the settlement was granted the city rights.

The landscape around the town still has pyramid-shaped manmade hills, they are the by-products of the coal mine development and make the area look somewhat surreal. The best time to visit Kirovsk is August; a few national and local holiday celebrations take place during this month, such as the Independence Day and the Coal Miner Day. During the holidays the nightlife is booming; there are live concerts performed by regional, sometimes national, artists on the town stadium with many festivities in the town park. The town's population would grows noticeably during the holidays when many friends and families come to visit.

Common outdoor activities include hunting in the prairies surrounding Kirovsk and fishing on the nearby lakes. Local terrain is very hilly and has many roads and paths that makes it perfect for mountain biking. The area has a few historic sites that include churches, a museum and a World War II memorial. The town swimming pool is popular among locals and has a gym. Local nightlife destinations include the small cafes and the discothèque in the town park that are open only during the summer.

Since 2014, Kirovsk has been located on the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic and is not controlled by Ukrainian authorities. The city was renamed to Holubivka by Ukrainian authorities, however, the Luhansk People's Republic does not recognize this name.

Demographics

As of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:

Ethnicity

• Ukrainians: 56.9%
• Russians: 40.7%
• Belarusians: 1%

Language

• Russian: 84.6%
• Ukrainian: 14.9%
• Belarusian: 0.2%

Kirovsk Municipality

The Kirovsk Municipality represented by the Kirovsk City council consists of two urban-like settlements (towns, Donetskyi and Krynychanske [Chervonohvardiyske]) and two rural settlements (hamlets, Krynychne and Tavrychanske) that belonged to Chervonohvardiyske Municipality.