| Luhansk (Lugansk) Ukrainian: Луганськ Russian: Луганск |
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| Map of Ukraine with Luhansk highlighted. | |||
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Luhansk (Lugansk)
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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-Étienne Daqing |
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| Website | http://gorod.lugansk.ua/ | ||
Luhansk (Ukrainian: Луганськ, pronounced [luˈɦɑɲsʲk]) (formerly 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. Lugansk achieved the status of city in 1882. Located in the Donets Basin, Lugansk was developed into an important industrial center of 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.[2][3] 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 Ukrainian Premier League annual football championship and play at the Avanhard Stadium. The other football team is Dynamo Luhansk.
On September 7, 2006, Archaeologists in Ukraine claimed an ancient structure, which the press reported as a pyramid antedating 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 Mesoamerica. It was later concluded that the site in question was not a pyramid but still of great interest.
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