Sviatohirsk
Sviatohirsk
Святогірськ | |
|---|---|
City | |
 View of the St. Nicholas Church and the St. Andrew Chapel of the Holy Mountains Lavra | |
 Flag .png) Seal | |
  Sviatohirsk Location of Sviatohirsk within Donetsk Oblast  Sviatohirsk Location of Sviatohirsk within Ukraine | |
| Coordinates: 49°02′N 37°34′E / 49.033°N 37.567°ECoordinates: 49°02′N 37°34′E / 49.033°N 37.567°E | |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Oblast |  Donetsk Oblast |
| Raion | Kramatorsk Raion |
| First mentioned | 16th century |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Volodymyr Bandura |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 4,309 |
 | |
Sviatohirsk (Ukrainian: Святогі́рськ, pronounced [sʲwʲɐtoˈɦ⁽ʲ⁾irsʲk]) or Svyatogorsk (Russian: Святого́рск, pronounced [sʲvʲɐtoˈɡorsʲk]) is a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Region of Ukraine. A part of the Sloviansk Municipality, it stands on the banks of the Siverskyi Donets River, 30 kilometers (19 mi) from the city of Sloviansk. The population is 4,309 (2021 est.).[1] The 16th-century Sviatohirsk Lavra is located in the town.
History[edit]
A settlement in the area of the Holy Mountains was first mentioned in written sources in the 16th century.[2] In 1624, a monastery was established here, but in the end of the 18th century all monastic lands were secularized and passed on to private owners.[2] 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.[2] The proximity of a nearby selo of Tatyanovka lead to both places sometimes being collectively referred as Bannoye-Tatyanovka (Банное-Татьяновка).[2]
During the Soviet times, the selo was officially known as Bannoye.[2] In 1938, it was granted urban-type settlement status and renamed Bannovsky (Банновский).[2] 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 (Славяного́рск), 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.[2] In 2003, the name was changed to Sviatohirsk, after the monastery itself.[3]
Russian Invasion of Ukraine[edit]
Unlike neighboring Sloviansk, Sviatohirsk was never controlled by the pro-Russian forces who in spring 2014 had made Sloviansk their stronghold.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]
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.[7] On June 4, as a result of further hostilities in the region, one of the temples of the monastery was engulfed in flames.[8] 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.[9][10] However, the mayor of the city, Volodymyr Bandura, blamed Ukrainian forces for the burning of the temple, accusing Zelenskyy of lying.[11][12] The Security Service of Ukraine later accused the mayor of treason over this statement.[13]
According to the Institute for the Study of War, there were reports of the city partially coming under Russian control after a battle on May 31.[14][15] On June 6, Igor Konashenkov, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson, stated that Russian forces were completing the capture of the city.[16] Later that day, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, stated that Sviatohirsk was almost cleared of Ukrainian forces, except for a certain height somewhere in the city.[17] Russian minister of defense Sergei Shoigu announced the city's complete capture the next day, on June 7.[18]
Culture[edit]
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 May 15, 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.[19][20][21] However, since the Artem monument is listed as "National Cultural Heritage" it will not be demolished.[22]
Demographics[edit]
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the population of the city was 4,309 (2021 est.).[1] The results of the 2001 Ukrainian census found that the city's population was 3,805, of which 65.49% considered Ukrainian as their mother tongue, 33.96% Russian, 0.24% Armenian, 0.13% Belarusian, and 0.08% Moldovan.[23]
| Native Language | % |
|---|---|
| Ukrainian | 65.49% |
| Russian | 33.96% |
| Armenian | 0.24% |
| Belarusian | 0.13% |
| Moldovan | 0.08% |
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 Seversky Donets River, chalk mountains, coniferous and mixed forests, centuries-old oak trees, and clean air.
Gallery[edit]
Sviatohirsk Monastery
Hotel courtyard in Sviatohirsk
References[edit]
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g Pospelov [1], p. 31
- ^ Pospelov [2], p. 387
- ^ Ukraine Declares One-Week Cease-Fire in Fight With Pro-Russia Rebels, The Wall Street Journal (June 20, 2014)
- ^ Jonathan Beale, Ukraine war: Donbas tourist town braces for Russian assault, BBC news, 19 April 2022.
- ^ "Военный эксперт объяснил важность взятия Святогорска" [A military expert explained the importance of capturing Sviatohirsk]. svpressa.ru (in Russian). June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Від бомбардувань загинули та поранені монахи Святогірської Лаври" [The bombing killed and wounded the monks of the Svyatogorsk Lavra]. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in Ukrainian). June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "Від бомбардувань пожежа охопила Всіхсвятський скит Святогірської Лаври" [Fire engulfed the All Saints Hermitage of the Sviatohirsk Lavra]. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in Ukrainian). June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "President Zelensky after Russia's artillery strike on Sviatohirsk Lavra: Russia has no place in UNESCO". www.ukrinform.net. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ CNN's Victoria Butenko, Julia Presniakova and Bex Wright (June 4, 2022). "Zelensky says All Saints church in Sviatohirsk has been destroyed after Russian shelling". cnn.com. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ "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). June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Rahutskaia, Lylyia (June 8, 2022). "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 June 12, 2022.
- ^ Shevchenko, Oleh (June 9, 2022). "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 June 12, 2022.
- ^ Stepanenko, Kateryna; Hird, Karolina; Kagan, Frederick W. "Russian offensive campaign assessment, May 31" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "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 June 2, 2022.
- ^ "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 June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Пушилин заявил, что Святогорск "почти освобожден"" [Pushilin said that Sviatohirsk is "almost liberated"]. Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Шойгу объявил об освобождении Святогорска" [Shoigu announced the liberation of Sviatohirsk]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Poroshenko signed the laws about decomunization. Ukrayinska Pravda. May 15, 2015
- ^ Poroshenko signs laws on denouncing Communist, Nazi regimes, Interfax-Ukraine.
- ^ Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols, BBC News (April 14, 2015)
- ^ (in Russian) Zhebrovsky confirmed that Artyom monument in Svyatogorsk will not be demolished, depo.ua (29 December 2015)
- ^ "Розподіл населення за рідною мовою, Донецька область" [Distribution of population by native language, Donetsk region]. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
Sources[edit]
- [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.
External links[edit]
- Official web site of Sviatohirsk (in Russian)
