Luhansk Region

Description

Luhansk Oblast is the easternmost oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast (until 1958 and again 1970 to 1990) in honor of Kliment Voroshilov.

Important cities within the oblast include: Alchevsk, Antratsyt, Brianka, Kirovsk, Krasnyi Luch, Krasnodon, Lysychansk, Luhansk, Pervomaisk, Rovenky, Rubizhne, Sverdlovsk, Sievierodonetsk, Stakhanov.

Due to the War in Donbass, the administrative center of the oblast was relocated to Sievierodonetsk.

Geography

Geographic map

Luhansk Oblast is located in eastern Ukraine. The area of the oblast (26,700 km²), comprises about 4.42% of the total area of the country.

Its longitude from north to south is 250 km, from east to west – 190 km. The oblast has the longest segment of the Ukrainian international border with Russia among other regions (see State Border of Ukraine) consisting of 746 km (464 mi). It borders the Belgorod and Voronezh Oblasts of Russia on the north, while the Rostov Oblast is located to the east and the south. Among Ukrainian regions, the oblast borders the Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts to its west.

The region is located in the valley of Siversky Donets which splits the region approximately in half. The southern portion of the region is elevated by the Donetsk Ridge which is located closer to the southern border. The highest point is Mohyla Mechetna (367 m (1,204 ft)) which is the highest point of Donetsk Ridge.

The left bank of Siversky Donets is part of the Starobilsk Plain which to the north transforms into the Central Russian Upland.

History

The oblast originated in 1938 as Voroshylovhrad (Russian: Voroshilovgrad) Oblast after the Donetsk Oblast was split between Voroshylovhrad and Stalino (today Donetsk Oblast) oblasts. After the invasion by Nazi Germany in 1941 the region came under a German military administration, due to its proximity to frontlines.

During the Soviet times the Oblast bore its current name between 1958 and 1970. In the 1991 referendum, 83.86% of votes in the oblast were in favor of the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.

On April 8, 2014, following the 2014 Crimean Crisis, pro-Russian separatists occupying the Luhansk Oblast administrative building planned to declare the independence of the region as the Luhansk Parliamentary Republic, after other pro-Russian separatists declared Donetsk People's Republic in the Donetsk Oblast (April 7, 2014). When the Luhansk Parliamentary Republic ceased to exist, the separatists declared the Luhansk People's Republic (April 27, 2014) and held a referendum on separating from Ukraine on May 11, 2014. The legitimacy of the referendums was not recognized by any government. Ukraine does not recognize the referendum, while the EU and US said the polls were illegal. Subsequently, the War in Donbass started.

As a result of the War in Donbass, Luhansk insurgents control the southern third of the oblast, which includes the city of Luhansk, the region's most populous city as well as the capital of the oblast. Due to this, most oblast government functions have moved to Severodonetsk, which forces of the Government of Ukraine recaptured in July 2014. Many universities located in the occupied areas have moved to government-controlled cities such as Severodonetsk, Starobelsk or Rubizhne. A survey conducted in December 2014 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 5.7% of the oblast's population supported their region joining Russia, 84.1% did not support the idea, and the rest were undecided or did not respond; insurgent-controlled areas were not polled.

Transport

Through the region pass two major European routes and . There are 24 Russo-Ukrainian international border checkpoints of various entry.

within the Luhansk Oblast uses highway that starts from Debaltseve (Donetsk Oblast), passes through the city of Krasnyi Luch, and enters the Russian Federation at the border checkpoint "Dovzhansky" (settlement Dovzhanske, town of Biryukove).
within the Luhansk Oblast uses highway that starts from Debaltseve (Donetsk Oblast), passes through the city of Luhansk, and enters the Russian Federation at the border checkpoint "Izvaryne" (town of Izvaryne).
There is also another highway H21 that runs from north to south and connects Starobilsk, Luhansk, and Krasnyi Luch with Donetsk.

Rail transportation is administered by the Donetsk Railway.

There is also its regional airport Luhansk International Airport with its own carrier.