Welcome to Donetsk!

Donetska Oblast: population: est. 4.77 million

Donetsk City: population: est. 1.01 million

Landscape: mainly flat, rural

Main Industries: Metallurgy, agriculture, and chemicals

Distance from Kyiv: 729 km

Donetsk, (Ukrainian Donetske), located in southeastern Ukraine on the Kal'mius River. The city was founded in 1870, when a British manufacturer, John Hughes, received a concession from the Russian government to manufacture iron rails here. The community was named Yuzovka (also spelled Hughesovka) in his honor. In 1924 the city was renamed Stalino. In 1961 the city was given its current name, after the Donetsk River.

Donetsk is the capital of the Donetska Oblast It is the largest city in the oblast and it is the chief industrial center of the Donetsk Basin. Among the city's principal industries are iron and steel production, chemical manufacturing, coal mining, and food processing.

The Donetsk oblast and the surrounding area, with a population of nearly 5 million people, is also known as the DonBass region (Donetsk Basin). Donetsk was given the status of a city in 1917 and became the capital of the Donetsk region in 1932. Donetsk is a major industrial, scientific and cultural centre with an estimated population of 1,132,700 and is now considered one of Ukraines most important economic cities.

Among the many attractions in Donetsk, it offers 3 theatres, a Philharmonic Hall, a planetarium, 3 movie cinemas, 29 museums and numerous public and university libraries.

In or near the city center one will find: parks, lakes, Lenin Square, Donetsk Opera House, Philharmonic Orchestra, and 2 multi-screen cinemas.

The main attractions near the city are the botanical gardens, the Artyomovsk champagne plant tour, and the Artyomovsk salt mine. There is also an indoor circus located on Leninsky Ave., 2 - a 15 minute walk from Artyom street.

Main streets for enjoyable walking, shopping and entertainment: Artyom, Universitetskaya, and Pushkin Blvd.

Other attractions outside of city center: 17th century Svyatogorsk Monestary (includes walkable tombs, Ostrich park, the scenic Severskiy Donets River, and a paved-walkway leading to a mountain overlook). Access is free.

Note: The Central Hotel (87 Artyom St., ph: ) is happy to make arrangements for city tours and excursions, even if you are not a guest at the hotel.

Donetsk offers a wide range of restaurants for all budgets and tastes. Most are located on or just off of Artema street or Puskin Blvd. Below are a few of the more popular restaurants:

Golden Lion Restaurant and Pub- An Irish pub with reasonably priced American and Ukrainian cuisine. Located directly across from Lenin Square at 76A Artyom St., ph: 062-381-7676.

Three Fatman- Reasonably priced American and Ukrainian cuisine. Exellent pizza and steaks. English Menu available. During the spring and summer months, there is a nice covered eating area that provides a nice view of a nearby park.

L'Opera- This is fine dining inside the Donbass Palace Hotel. Located at 80 Artema St.

Fusion- Features excellent Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisine. Located in the DonBass Palace, 80 Artyom St.

Sun City - a 24 hour dinner with a variety of Ukrainian dishes and some American dishes. It's cheap, quick, always open.

Tequila Boom - offers authentic Mexican cuisine and tasty mixed drinks. Located at 25 Pushkin Blvd., ph: 062-381-7575

Mario - Classic Italian menu with reasonable prices. Located at 15 Ilycha, ph: 062-381-0850

The Chicago Entertainment Complex, centrally located in the same building as Shevchenko Movie Theater, features a large expensive nightclub, a "biker's bar" featuring live rock music, a strip club, and a bowling alley.

Gung-yu-bazz features live rock music and a chic, alternative clientelle. It is located just off of Artyoma Street, not far from Krupskaya Library.

Garage contains a large dance floor with heavy house beats, a bowling alley, and numerous games and activities. The club is themed with vintage automobiles.

Virus features a nightclub, movie theater, and bowling alley. Occasionally there are concerts and DJs from out of town.

Fort Knox is a smaller club and casino with a glitzy golden theme.

NLO (UFO) is a large flying-saucer shaped club decorated with extraterrestrial styling and blacklights. The club is popular amongst college students, and frequently has student nights and other promotions.

Motel is a motel, and regional bus station, and strip club decorated with stalactites. No further explanation is necessary.

Gallactica,

Miami,

Rostov,

Talisman,

Colliseum,

Forum,

Sherlock Holmes,

The city has a wide range of activities for tourists. Donetsk offers 5 public swimming pools, indoor/outdoor tennis courts, and more than a dozen fitness clubs-with the latest equipment and shower facilities. Locations for the city's wide range of facilites can be obtained at most hotel information desks.

Parks and open spaces- There are 2 parks near the city center: Leninsky Komsomol and Sherbakov Park (this one sits on a lake and features a year round outdoor carnival, picnic tables, and paddle boat/row boat rentals.)

Theatre locations:

Opera & Ballet- 87 Artyon str. ph: 062-338-0969

Drama- 74a Artyom str., ph: 062-305-3213

Puppet- Illycha ave., ph: 062-95-7777

Movie Cinema locations:

Shevtchenko- 123 Artyom str., ph: 062-305-3075

Donetsk KKK-Illycha ave., ph: 062-94-7145

Zvyozdotcha- 57 Universitetskaya str., ph: 062-304-4212

Museum locations (just a few):

Donetsk Nature Museum- 189a Chelyuskintsev str., ph: 062-55-3474

Donetsk Art Museum- 35 Phuskin Blvd., ph: 062-305-3723

Art Saloon- 127 Artyom str., ph: 062-3040-5878

In-Tours, a tour bus and in-city guide service, located in the Druzhba Hotel (48 Universitetskaya), can arrange tours of the city, the oblast, and throughout Ukraine.

Note: The Central Hotel (87 Artyom St.) is happy to make arrangements for city tours and excursions, even if you are not a guest at the hotel.

During the spring and summer, free open-air concerts take place during the week (at night) and on weekends (day and night). There are also holidays such as Donetsk's City Day and Miner's Day that are uniquely celebrated in Donetsk. Lenin Square usually has the largest concerts, but performances can also be seen on Pushkin Square, behind the Drama Theater.

If you are looking for the latest in electronic gadgetry, fashion wear, sports wear, or you just need a decent pair of jeans, Donetsk has it all! Take a stroll down Artema St., Pushkin Blvd. and Universitetskaya and you are sure to find anything that suits your taste and budget. The city has a variety of shops, malls, rinoks (open-air markets), and high-end clothing boutiques to choose from. If you need computer accessories, don't dispair; there are at least a dozen technica's (electronic stores) with all the latest equipment and accessories.

Malls - Donetsk has 3 multi-story malls: Cym (located at the south-end of Artema); White Swan (located on Artema, near the city's major soccer stadium); and the Golden Ring Mall (near the south-end of Universitetskaya). All 3 malls are within 30 minutes walking distance from the central square (Lenin Square).

Boutiques - if your budget allows, there are dozens of internationally known designer boutiques to chose from.

Pharmacies (Apteka's) - if you need medication, vitamins, or just aspirin, there are hundreds of Aptekas in the city. They can be found on almost every city block.

If you want the experience of shopping (and haggling) at an open-air market, there are 3 main rinoks (one at the south-end of Artema St., one that is centrally located-west of the Krupskaya Library, and there is one at the train station.

Traveling to Donetsk, from Kyiv is quite easy. There are three travel alternatives: train, bus, and plane.

By Train: Tickets cost approx. $15 USD (oneway, coupe/second-class seating). Tickets may be purchased at the main train station in Kyiv, or a travel agency. The train from Kyiv usually leaves once a day (in the evening around 7:00 p.m.) and takes 12 hours.

By Bus: Two luxury bus companies provide service from Kyiv to Donetsk: Sherif Tour and Gunsil. Tickets for Gunsil may be purchased at the Boryspil airport or the main bus station in Kyiv. Cost is $20 USD oneway. Their buses are very nice, clean, and have reclining seats. Movies (usually current flicks) are featured during the trip. Offers two departure times from Borysil (8:00 a.m. or 8:30 p.m.). Gunsil takes a more direct route to Donetsk and the trip time is 12 hours.

Sherif Tour- tickets may be purchased at the main bus station in Kyiv (not at the airport.) Ticket price: approx. $15 USD (oneway). Sherif Tour offers multiple departure times from and to Kyiv, but they make more stops than Gunsil. Consequently, the trip time is close to 14 1/2 hours. There buses are clean, have reclining seats, and they also offer movies on their buses.

Both bus services provide free coffe and tea, and they each make an adequate number of short bathroom stops.

By Plane: tickets may be bought at any travel agency or at the Boryspil airport. 2 airlines fly from Kyiv: Donbass Airlines and Ukrainian International Airlines.

Transportation Services:

Central bus station: Pivdenna bus station Zahyblyh Komunariv pl. tel. (0622) 66-51-19

Railway station: Pryvokzalna pl. tel. (0622) 51-22-53 information service: (0622) 005, tel. (0622) 93-40-59 ticket booking: (0622) 055

Airport: information service: tel. (0622) 51-53-22;

Donetsk has 14 hotels and motels to offer. It has one of Ukraine's two 5-star hotels, the Donbass Palace. Donetsk offers hotel accomodations for all budgets. Many of Donetsk's hotels have modern business centers, conference and meeting rooms, saunas, and workout facitilies. The two hotels that are located closest to the city center (Lenin Square) are the Central Hotel and the Donbass Palace.

Below you will find brief information on a few of the available hotels:

Central Hotel (3-star), located at 87 Artema Str., ph: 062-332-3875

Description: This is a comfortable full service hotel popular with business travelers and tourists alike. Located in the city center and only minutes away from parks, museums, shopping mall and Lenin Square. Its affordable rooms, business amenities, and location make it popular choice

Rialto (3-star), located at 145 Tkachenko Str., ph: 062-332-9342

The Rialto is situated in a pleasant commercial part of Donetsk. It is a full service hotel for business and leisure travelers. It offers a sauna, 24 hour gym, and comfortable rooms equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioner, TV, phone, and mini bars.

Donbass Palace (5-star), located at 80 Artema Str., ph: 062-343-4333

Description: The Donbass Palace is a luxurious 5 star hotel located in the heart of the city of Donetsk, on Artyoma Street and is ideally situated for easy access to the Theatre, the Opera House, as well as the main shopping and commercial areas.

Praga (4-star), located at 101 Dubravnaya St., ph: 062-381-1166

Description: The Prague Hotel is situated 5-7 minutes (by vehicle) away from the central square. The hotel stands in close proximity to major sights of interest: The Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the Museum of Local Lore are just 10 minutes walking distance from the hotel. Hotel facilities include resturant, bar casino, buisness center, conference facility, massage, etc. The hotel is 25 min from the airport and 15 minutes from the railway station.



Druzhba (3-star), located at 48 Universitetskaya St., ph: 062-337-3238

Description: This is a standard 3 star hotel with good proximity to the airport, train station, bus services, businesses and shopping. The hotel offers De luxe, first and tourist class rooms. One of the cities' popular tour-guide agencies, "In-tours," is located inside the hotel.

Victoria (4-star), located at 14 Mira Ave., ph: 062-381-4777

Description: The hotel has 6 Floors, offers 38 Guest Rooms, all with modern conveniences. There Is A Victoria Restaurant and 10 bars within the hotel.

The hotel offers 60 kinds off wines. It also offers a daily evening show with live music. For Business travelers, the hotel offers all modern business conveniences, conference rooms, computers, fax and copy machines, and Internet access.

The hotel is only a 30 minute drive from the airport.



Atlas (3-star), located at Shevchenko, 20 Blvd., ph: 062 381 7979

Description: Atlas hotel was completely renovated in 2004. It is located in a quiet and central location next to the bank of the Kalmius River and only minutes from shopping and business center. Town transport provides an easy access to all areas of Donetsk.

Donetsk is home to the world-record-holding pole-vaulter, Serhiy Bubka.

Shaxtar Donetsk is the city's most prominent football team, and one of the best in Ukraine. The team frequently plays in the Champions League, and is competitive in the Ukrainian League nearly every season. The team is owned by Rinat Axmetov, Ukraine's wealthiest man and a native son of Donetsk. Tickets can be bought at Olympeski Stadium, on Artyoma, or at the Shaxtar Store, on Pushkina Blvd. near the Drama Theater.

Donetsk has many internet cafes, a large post office located at the city center near Lenin Square, multiple Western Union stations, and most (if not all) of Ukraine's major banks are located here. Cash machines are abundant.

The city is very well lit at night and the streets are easy to navigate. Almost everything that you will need or want (with the exception of a few excursions) can be found on one of the main streets: Artyom, Pushkin, and Universitetskaya.

Nearest American Embassy:

10 Y.Kotsyubynskoho str.

Kyiv

Tel.: (044)246-97-50, 244-73-50

Visas department 6 Pymonenka vul Tel.: (044)246-80-48, 216-33-93.