Донецьк (Donets'k)

Донецьк (Donets'k), formerly Донецк (Donetsk), sits along the Kal'mius River in eastern Україна (Ukrayina). It is the economic capital of the Donbas industrial resource area. The city has a metropolitan population of over 1.6 million.¹ It took its current name during de-Stalinization. It had been called Сталино² (Stalino) from 1924 to 1961, a name that brings to memory the slave laborers who rebuilt the city at the end of World War II after it had been destroyed by the Germans. The Nazis killed 100 thousand Jews in a concentration camp they ran within the city. Before 1924 the city was called Юзовка² (Yusovka) after John Hughes, a 19th century industrialist acting in the region.

The tallest building is the 24 story Severnyi Business Center, a not-yet-opened (in 2012) commercial tower whose construction has topped off.³

External references

the inside of the Donbas (sports) Arena

Historical maps

Footnotes

1. World-gazetteer.com, accessed 8/2/2012.
2. Russian spelling.
3. Emporis.com, accessed 11/8/2012, is the source of information about buildings.
4. Rounded from world-gazeteer.com, 2001 census (city proper), accessed 11/10/2012.