Lugansk – Dal’s motherland
The thing that catches the eye while travelling around the Eastern Ukraine is that the towns here are mostly young, to say so. As a rule, these towns were founded during the reign of the empress Catherine II. They are a little bit more than 2 centuries old that is a very short period in respect to history.
Lugansk is one of these towns that was founded by the decree of Catherine II in 1975. The starting point were small winter-abodes and khutors that were inhabited by the Cossacks mostly. The Russians, Serbs, Croats, and Bulgarians joined them later. The settlers from the left-bank Ukraine came as well. And the place was called Kamennuy Brod (Stone Ford). A powerful incentive to the emerging of the town near the river Lugan was the foundation of the first southern iron foundry. Its construction was a powerful push for the development of the town.
It is not a surprise that a big part of the sights of this town are connected with metal production; let’s just have a look at its background. For example, every Lugansk resident will tell you where the monument to a smelter is. It depicts a smelter and a canon made of cast-iron. The monument is located on a place of honour – near the building of the Executive Committee of the City.
However, Lugansk is famous not only for its factories. Probably, not so many people know that the town is a motherland for an outstanding lexicographer and writer V. Dal. Dal, who wrote an explanatory dictionary that we use up to now. The townspeople succeed to keep a small house that is located in one of the industrial zones, where this outstanding person was born and grown up. Now in the house there is a museum, devoted to Dals life and work.
For the tourists, who are fond of ancient monuments, there is a possibility to visit a unique park of Polovtsian stelae. One may enjoy the largest Ukrainian collection of stone statues of XI-XII there. The statues are depicting both women and men-warriors. These sculptures were placed on the top of mounds by the ancient tribes.