Luhansk Off The Beaten Path

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This university has become quite famous since it got the title of the National University and was named after Vladimir Dahl who was born in Luhansk on November 22, 1801 and published his great works under the pen name of Cossack of Luhansk.

They have built a new building at Budyonny Street that looks very modern and attracting.
This university building is perhaps one of the most well-known ultramodern buildings in the city.
The full name of the university is:
Vladimir Dahl East-Ukrainian National University.

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St.Nickolas Cathedral (full name: St.Nickolas Transfiguration Cathedral) is located at 111 International Street.
It was built in 1950-1951 and dedicated on February 15, 1951, which was very rare in Stalin times. It is one of the very few Orthodox cathedrals built in the Soviet Union in Stalin times.
They say it was built "in exchange" of St.Nickolas Cathedral blown up by the Bolsheviks in the thirties during their militant atheist campaign. The Orthodox Church contributed to the victory in the Great Patriotuic War of 1941-1945 both materially and morally. The Bolsheviks (later Communists) could not conceal that fact and after the war they softened their militant attidude towards the church.
The cathedral is located in five minutes' walk from the city conference center in Luxemburg Square.
The cathedral has a fully restored building with a new belfry.
Also, there is also a web site about our saint Philip of Luhansk (1858-1956) who was ordained to be a deacon of this cathedral.

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You can also enjoy visiting ravines, streams and forest glades in Ostraya Mogila forest park located 10 km from the city center and in the area called Medical Compound.
I hope you will not regret visiting those places and will have lots of good impressions, although you might be disappointed to see lots of litter left by the local wild tourist there...

You can also go to Stone Ford District and see the panorama of the city from 21st International Youth Day Street.
You can have a good view of downtown Luhansk from the hill there.

Another attraction is the city beach on the right bank of the Seversky Donets and the adjacent holiday homes with bars, cafes and saunas such as "Dessiulia" located in Red Ravine Block (Tel. +38 0642 41 10 06 - on weekends) and +38 0642 53 91 17 (on week days).

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This is the order of streets directed down to the river:

Sovietskaya Street -> Kotsiubinsky Street-> Taras Shevchenko Street -> Marx Street -> Lenin Street -> Post Street - Dahl Street -> Railway Line Street -> cross the railway line and you find yourself in Stone Ford District.

Marx Street was called Kazan Street before 1917. Now there is City History and Culture Museum, "Uyut" cafe and "Image" store and cafeteria. This street leads to "Ukraine" hotel and May Day Park.
Lenin Street was called St.Petersburg Street before 1921. Now it is one of the off-the-beaten- path places. You can go to the Philharmonic Society there and have lavish Ukrainian dinner at "Free Cossacks' Village" museum restaurant.
Post Street is known for its Arts Museum.
There is Vladimir Dahl house museum in Dahl Street. This street was called English Street before 1917. It was, in fact, the first city street.

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This is the general view of the huge mosaic in Lermontov Street.
It's not far from foreign languages lyceum that is in Saint Etienne Street.

Picture 4:
You can see some really beautiful graffiti on some of the concrete fences of downtown Luhansk.
This is one of them.
By the way, this picture was printed in a Moscow magazine called “OM” in the June issue of 2005.

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Visiting St.Peter and St.Paul's Cathedral in Stone Ford District you will see this treasure of Luhansk - Luhansk-root icon of the Most Holy Mother of God.
The icon was painted twenty years ago during the Lent by an outstanding ascetic monk and an icon-painter of our times who used to say that you cannot paint an icon, you can only beg the Lord for it.

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This stone lies next to the chapel built at the grave of
Philip of Luhansk
(1858 - 1956)
at the city's old southern cemetery.
This stone was a piece of a rotten oak trunk that lay in an old park and was turned into stone by Philip when the sneering young Communists demanded a miracle of him in the thirties.
Philip was an elder who served as a dean of the local cathedral. He was famous for his miracles.
He healed people after the Most Holy Mother of God had appeared before him and empowered him to do so on June 13, 1905.
Philip of Luhansk passed away on the day of his birth on November 22, 1956 in Luhansk.
Now there is a chapel over his grave.
The grave of Philip of Luhansk is a place of pilgrimage of many Orthodox Christians.
More information: in the booklet of Archimandrite Vladimir (Orachev) about Philip of Luhansk.
It is available on the Internet (and still under construction):
http://luhansk.zxq.net/

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Our railway station was dedicated in December 1979. Its construction lasted from 1972 till 1979.
It has a unique form and is very spacious and reconditioned. It can house 1,500 passengers at the same time.
It is considered to be one of the most original and best railway stations of Donetsk Railway.
It is connected with downtown by the bridge built in 1995 and is easy to reach by car.
There are lots of trains to different cities in Ukraine and Russia.
The station was refurbished in 2000 and looks quite nice.
The booking offices are located on the second floor.
Also, the railway station has other important things:
- "Meeting" cafe at the platform;
- "Express" restaurant;
- two bars inside;
- waiting halls with wooden seats on both floors.
There is an 11-storey building next to the railway station. There are administrative services, busienss offices and a hotl there.
Be careful approaching the station by car when it rains: the water pipes under the road often fail to function, so you may find yourself in a huge lake...