Luhans'k Луганськ Lugansk |
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Map of Ukraine with Luhansk highlighted. | |||
Luhans'k
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Coordinates: | |||
Country Oblast Raion |
Ukraine Luhansk Oblast |
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Founded | 1795 | ||
Government | |||
- Mayor | Serhiy Ivanovych Kravchenko | ||
Area | |||
- Total | 257 km2 (99.2 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 105 m (344 ft) | ||
Population (2004) | |||
- Total | 445,900 | ||
- Density | 1,802/km2 (4,667.2/sq mi) | ||
Postal code | 91000 | ||
Area code(s) | +380 642 | ||
Sister cities | Cardiff Lublin Pernik Székesfehérvár[1] Saint-Etienne Daqing |
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Website | http://gorod.lugansk.ua/ |
Luhansk (Ukrainian: Луганськ, pronounced [luˈɦɑnʲsʲk]) (formerly Luhanske[2] and Voroshilovgrad) also known as Lugansk (Russian: Луга́нск; pronounced [luˈɡansk]) is a city in southeastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Luhansk Oblast (province). The city itself is also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast. The current estimated population is around 445,900 (as of 2004)
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The city traces its history to 1795, when the British industrialist Charles Gascoigne founded a metal factory there. It was the beginning of an industry that still thrives there today. Luhansk achieved the status of city in 1882. Located in the Donets Basin, Luhansk was developed into an important industrial center of the Eastern Europe, particularly a home to the major locomotive-building company. On November 5, 1935, the city was renamed Voroshilovgrad (Russian and Ukrainian: Ворошиловград) in honour of Soviet military commander and politician Kliment Voroshilov. On March 5, 1958, with the call of Khrushchev not to give names of living people to cities, the old name was reinstated.[3][4] On January 5, 1970, after Voroshilov died, the name was changed again to Voroshilovgrad. Finally, on May 4, 1990, a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR gave the city back its original name.
Luhansk is home to Zorya Luhansk which now plays in the premier league Ukrainian annual football championship and who plays into Avanhard Stadium. The other football team is Dynamo Luhansk.
On September 7, 2006, Archaeologists in Ukraine claimed an ancient pyramidal structure, which they allege antedates those in Egypt by at least 300 years, was discovered near Luhansk. The stone foundations of the structure were said to resemble Aztec and Mayan pyramids in South America. It was later concluded that the site in question was not a pyramid but still of great interest.
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