Slovianoserbsk

Slovianoserbsk (Ukrainian: Слов'яносербськ, romanized: Slovyanoserbsk; or Slavianoserbsk, Russian: Славяносербск, romanized: Slavyanoserbsk) is a rural settlement in Zymohiria urban hromada, Alchevsk Raion (district), Luhansk Oblast (region), Ukraine, on the Donets river.^[1] Its population is 7,659 (2022 estimate)^[2], 8,065 (2013 est.)^[3]

Slovianoserbsk Слов'яносербськ
Rural settlement
Coat of arms
Slovianoserbsk Show map of Luhansk Oblast Slovianoserbsk Show map of Ukraine
Coordinates: 48°41′47″N 38°58′54″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Luhansk Oblast
Raion	Alchevsk Raion
Hromada	Zymohiria urban hromada
Founded	1753
Population  (2022)
• Total	7,659
Area code	(+380)
Vehicle registration	BB / 13
Climate	Dfb

History

The settlement was founded by Orthodox Christian settlers from the Balkans as part of the Slavo-Serbia colony in 1753.^[4][1] It was originally a military settlement known as Pidhirne (Ukrainian: Підгірне; Russian: Подгорное, romanized: Podgornoye), its purpose to protect the southern frontier of the Russian Empire from Tatars. It was granted town status in 1784 and renamed to Donetske (Ukrainian: Донецьке; Russian: Донецкое, romanized: Donetskoye).^[1] It was the county seat of Donets county from 1764 to 1796.^[4]

Plan of Slavyanoserbsk, Ekaterinoslav province, 1817

In 1817, due to frequent floods, the town was moved, and renamed to Slovianoserbsk.^[1] Also in 1817 it became again a county seat, and both the town and county were renamed to Slavianoserbsk. In 1870, the town had a population of 3,156. It hosted three annual fairs in the late 19th century.^[4]

A local newspaper has been published in the city since March 1939.^[5] During World War II, in 1942–1943, the German occupiers operated a prison in the town.^[6] In 1964, Slovianoserbsk received urban-type settlement designation, and in 1966 it became the center of Slovianoserbsk Raion.^[1]

Since 2014, Slovianoserbsk has been controlled by the separatist troops of the Luhansk People's Republic and their Russian supporters.^[7] In 2020, the Ukrainian government abolished Slovianoserbsk Raion, and now considers the town to be part of Alchevsk Raion. However, the internationally unrecognised Luhansk People's Republic continues to use the pre-2020 administrative divisions of Ukraine.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census in Ukraine, the town had 61.72% Russian speakers and 37.54% Ukrainian speakers.^{[citation needed]}

People from Slovianoserbsk

• Yuriy Klymenko (born 1973), Ukrainian politician

References

1. "Slovianoserbsk". Retrieved 2023-10-15.
2. Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
3. Чисельність наявного населення України [Actual population of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
4. Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom X (in Polish). Warszawa. 1889. p. 778.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
5. № 2926. Путь Октября // Летопись периодических и продолжающихся изданий СССР 1986 - 1990. Часть 2. Газеты. М., «Книжная палата», 1994. стр.383-384
6. "Gefängnis Slov'janoserbs'k". Bundesarchiv.de (in German). Retrieved 9 April 2022.
7. "Численность населения по состоянию на 1 октября 2015 года по Луганской Народной Республике" (PDF) (in Russian). Luhansk People's Republic. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2015.