Donetsk City Information

General Information and City Photos
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	Time Zone The Time in Donetsk, Ukraine

Donetsk, former Stalino, is a large regional center in Southeastern Ukraine. Its population is 1,132,700 people.

Donetsk region is situated in the steppe zone. In the west it borders on Rostov region of Russia, in the south it is washed by the Azov Sea.

Donetsk stands on the Kalmius River and it even has its own sea - the Donetsk Sea, 206 hectares. The climate in Donetsk is moderate continental.

The city was founded in 1870, when a British manufacturer, John Hughes, received a concession from the Russian government to manufacture iron rails here. A metallurgical plant was built and the community was named Yuzovka (also spelled Hughesovka) in its founder's honor. What started first as a small mining and metallurgical community grew rapidly into a town. In July 1932 Stalino (it was renamed Donetsk only in 1961) became the center of Donetsk region. By 1941 the city had 223 big industrial enterprises and 54 small industrial businesses.

In 1941 - 1943 German troops occupied and destroyed the city. After World War II it was rebuilt and its economy was restored.

Nowadays Donetsk, an administrative capital of Donetsk region, has about 2,000 industrial enterprises. The region produces all the mining equipment for Ukraine, all the railway tanker cars, 55 percent of coal oar in Ukraine, 98 percent of all the Ukrainian refrigerators, 90 percent of salt. 50 percent of all the metallurgical production of the region is exported to more than 50 countries. It is a large industrial, scientific and cultural center.

It's one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine as well. People call it the «City of Roses» because in summer roses are everywhere in Donetsk.