Sievierodonetsk

Sievierodonetsk ( ), Sieverodonetsk ( ) or Severodonetsk ( ) is a city in the Luhansk Oblast of Ukraine. Sievierodonetsk has the status of a city of regional significance, It is located nearby the Seversky Donets River, approximately to the north north west from the Oblast capital, Luhansk. Sievierodonetsk is the acting administrative centre of Luhansk Oblast due to Luhansk being temporarily controlled by self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic", which is beyond the control of the Government of Ukraine, similarly to Kramatorsk acting as the administrative center of Donetsk Oblast during the Russo-Ukrainian War - their previous cities are still "de jure" administrative centres. Its population is approximately .
Sievierodonetsk has several factories and a significant chemical production centre "Azot" (English translation: Nitrogen). There is a domestic airport in 6 km to the south from the city.
History.
The town appears on older maps as Donets (Donetz, Donez) after the river of the same name.
The foundation of modern Sievierodonetsk is closely connected with the beginning of construction of the Lysychansk Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant within the limits of the city of Lysychansk in 1934. Donets itself was already combined with Lysychansk. The first settlement of workers on the construction site was Liskhimstroi, near by Donets. In September 1935, the first school was opened in the settlement, a silicate brick plant started production, and the first three residential two-story houses were built. In 1940, there were 47 houses, a school, a club, a kindergarten, a nursery, and 10 buildings of a chemical combine in Liskhimstroi.
During the Second World War, Liskhimstroi was occupied by German troops on July 11, 1942. It was liberated by the Red Army on February 1, 1943. Work to restore and expand the Lysychansk Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant began on December 10, 1943. By 1946, the pre-war housing stock was completely restored, which amounted to 17,000 square meters.
In 1950, four variants of a new name for Liskhimstroi were proposed: Svetlograd, Komsomolsk-on-Donets, Mendeleevsk, and Sievierodonetsk. In the same year, Liskhimstroi was renamed Sievierodonetsk, after the Siverskyi Donets River, and received the status of an urban settlement. January 1, 1951, the chemical plant produced its first output of ammonium nitrate.
A local newspaper is published in the city since April 1965.
Events in 2014.
During the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine the town was captured late May 2014 by pro-Russian militants. No Ukrainian presidential election in 2014 was held in the city as the militants did not allow the voting places to open and much of the Election commission property was either stolen or destroyed. On 22 July 2014, Ukrainian forces regained control of the city. Heavy fighting continued around the city for a number of days; on 23 July 2014 the National Guard of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Army had claimed to had freed the city from terrorists.
A bridge across Siverskyi Donets river was severely damaged during the war in 2014; it was re-opened in December 2016. The European Union contributed 93.8% of the funding for the restoration.
Demographics.
Ethnicity of the city's residents as of the 2001 census:
Sports.
The first Ukrainian championship in bandy was held in the city 19/2-2012. Azot Severodonetsk became champions.