Pervomaisk, Luhansk Oblast

Pervomaisk (Ukrainian: Первомайськ, Russian: Первомайск) is a city in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, on the left bank of the Luhan river. Since 2014, the city is controlled by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.[1] Population: 38,435 (2013 est.)[2]. As of 2001, the population was 38,800.[3] Northeast of Pervomaisk, there is the static inverter plant of HVDC Volgograd-Donbass.

Pervomaisk Первомайськ
City
Downtown Pervomaisk
Flag Coat of arms
Pervomaisk Show map of Lugansk Oblast Pervomaisk Show map of Ukraine
Coordinates: 48°37′47″N 38°33′43″E
Country	Ukraine
Region	Luhansk Oblast
Municipality	Pervomaisk Municipality
Area
• Total	8,854 km^2 (3,419 sq mi)
Elevation	199 m (653 ft)
Population  (2013)
• Total	38,435
• Density	4,380/km^2 (11,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2
Postal code	93200-279
Area code(s)	+380-6455
Climate	Dfb

Ukrainian military roadblock near Pervomaisk in 2014

History

A local newspaper is published in the city since 1930.[4]

Starting Mid-April 2014 pro-Russian separatists captured several towns in Luhansk Oblast;[5][6] including Pervomaisk.[7] The following 2014 Donbass status referendums was not held in Pervomaisk.[8] On 25 July 2014 Kyiv Post reported that heavy fighting for the town was imminent since the separatists had been chased by the Ukrainian army from nearby towns and intended to make Pervomaisk their "last stand with the military".[9] Fighting for the control of the town between the separatists and the Ukrainian army indeed broke out on 28 July 2014.[10][11][12] On 12 August 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured the city from the pro-Russian separatists.[3][13] But 3 days later the Ukrainian authorities stated that there were still separatists in the city but that "soon this city shall be released".[14] On the other hand, (also on 15 August 2014) pro-Russian Twitter accounts claimed a wide-ranging pro-Russian separatists counterattack was taken place in Pervomaisk (and other towns).[15] Dmytro Tymchuk confirmed that "armed clashes continue near Pervomaisk" on 15 August 2014.[16] The Ukrainian Army did not manage to capture the city.[17] Between the end of July and 5 September 2014 there was heavy fire by the Ukrainian army against the residential areas, since the Lugansk People's Republic separatists deliberately stationed their military units in residential areas.[18]

In early January 2015 the civilian population was estimated at between 10,000-20,000, and Russian human rights campaigner and the chairman of the Memorial Oleg Orlov reported on the destruction evident in the town and on the acute food shortage.[19] The mayor, Yevgeny Ishchenko, was killed with three other people in January 2015.[20][21] The subsequent report of the Memorial stated that the city was almost destroyed and almost no intact buildings were standing as a result of continuous attacks by the Ukrainian army. The population was not evacuated, and its situation was described as a catastrophe.[18] According to a late September 2015 Russian Roulette Dispatch (by Vice News) at the time much of Pervomaisk was deprived of electricity and residents complained that only once a week they received water from water trucks.[17]

Geography

Through the north-western outskirts of the city pass a separating line of the forces in the Donbass [22][23]

Demographics

Ethnicity as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[24]

• Ukrainians: 65.9%
• Russians: 27.3%
• Belarusians: 1.1%

Native language as of the 2001 census:[24]

• Russian: 71.2%
• Ukrainian: 23.3%
• Belarusian: 0.2%

References

1. "The Cabinet named the cities of Donbass controlled by separatists". Korrespondent.net. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
2. Чисельність наявного населення України [Actual population of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
3. http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/218108.html
4. № 2906. По ленинскому пути // Летопись периодических и продолжающихся изданий СССР 1986 - 1990. Часть 2. Газеты. М., «Книжная палата», 1994. стр.381
5. https://newrepublic.com/article/117387/putin-accidentally-helping-unite-eastern-and-western-ukraine
6. http://en.itar-tass.com/world/735082
7. http://gazeta.ua/articles/np/_u-pervomajsku-teroristi-zajnyali-vijskomat/565159
8. http://pda.pravda.com.ua/news/id_7068502/
9. http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-advances-after-heavy-fighting-357839.html
10. http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/215712.html
11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2014-07-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2014-07-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/ato_forces_release_pervomaisk_komyshuvakha_and_kalynove_325244
14. http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/08/15/7034907
15. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/15/ukraine-conflict-pro-russia-rebels-entering-endgame
16. http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/218494.html
17. The War May Be Over: Russian Roulette (Dispatch 110), Vice News (26 September 2015)
18. "Между перемирием и войной" (PDF) (in Russian). Memorial. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
19. theguardian.com 7 January 2015 forgotten city destroyed by war
20. "Town Mayor, Three Volunteers murdered in Donbas". Sputnik News. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
21. "In TSNR died COMMANDANT Pervomaisk Yevgeny Ishchenko and with him three Russian volunteers". v.7 News. 23 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-01-24. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
22. "The media published an accurate map of the borders of the forces in the Donbass". www.unian.net. Retrieved 2016-01-07.
23. "Map of the discharge areas of heavy weapons as of February 20, 2015 (from the dragon-first-1)". Voice of Sevastopol - Novorossia news, the situation in Ukraine today. Retrieved 2016-01-17.