Donets'k Local Customs

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Mertsalov’s Palm is one of the symbols of Donetsk and Donetsk Region.
Its image is on the coat-of-arms of Donetsk Region.
The inscription on the ribbon reads, Opportunity proved by deeds!.

Mertsalov's Palm on Youtube

Mertsalov’s Palm has its own interesting history. It is the first and the oldest symbol of Donetsk, the symbol of the Russian craftsmanship and labor glory.

Aleksey Mertsalov, a worker of Yuzovka metallurgical factory, forged the palm within three weeks. He forged the palm within three weeks in 1896 for All-Russia Industrical and Arts Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod where it was awarded with the Grand Prix. The Palm was also exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 and was awarded with Grand Prix there as well.
Its original is now kept at the museum of the Mining Institute in Saint Petersburg.

The Palm has a symbolic meaning. Its leaves cover all spheres of human activities and unite into one mighty trunk, thus symbolizing clearness of purpose and unity. The trunk goes down into the ground that is the source of our wealth.
The palm leaf is a symbol of superiority and everlasting success. The Palm was forged of a piece of rail, a very durable material. The connection of the durable metal with entrails is a symbol of the source of strength and prosperity of our land.

On August 17, 1999 the Palm was proclaimed to be the symbol of the Donets Basin.

In September 1999 an exact replica of the original Palm was installed on the square near the Expo-Donbass Exhibition Center in Cheliuskintsev Street. Sergey Kaspruk, a local craftsman, made several replicas of the Palm and they have been installed in different cities: Kiev, Lviv, Crimea, Moscow, Hannover, and Ottawa.

Another exact replica of the Palm stands near the regional administration building at the beginning of Pushkin Boulevard. It was erected there in 2007.

The Golden Scythian Regional Foundation has used the Palm since 2000 as a symbol of the industrial revival of Ukraine – an independent and mighty industrial state.

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Donetsk is not only a large industrial center of Ukraine, but also is famous for being the City of a Million of Roses.
The city got that title from UNESCO in 1970. At that time 180 sorts of roses grew in Donetsk.
The city must be the one of the world’s greenest industrial centers.

The city is also famous for its cone-shaped coalmine slug heaps that are called mountains here. All in all, there are about 130 man-made hills in the city boundaries. Some of those man-made hills look like inaccessible mountain peaks, and others look like volcanoes. They make Donetsk look very special for visitors.

The Calmius Embankment is one of the favorite spots of many locals and visitors. It is adorned by numerous lanterns, wrought-iron benches, sidewalks and bright flowerbeds.
Here is a Youtube slideshow dedicated to the City of a Million of Roses.

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You can attend different concerts, shows and performances at different theaters and other venues:
The Opera and Ballet Theater,

Russian Drama Theater,

the Youth Palace,

the circus,

Shevchenko movie theater
in the main street.

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Donetsk has several twin cities, among them:
Sheffield in the UK,
Bochum in Germany,
Katowice in Poland,
Hunedoara in Romania,
Charlesroix in Belgium.
You can see a splendid gift of the residents of Bochum in the main street in front of the City Council. It’s called Monk Bell on the city maps.
The inscription reads, My name is Blasius in German.
The memorial plaques in German and in Ukrainian explain that the bell is the gift of the residents of Bohum to the people of Donetsk, August 31, 1997.
The locals call that bell Monk Bell.