Luhansk

Luhansk (Ukrainian: Луганськ) or Lugansk (Russian: Луганск) is the capital of Luhansk Oblast.

'''All information given below dates from before fighting began in 2014. Given the volatility of the situation, more recent information is not reliable.'''

Understand
In 1790, Scottish engineer Charles Gascoigne explored the coal and mineral resources in the "region of SlavyanoSerbia" (the name itself originates from local Serb settlements). By 1795 it was found that natural resources were plentiful, and Russian Empress Ekaterina the Second ordered the creation of a metal factory on the Luhan' river near existing village of Kamyanyi Brid. This started the development of a new major industrial region of Tsarist Russia, and eventually Soviet Ukraine, which steadily thrived consistently up until the decay of Soviet Union in 1991. After the fall of the USSR, the regional coal mining and other industries slowly became unprofitable. Having over 100 industrial plants, Luhansk faced several years, of slowed or stopped production (with a notable exception of alcohol making plant). After this financial crisis, the large metal factory, that had given birth to the town and became over the time a rather famous Ukrainian military and machine tool plant, named after V.I. Lenin, was closed in 2008. However, the single largest locomotive plant named after October Revolution (commonly named "Zavod OR") still struggles through crisis. Overall, Luhansk has now been transformed into a rather remote provincial town with decaying signs of previous glory.

The town is divided into 4 districts by natural borders. The main railroad in west-east direction (from Debalceve and Donbas proper to Stanytsia Luhanska) divides the KamyanoBridskyi district from the rest of the town, western (to the west of Olhivka river, with Yuvileynyi satellite) and eastern (east of Ivanishchev yar) sleeper districts form Artemivskyi and Zhovtnevyi (meaning October) districts. Zhovtnevyi district includes a couple of villages on the north-east of town, generally known as Vergunka, all the way to a former recreation area along Pivdennyi Donets river, which was closed for ecological reason; and a satellite Shchastya town near the coal heating plant, making it the municipal district with largest area within Ukraine. The central, Leninskyi district, together with parts of KamyanoBridskyi district contains most of the main places of interest. Close to the railway on both sides are several buildings and streets which survived the destruction of World War II or were reconstructed, and now form a compact so called "old center," along streets of Dahl, Lenina, Karl Marx and Karl Libknecht. The new center was completely rebuilt or built anew on a rather high hill in the center between Luhan' and Olhivka rivers and Ivanischev yar. Owing to the number of communist oligarchs that lived there and number of not drive-through yards it was dubbed "Dvoryanske hnizdo" (a nest of nobles). South of Leninskyi district is a remote district of Hostra Mohyla, containing a memorial to heroes of wars of 20th century, several medical facilities and institute and an air navigators academy.

The town has been renamed four times, although it has only two names: the name was changed from Luhansk to Voroshilovgrad, than back to Luhansk, than once more forth and back.

Situated on some high hills, Luhansk may not be the best for tourist attraction, but it does provide a specific nice atmosphere if only a bit ruined by degradation, and a large number of scenic city landscape views from different points almost in any part of town.

A note on naming: while Luhansk is the official English transliteration of the city name used by the Ukrainian government, the direct Russian-derived transliteration "Lugansk" is much more popular among the locals.

By plane

 * After airports in Luhansk and Donetsk were destroyed, the nearest airport in operation is in Volgograd, from where numerous informal buses and marshrutkas to Luhansk exist.

By train


If you are looking for connection from Russia, you can try to reach Luhansk via Kamenka station on Moscow - Rostov-on-the-Don railroad. Minibus 307 will take you from railway station to the center of Donetsk(RF) - every 30 min from 06:30 to 18:30, and then minibus 1 to the border. Alternatively you can take a bus to Donetsk from bus station if you are closer to that area (on M4 highway, about 8 buses a day). Consult bus timetable however (phone Kamensk-Shahtinskii bus stations as internet information is unreliable, you may need to speak Russian to do this though). The border can be crossed on foot (1.5 km total). As of October 2022 all customs and border services on the Luhansk side are closed. There is only passport and security check from the Russian side, though they would still check your luggage and any permits required. From Russian viewpoint, you'll be entering another region of Russia, albeit one where security procedures are not synced with the Russian ones yet and a war state was announced, so prepare accordingly. De facto, the border vibe is still present though. On the Luhansk side from Izvarino there are minibuses to Krasnodon and Luhansk until 18:00.

If you go from the south of Russia, you can change to bus in Rostov-on-the-Don.

By car
Luhansk is on transit E-40 highway from Kharkiv and Debalcevo to Krasnodon and further international crossing in Donetsk RF, Kamensk-Shahtinskii and Volgograd. The quality varies from recently repaved to quite poor (and it is mostly poor on other highways). Access from Russia is also possible by E-50, via international border crossing in Dolzhanskyy, than changing to T-1305 to Sverdlovsk, T-1322 to Krasnodon and then E-40.

Other accesses to Luhansk go through the area that is controlled by LPR only since 2022: P272(RU)+P22(UA) connection road from M4 highway from Millerovo (expect several kilometers of rather extreme quality of the road on Russian side until international border crossing in Krasnaya Talovka), north-south local road H-21 Starobelsk - Luhansk - Lutugino - Torez - Donetsk. As of October 2022, access to these parts may require additional permits from LPR authorities.

By tram and trolleybus
The once extensive tram and trolleybus networks was closed in 2014, then reopened shortly with only 2 trolleybus routes, 51 and 52, and then finally closed completely in 2022. Wires and rails are slowly being deconstructed in various parts of the town, depots are also closed or redesignated as bus depots. Most of the neat and cosy tram network in the private one-storied sector, is now left only on pictures, or may be recognized by the slightly wider streets.

Peculiarities of tram and trolleybuses network included: (former express) tram line to Ostraya Mogila (tram 6), de facto suburb trolleybus line to Yubileiniy settlement (trolleybus 57, although it runs over territory of Luhansk and Yubileyniy, major part of line has out of the town feel), a failed attempt to build an express line to Vergunka - abandoned forever after recreation zone was closed, existed for some time in form of a side line to seventh entrance of Zavod OR, reached by tram 3a.

By bus and marshrutkas
The network is quite extensive and is a primary means of transport in the town. One may keep in mind, that the network is organized based on 3 main arteries, the first two of which also have roads in a bit better state than rest of the town. They are:
 * west - east: Gaevogo kvartal (gate to highway to Donetsk and Yubileyniy, and access to new Yugnii and Zarechii/Mirnii kvartals via the road, that served previously as in-town "by-pass" route) - Sovetskaya street - New town of Zavod OR - Lomonosov street - Eastern kvartals. Route is completely shared with trolleybuses.
 * north - south: Oboronnaya street - Autovokzal - Ostraya Mogila (Krasnodon highway and route to airport). Route is shared with tram to equestrian school in Ostraya Mogila.
 * the old "access to the plants" route through old center: Railroad station - Karl Marx street/Oktyabrskaya street (only west-bound buses and marshrutkas) - Shevchenko/Frunze street (east-bound buses and marshrutkas; trams in both directions) - main entrance to Zavod OR and Vergunka-bound marshrutkas - New town of Zavod OR.

By foot
The new and old centers are in principle walkable. A leisure walk through the whole new and old center, visiting museums, is possible to complete within a day if only a bit winded. It's may be advisable to start from the most southern place of interest in center: open museum of stone women statues on the ground of pedagogical institute near "Ukraine" cinema, and than go all the way downtown in order to save energy.

By diesel and elektrichka
Some parts of town (mostly remote) are served infrequently by local diesel trains (and west-bound electric trains). East-bound diesels reach former Lenin plant, Zavod OR plant and adjacent KamBrod area, and then Vergunka. West-bound trains are an alternative route to satellite town of Alexandrovsk. South-bound diesel to Izvarino run along the border of Leninskii and Artyomovskii district daily.

Cope
- Major mobile operators Kyivstar, DCC, UMC.

Post Offices
The post office is in communication services through a network of 48 Luhansk liaison offices.

Go next

 * Aleksandrovsk - a satellite town, nominally part of Luhansk. Hosting Holy Ascension Cathedral, largest within town of Luhansk or its satellites, built in 1840.
 * Dnipro - 380 km west
 * Donetsk - 140 km west
 * Kharkiv - 340 km northwest
 * Krasnodon, Roven'ki - museums and memorials to youth anti-fascist komsomol group "Molodaya Gvardiya" (Young Guard), active during World War II, and mostly tortured and executed later by the Germans. Roven'ki's museum is in the building, where captured members of the group were hold, and features torture tools used, while Krasnodon museum which is the central for the several museums to "Young Guard", that appeared after the war in USSR, is in specially constructed building. Memorials in both towns are in the places of execution. Visiting is possible via bus tour, which can be recommended if you want to hear the story and will happen to find English-language guide. Otherwise connection is via local bus and minibus network.
 * Mariupol - 255 km southwest