About the city and region

At the end of 18-th century Russia won a number of Black Sea struggles. A wide access to the Black Sea was opened for Russia as well as a chance of using the great natural resources of the Azov Sea zones. The way to the Black Sea and joining of Crimea stipulated a need of protection of the South borders. Olds Turkish stronghold and new ones were used with this purpose. The stronghold and the fleet needed cannons. Industrial Ural was far, and state government came to a conclusion for the construction of a government plant close to the Black Sea coast. Order was prepared by Mordvinov, since he was in charge to persuade Petersburg Admiralty to switch 715 thousand silver rubles left from construction of the young Black Sea fleet to the construction of plant in the South Russia. Mordvinov entrusted a Scottish foundry engineer and inventor to create a cannon factory. After detailed study of the natural deposit the inventor proposed to manufacture cast iron cannons, rather then copper cannons. With this purpose an ironworks was erected at the village of Cambrod near the river Luhan'.

Factory was built during very short time. First cast iron was created in 1800. Canons and cast at Lugansk foundry factory protected Russia in War in 1812, in the Crimean war of 1853-1856. Together with the factory, a village was growing that was called Lugansk factory. By the 30-th of the 19-th century there were already nearly 200 private houses, along with the barracks where the most poor population nestled. Among the workers there were citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Belorus, Tatarstan. Every nationality tended to save its own customs, but they formed some particular flavor of Luhansk region.

Firstly the city was built without an officially confirmed plan. All parallel streets were identified as lines (as in Saint Petersburg), and all horizontal ones had names. The first street of the city was the so called English Street. Foreign professionals who arrived to work at the plant settled there. A mansion especially for the director of factory was built there. On the same street, in the family of a factory physician, Dal a compiler of a well-known Explanatory dictionary of Russian, was born. Later have other streets appeared such as Petersburg, Uspenskaya, Kazanskaya, Bankovskaya. Later Petersburg Street became the main street in the city. Here two-storied houses were created, in which, as a rule, stores, barbers' shops were placed at the ground floor. In Lugansk there were more then ten churches of different religions: Kazanskaya Preobrazhenskaya,Trinity, Assumotion, Petropavlovskaya, Nikolayevsky cathedral, a synagogue, catholic church, several of prayer houses. To great pity all these buildings that had a great value as architectural monuments were destroyed in the 30th of 20-th century. The only church that survived but was greatly damaged is Petropavlovskaya Church in the Stone Ford.

In 1882 Luhansk city according to its economic position, by the solicitation of local merchants and gentries was raised in the status of a district city. In spring of 1883 the first Chairman of City Soviet (Mayor), Kolodilin was elected, and Soviet itself was placed in one of the best buildings of the city on Kazanskaya Street.

With growing of a number of populations, a quantity of schools increased. In the city there were several private schoold, two public gymnasiums. With the development of industry and economy in Luhansk city several banks appeared in the region. The most influential was "Azov-Don" bank on Kazanskaya Street.

In 1903 life of the citizens of Luhansk city was exciting and interesting. Several libraries, movie theaters, a circus, parks, clubs were in the city. In 70-80-th of 19-th century new factories have appeared in Luhansk city. The largest one was Lugansk cartridge plant modified from foundry and locomotive plant of Gartman. In 1898 there were already more than 30 industrial enterprises, as well as much small businesses and craft workshops.

At the beginning of the 20-th century Luhansk has confirmed itself as a large industrial center, as a city with its own multinational traditions and particular style of life.

How to get there:

You can reach this city from Kyiv by air plane. There are no other flights to the Luhansk city from any other Ukrainian city like we had before. The plane starts from "Zhuliany" National Airport in Kiev in the evening at about 7.30 p.m. (except weekends) and arrives to this city at about 9 p.m. The air ticket would cost you about $70 and the taxi ride from Boryspil International Airport in Kiev to Zhulyany would cost you about $35 (one hour drive). The airport building is under repair now. This is how its exterior looks like now.

Luhansk International Airport

http://www.kompass.com/en/UA130010