Luhansk Things to Do

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There are several newly dedicated monuments in Luhansk, among them the monument to the victims of the Ukrainian nationalists.
This monument stands in what I call Artists’ Alley. This is where the local artists display their works for sale.
It is not far from Heroes Square, on the alley leading to Magnitogorsk Street and the central market.
The statue depicts two young people being executed and a child leaning towards his young mom who has just died.
The monument is aimed at commemorating hundreds of local young and not-so-young people – Communists and Young Communists – who were sent to Western Ukraine to work there, but were savagely murdered by local patriots who belonged to the underground Organization of the Ukrainian Nationalists and fought against everything Communist in afterwar years…
The inscription on the short pedestal reads,
Truth shall not be buried in oblivion.
You can also see the names of those people who did not return from their business trip to Western Ukraine in the forties and fifties of the last century.

Picture 2: the memorial complex in Ostraya Mogila (“Sharp Mould”) has been refurbished. Meetings and rallies are often held here, especially on Victory Day – May 9 – every year.

Pictures 3,4,5 – Ukraine leisure center in Defense Street has been completely reconstructed and expanded and looks quite modern now. It became one of the new city landmarks.

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Why not visit the museum of local lore?
In front of the museum building you can see the monument to Charles Gascoigne, a Scottish engineer, the first director of the first town factory.
Charles Gascoigne is considered to be the founder of the city since he was the director of the first factory and made a great contribution to the development of the area.

You can see several exhibitions on the floors of the museum, among them is the region's nature exhibition, city history exhibition and others.

You cannnot take pictures of separate museum exhibits, but if you pay 1UAH along with the entrance ticket, you can have a pictures of yourself taken or take pictures of your family members and friends with museum exhibits at the background. And, of course, later, you can enlarge your pictures and cut them into pictures of separate exhibits. :-) I hope the museum administration would not mind.

This is the museum address:
Local lore museum
2 Shevchenko Street
Tel. +38 0642 55 17 43

It's is the main museum of the entire Luhansk region.
It is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
You can see traveling exhibitions such as “The Romanovs” from the Wax Figures museum in from St.Petersburg.
There are everyday exhibitions:
- Nature of Luhansk region;
- Our region in ancient times;
- Traditional households and occupations of people in Luhansk region;
- Luhansk region in the twenties, thirties and forties of the last century;
- Our region in the years of the Great Patriotic War (WWII);
- Luhansk region in the fifties, sixties and seventies;
- Luhansk region at the turn of the 21st century;
- The 19th century life in Luhansk;
- Our place in Ukraine.
Pictures from the local lore museum

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You can also enjoy visiting Vladimir Dahl's House Meum in Dahl Street in the Old Town.
Dahl Street was formerly called English Street.
It was the first street in the city where foreign specialists working at the foundry built their mansions.
The museum was dedicated in 1976 in the house where Vladimir Dahl (1801-1877) had been born.
The aim of the museum is to commemorate the renowned fellow-townsman, a well-known Russian writer and the author of the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. His pen name was "Cossack of Lugansk"
He became a Russian Navy doctor. Later he became a great friend of Alexander Pushkin and many other prominent Russian public figures. In fact, it was Vladimir Dahl who closed Pushkin's eyes when he died on February 10, 1837 after a pistol duel. Pushkin's last words were addressed to Vladimir Dahl. "It is getting cold, Vladimir", he said, and died...
Vladimir Dahl was a well-known public figure and a writer. He wrote 146 tales, 33 fairy tales and collected 30,000 proverns within 30 years.
The Dahl monument and the Dahl's House are the only places in the former Soviet Union countries commemorating this great writer and public figure.
You can get different guided tours at the museum (each one lasting for about an hour or more, depending on your interest and questions).

1. Life and activities of Vladimir Dahl.
2. Dahl and Ukraine
3. Pushkin and Dahl.
4. History of publications of Dahl’s books in Russia.
5. A man collected words…
The entrance fee to Dahl’s House is symbolic.
You can also take part in a ten-person guided tour.
When I was there last, a four-volume or a short version of Dahl’s Defining Dictionary (modern editions) were on sale there.
You can also offer donations for the development of the museum.
Also, the scientific advisers of the museum deliver lectures about Vladimir Dahl (only in Russian).

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This cannon is one of the many cannons cast at Luhansk iron foundry for the needs of the Russian navy in the early 1800s.
It stands at the entrance to the museum of local lore as a reminder of the former glory of this foundry and "Luhansk factory" , as the city was called before it got municipal rights in 1882.
You can see a very special monument located in Oboronnaya Street (it is on one of the pictures here).
The monument is called “To the Fighters for Communism”. It has the form of a huge concrete column consisting of separate concrete blocks. It is located next to the Ukrainian Drama Theater. The inscription at the monument reads,
“This monument was erected to honor the inspired residents of Luhansk, unyielding fighters of workers' revolution, devoted to their Motherland and to the Communist Party, to the heroes of the development of socialist ideals, staunch soldiers of the Great Patriotic War (WWII)”

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Mikhail Matussovsky was born in Luhansk on July 23, 1915 and spent his childhood there.
He began his working career at a local factory. Young Mikhail started publishing his poems in local newspapers and magazines and took part in literature parties. In 1934 he came to Moscow to study at the Literature Institute. After graduating from that institute in 1939 he began writing his thesis on ancient Russian literature, but he did not manage to defend his thesis for the Great Patriotic war began. He was sent to the front as a war correspondent. His scientific advisor insisted on accepting Matussovsky’s thesis in his absence. While working at the front Mikhail Matussovsky received a telegram saying that he had been promoted to the doctor of sciences.
During the war Matussovsky published collections of his poems and songs.
"Moscow Suburbs Nights" was one of his famous poem that became a song. Wikipedia called this song "one of the most famous Russian songs outside Russia".
Another one is "Where Does the Motherland Begin?"
Mikhail Matussovsky is known as the author of many lyrics for famous Soviet songs.
His relatives decided to send Matussovsky’s personal study with all the authentic furniture and belongings including the poet’s piano to the city history museum in Luhansk.
Here's a world famous song "Moscow Suburb Nights". Its lyrics were written by Mikhail Matussivsky. Two last lines of each verse are sung twice:
Moscow Suburb Nights
(Music by Vassily Soloviov-Sedoy)

Not a rustling leaf, not a bird in flight
In the sleepy grove until dawn.
How I love these nights, Moscow suburb nights,
The caress of the waking sun.

The calm rolling stream seems to ebb and flow
Like a silver web of moonlight.
In my heart I hear singing come and go
On this wonderful summer night.

Why this downcast look? Does the rising day
Bring us near the hour when we part?
It's as hard to keep as to give away
All that presses upon my heart.

Dawn is nigh, and pale grow the amber lights.
Let me hope, my dear, that you too
Will remember these Moscow suburb nights
And our love that has been so true.

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Luhansk Zoo is located in May Day Park opposite the Ferris wheel and is open from 9.30 a.m. till 8 p.m. (in summer) and till 3 or 4 p.m. in winter time. The entrance fee is 10 UAH ($2) for adults.
You can see different animals and birds there: brown bears, a Canadian wolf, ordinary steppe wolves, raccoons, raccoon dogs, polar foxes, steppe marmots, moufflons, Cameroon goats, squirrels, Scottish ponies, monkeys; pheasants (golden, silver and ordinary ones), mountain geese, falcons, black ravens, parrots and singing birds.

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Revolution Square is the main square in the Old Town.
It was completely renovated in 2008.
Before 1917 it was called Holy Assumption Park.
After the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 it was used as a place of rallies and as a burial place of outstanding Bolsheviks and heroes of the revolution.
There is a common grave of sixteen Bolsheviks who fell during the battles of the revolution. You can see the tomb of Alexander Parkhomenko, a legendary hero of the Bolshevik revolution.
Alexander Parkhomenko (December 24, 1886 - January 3, 1921) was the Commander-in-Chief of the14th Cavalry Division of the Red Army. He died in a battle near Yekaterinoslav and was buried there.
In 1935 on the request of his fellow countrymen and comrade-in-arms his body was transferred to Luhansk where he was reburied in Revolution Square.
There is another tomb opposite Parkhomenko tomb: the tomb of Ivan Yakovenko, (1915-1943), the leader of Luhansk partisan detachment during the Nazi occupation of the city.
There are two other graves in this square: the mass grave of the Soviet officers who fell in the battles for liberation of Luhansk in February 1943 and tombs of three other Bolsheviks: P.Boginya, A.Alexeyev and I.Oreshko who were buried there in 1944-1947.
The monument to Lenin located in this square is the oldest in the city. It was built in 1930 and renovated in 2008. During the Nazi occupation it was carefully hidden from the occupation forces and restored at its place after the liberation of the city in 1943.
The square is located opposite the main entrance to the Philharmonic Society, another completely refurbished building. It adjoins Lenin Street and is not far from Dahl Street (formerly English Street – the first street of the old Luhansk).

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If you are in Red Square, don't miss the Alexander Molodchiy bust.


Alexander Molodchiy
(1920-2002) -
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union
According to the Soviet rules, a bronze bust was erected to each Twice Hero in his/her hometown to commemorate his/her heroic deeds.
Alexander Molodchiy was a military pilot and became famous after his daring bombing of Berlin in August - September 1942.
His aircraft was called "Oleg Koshevoy" after the leader of an underground young people's organization in Luhansk region. From August 29 till September 10, 1942 his aircraft made three daring and successful air raids to bomb the German capital.
All in all his aircraft made 145 air raids to bomb the biggest German cities: Königsberg, Danzig, Tilzit, Berlin.
It was a big tragedy for the civil population of those cities, but the pilots always remembered the words ascribed to St.Alexander of the Neva,He who comes to us with the sword, from the sword shall he perish!On December 31, 1942 Hero of the Soviet Union Captain Alexander Molodchiy received another Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
He became a twice Hero of the Soviet Union at the age of 22!
During the years of the Second World War he made 311 combat flights and dropped over 4,000 bombs of the totals weight of more than 500 tons over German cities.
After the war Alexander Molodchiy remained in the Air Force and served to be a Lieutenant General (a two-star general).
He spent the last years of his life in Chernihiv where he died on June 9, 2002.
There is a monument over his tomb and a memorial plaque at the building where he lived.
There is a web site about his life (in Russian).