Horlivka Local Customs

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When I was a student, nobody paid any attention on whether a city has a flag or a coat-of-arms. I don't even think they were adopted and used then.
Nowadays every Ukrainian town and city has such symbols, and Horlivka is not an exception.
St.George and a coalminer with an air hammer are shield-holders on its coat-of-arms.
The city symbols - the coat-of-arms and the flag - are at the entrance to the city council.
Nikita Izotov monument in Lenin Avenue is one of the oldest and biggest city symbols too.
Try your Russian and listen to the local rock group Likholessye while watching the pictures.
Like many other cities of Ukraine, Horlivka has an anthem.
I decided to translate it for you here.
Here it is.

The Motherland, like a mother, is not chosen:
The Motherland is, like a mother, the only one.
People live and die for the sake of it,
Wishing she would always live.

Refrain:

Under the blue Ukrainian sky
In the golden wreath of fields
My city stands as a worthy son
Of my free Motherland.

Both Gorlov and Izotov used to live here,
Their labor and feat were righteous,
Making an alloy – intellect and work,
Song and elevated soul.

Refrain:

Gorlovka is a land of labor and songs,
Of generous smiles and of fire,
Therefore I am happy and merry
For you and I are blood relatives.

Refrain:

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I used to frequent this movie theater in Lenin Street: Shakhtar ("Coalminer") movie theater.
We also enjoy going for a walk to Korolenko Ponds located on the city outskirts about forty minutes walk from our dormitory in Kirov Street.
We also went to Seversky Donets-Donbass canal located about five miles from where we lived in Horlivka. The freshwater canal connected the River Seversky Donets in the north and the River Calmius in the south.
We visited the place on the city outskirts where the canal runs in pipes.

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If you walk along Rudakov Street (turn left from Gagarin Street), you will see Heroes Park with Glory Obelisk.
Glory Obelisk was dedicated on November 5, 1969 to commemorate the city residents who fell in the battles with Nazis.
The obelisk was designed by the architect A.K.Antonovich and was sponsored by the city enterprises.
On May 9, 1970 the Eternal Flame was lit at the foot of the obelisk.
It became a tradition to hopld rallies on Victory in Europe Day here when hundreds of city residents gather here to attend the festivities.
The newly-weds always lay flowers to the foot of Glory Obelisk on their wedding day.

Horlivka was occupied by the Nazis on October 29, 1941.
It was liberated by the Soviet Army on September 5, 1943.

About 25,000 city residents were tortured to death, executed or deported to forced labor in Germany during the dark days of the Nazi occupation.
All in all twenty-three residents of the city became Heroes of the Soviet Union.
Now there are fifty-nine war memorials in Horlivka, among them - twenty-five common graves of Soviet soldiers.

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I liked this monument, as it were.
It is located inside the fountain opposite Rodina hotel in Dimitrov Boulevard.
I have never seen it operate, but saw the photographs where it looked very nice when the water was on.
I think it only happens on big holidays such as Coalminer's Day, City Day and others.

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Looking at the city map I noticed that, unlike many other cities I have visited, Horlivka street names sometimes sound very unique.
What do you think of such street names:

Merry Street (in Ozeryanovka);
Galileo Street (in Gagarin Settlement);
Bright Street (in Gagarin Settlement);
Alphabet Lane (in Gagarin Settlement);
Democratic Street (in Block 88);
Long Lane (in Alexeyevka Settlement);
Narrow Lane (in Alexeyevka Settlement);
Cultural Street (in Alexeyevka);
Pearl Street (in Coalmine 6-7 settlement);
Picturesque Street (in Nikitovka);
Moon Street (in Kondratyevka);
Electronic Street (in Kondratyevka);
Galaxy Street (in Kondratyevka);
Olympic Street (in Kirov Settlement);
Christmas Street (in Kalinin Settlement);
Amber Street (in Komarov Settlement);
Clean Lane (in Komarov Settlement);
Cold Street (in Komarov Settlement);
Crystal Lane (in Komarov Settlement).

As you see, streets in Gagarin Settlement, Alexeyevka and Komarov Settlement are champions in beautiful street names. These are the names I have never come across in any city I have visited.
But I don’t think these streets look as poetic, attractive and beautiful as their names sound.
Although just a picture at the background of a street name plaque would be a fun to have at home. It would be great for any local like me, to say nothing of foreigners.
In fact, it is one of my further plans about traveling to Horlivka: to visit some of those streets and to take pictures there.

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According to the official information, there are thirteen churches, chapels and cathedrals in the city.
I have only been to Erection of the Holy Cross Cathedral located in Dimitrov Boulevard near Rodina hotel.
It's a new church dedicated in the times of the independent Ukraine.

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The City Day is celebrated on the last weekend of August.
The events of the festival program take place mainly on the last Saturday of August.
The program starts at the monument to Peter Gorlov where the gala meeting takes place at 9 a.m.
By noon the festivities move to Victory Square. Here the residents and the guests of the city can listen to the choir concert of local amateur choirs.
Exhibitions of handicrafts are held in Dimitrov Boulevard in the afternoon.
The holiday concert starts at 6 p.m. at Stirol Leisure Center located opposite Rodina hotel. There is a fireworks display after the concert.
This holiday is attended by a lot of guests, among them the business partners of the local enterprises, the Lord Mayor of Barnsley, the twin-city of Horlivka, and one more guest of honor: the great-grandson of Peter Gorlov.

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New churches have been built and are still built in different districts of Horlivka.
During our city walk we were a bit upset to see that the old kids' park that we often passed on our way to the dormitory was neglected.
Now there is a new construction site there: a new building of Annunciation Cathedral is being built there.
The existing Annunciation Cathedral is a wooden one. After the stone church is complete, the existing wooden church will be turned into a chapel, as the lay sisters explained to us.
We saw the old entrance gate in the former kids' park.
My friend Vlad took a picture of me there.

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The kids can have a lot of fun in Victory Avenue riding a horse-drawn or a bull-drawn carriage.
You can make a couple of rounds for mere 20 UAH here.
They start at the fountain.
I personally only felt sorry for poor animals...