Travel Tips

This is a picture of the present building of "Ukraine" hotel that was built in 1945-1950 by the German POWs in pseudo-gothic style.
In Soviet times it was called "October" to honor the October Revolution of 1917 that brought the Bolsheviks (who were in the minority in the government) to power that quickly turned into dictatorship.
The hotel had 173 rooms and was one of the best hotels in Ukraine with its spiral staircase and high ceiling rooms.
Now it is under (constant) renovation.
Its upper floors are disintegrating and are in complete disrepair.
Hopefully there will be a new and reliable owner, or, as we say, master who will put everything in order as it should be.

This hotel was/is considered to be a real architectural gem of afterwar Luhansk.

This is how it looked on the plan to get a better idea if its shape.

This is an afterwar picture of the bust to Alexander Molodchiy, the Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, who was born in Luhansk.

You can see the building of the former Coal-Mining Industry Information Center that was built in 1950-1953 at the foundation of the former St.Nickolas Cathedral blown up by the Bolsheviks during their militant atheist campagne "Down With God!".
Cathedral Square was renamed by the Bolsheviks into Red Square, which was very rare for any other city outside Moscow to have a square with the same name as the central square in the Soviet capital. But it only became possible with the help of some fellow countrymen such as Clement Voroshilov, a five-star general, Defense Minister and Stalin's close associate, who used to live and work in Luhansk in the beginning of the 19th century.
I know no other city in Ukraine that would have Red Square except Luhansk.
Should we be thankful to Comrade Voroshilov for that?

It was built in the thirties in Consructivism style.
It is now Shevchenko National University.

Tis is how it is called up till now.
Vasnev was a rich merchant and an entrepreneur, held the post of the city mayor for several years.
He was the initiator and sponsor of this building that houses two gymnasiums: one for girls and one for boys.

You can see one of old Soviet maps of Luhansk in Ukrainian.