Made in the 1980s during the last gasp of the Soviet Union, this English-language promotional film showcases Ukraine, the Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Odessa, and the Donetz Basin, with its mining and agricultural based industries. The city is described in the film as being one of the cleanest in the Soviet Union, and many glowing images abound in the movie of content citizenry and pastoral scenes. At 2:20, a ship is seen on a Young Pioneers cruise from Crimea. At 3:00, some of the farms that make the region known as the “breadbasket of the Soviet Union” are seen. At 4:18, a winery is seen with bottles of sparkling wine being produced. At 5:00, Odessa is shown, with its bustling port. Handicrafts are seen at 8:00 along with performances of traditional music from the Carpathian Mountains.
Donetsk is an industrial city in Ukraine on the Kalmius River. According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, Donetsk was the fifth-largest city in Ukraine. Since April 2014, the city is controlled by pro-Russian separatists from self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. Administratively, it has been the centre of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the larger economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbass) region. Donetsk is adjacent to another major city of Makiivka and along with other surrounding cities forms a major urban sprawl and conurbation in the region. Donetsk has been a major economic, industrial and scientific centre of Ukraine with a high concentration of companies and a skilled workforce.
The original settlement in the south of the European part of the Russian Empire was first mentioned as Aleksandrovka in 1779, under the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. In 1869, Welsh businessman, John Hughes, built a steel plant and several coal mines in the region; the town was named Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role (“Yuz” being a Russian-language approximation of Hughes). During Soviet times, the city’s steel industry was expanded. In 1924, it was renamed Stalino, and in 1932 the city became the centre of the Donetsk region. Renamed Donetsk in 1961, the city today remains the centre for coal mining and steel industry. Since April 2014, Donetsk and its surrounding areas have been one of the major sites of fighting in the War in Donbass
The Donbass or Donbas is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. The word “Donbass” is a portmanteau formed from Donets Basin.
Before the war, the city of Donetsk (then the fifth largest city of Ukraine) was considered the unofficial capital of the Donbass. Large cities (over 100,000 inhabitants) also included Luhansk, Mariupol, Makiivka, Horlivka, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Alchevsk, Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk. Now the city of Kramatorsk is the interim administrative center of the Donetsk Oblast, whereas the interim center of Luhansk Oblast is the city of Severodonetsk. On the separatist side, Donetsk, Makiivka and Horlivka are now the largest cities in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and Luhansk and Alchevsk in the Luhansk People’s Republic.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
