Krasnodon city, Ukraine

Krasnodon overview

Krasnodon city is the capital and administrative center of Krasnodon area located in Lugansk oblast of Ukraine. Krasnodon is situated in the southeastern part of Lugansk oblast, about 50 km from Lugansk city on Bolshaya Kamenka river.

Krasnodon main industries include coal mining (about 74% of city GDP), machine, food, building and printing industries.

Krasnodon city population is about 105,000 (2010).

The phone code is +380 6435; the postal code is 94400.

Krasnodon city flag

Krasnodon city coat of arms

Krasnodon city map location

Krasnodon history

In 1910 industrial mining of coal was in process on the territory of present day Krasnodon. The mine consisting of several pits near the village of Sorokino (founded in 17th century) had the same name and its first coal was mined in 1914. This date is the date of Krasnodon foundation.

The mine grew and developed rapidly, in 1916 there were 776 miners and the population of the village Sorokino was 3,105. In 1917 the first school was opened in the village.

After the Civil War destroyed mines were reconstructed and modernized and new ones were constructed. By 1935 the trust “Sorokinugol” included 25 mines, there were over 40 mines before the World War II.

In 1938 the settlement Sorokino turned into a town and was named Krasnodon. The population was 22,220 by that time.

During German occupation (from July 20th, 1942, to February 14th, 1943) an underground youth organization “Molodaya gvardiya” (“young guard”) was operating there. The members of the organization held an anti-fascist propaganda, wrote and gave out flyers, freed military captives, sabotaged local authority activities on restoring and operating the mines. Most of the members of the organization were captured and executed.

In 1944 the first museum “Young Guard” was opened. In 1970 a special building of the museum was constructed, the money was donated by young people of the Soviet Union. The city keeps memory of its heroes and that is why the monument “Klyatva” (“Oath”) is considered the symbol of Krasnodon. The monument was opened in 1954.

The architectural ensemble on Molodaya gvardiya square includes a statue “Sorrowful mother” and graves of the organization members. On May 9th, 1965, an eternal fire was set. The writer A.A.Fadeyev wrote a novel “Molodaya gvardiya” (1946) about Krasnodon and the organization members.