Siversk

This article is about the city in Ukraine. For the closed city in Tomsk Oblast, Russia, see Seversk.

City in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine

Place in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine

Siversk

Сіверськ

Railway station in Siversk

Flag

Coat of arms

Siversk

Location of Siversk

Show map of Donetsk Oblast

Siversk

Siversk (Ukraine)

Show map of Ukraine

Coordinates: 48°51′47″N 38°5′50″E﻿ / ﻿48.86306°N 38.09722°E﻿ / 48.86306; 38.09722
Country|  Ukraine
Oblast| Donetsk Oblast
Raion| Bakhmut Raion
Hromada| Siversk urban hromada
Foundation| 1913
City rights| 1961
Area

• Total

| 11 km2 (4 sq mi)
Elevation

| 72 m (236 ft)
Population

(2022)

• Total

| 10,875
• Density| 990/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Postal code|

84522-84524

Area code| +380 6274

Siversk (Ukrainian: Сіверськ, IPA: [ˈs⁽ʲ⁾i.wersʲk]; Russian: Северск, romanized: Seversk), formerly known as Yama (Яма) until 1973, is a city in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Its economy has traditionally been based around the mining and processing of dolomite. In January 2022, it had an estimated population of 10,875.[1]

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, it has been a site of repeated fighting, accelerating the economic and demographic downturn the city has suffered since the 1990s. The fighting for the city during the 2022 battle of Donbas of the Russian invasion of Ukraine destroyed much of the city, and only about 1,000 people remain in the city as of July 2023.[2]

It is the administrative center of Siversk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.

## Geography

[edit]

Siversk is located in the historical, cultural, and economic Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.[3] It is located 36 kilometres (22 mi) northeast of Bakhmut.[4] Siversk lies at the bottom of a lowland, in a river valley, surrounded on all sides by smaller settlements.[5][6]

## History

[edit]

### Preceding settlements

[edit]

Archeologists have discovered human settlements on the territory of modern Siversk dating back to the Stone Age. At different times throughout history, the area has been inhabited by Sarmatians, Goths, Huns, Avars, Alans, Bulgarians, Slavs, Khazars and Cumans. The land was conquered by the Mongol Empire during the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' in the mid-13th century.[5]

In the 16th century, the land on the banks of the Siversky Donets river was colonized by the Zaporizhzhian Cossacks. They made several small settlements, including one named Shokovy Yar. Shovkovy Yar would go on to evolve into the villages of Chornohorivka and Stary Mlyn. After the liquidation of the Zaporozhian Sich in the late 18th century, Catherine the Great began a program by which large numbers of Eastern Orthodox residents of the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Empire were resettled in the Donbas region. This colony was known as Slavo-Serbia. Stary Mlyn became the property of nobleman Rajko Preradović, and the settlement was named Radivonivka after him. This name later evolved into another name, Rodionivka.[5]

On the bank of the Kamianka [uk] river, a tributary of the Bakhmutka, a village named Kamianske was founded, named after the river. In 1881, an agricultural school was opened in Kamianske. Volodymyr Sosiura would study at this school.[5] In 1910, the Yama railway station was built.[4]

### Founding and 20th century history

[edit]

A street in Siversk in the 1970s–80s

In 1913, a dolomite plant was built near the station, to process dolomite from the nearby mine.[4][5] This year is generally considered to be the "official" year of the founding of Siversk. The same year, a worker's settlement named Yama was founded, on the bank of the Yama [uk] river. Workers of the mine and the railway station lived in the settlement. The toponym Yama literally means "pit", in reference to the deep river valley.[5]

The settlements were occupied by the Central Powers during the 1918 Central Powers invasion of Ukraine, and locals fought back as partisans. The area saw fighting during the Russian Civil War before eventually being captured by the Bolsheviks, who incorporated it into the Soviet Union.[4] The oldest surviving school was built in Siversk in 1927.[6]

The area saw fighting again during World War II.[4] On 27 January 1950, most of the disparate minor settlements - including Rodionivka and Chornohorivka - were merged into Yama. The worker's settlement near the dolomite mine was excluded from this, instead becoming the settlement Dolomitne.[7] Yama was part of Yama Raion [ru] until 10 September 1959, when the raion was abolished, and its territory, including Yama, was merged into Artemivsk Raion.[8]

Yama received city status in 1961, and was renamed to Siversk on 2 August 1973.[5] The name "Siversk" is derived from the Siversky Donets river.[6] In 1980, a museum was opened about Volodymyr Sosiura, the poet who had visited the area.[6]

In the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Siversk experienced the economic decline that affected many countries of the former USSR. The dolomite plant was closed in 2008 after the exhaustion of the resources in the mine. The local farm went bankrupt, and the economy entered a depression. The population began to decline, leading to Siversk becoming "a hopelessly subsidized city of pensioners."[5]

### Russo-Ukrainian War

[edit]

Further information: Battle of Siversk

Destroyed buildings in the city after the battle of Siversk

In April 2014, during the beginnings of the war in Donbas, pro-Russian separatists seized control of several cities and towns in the Donbas, including Siversk.[9] Ukrainian forces approached the city and began to encircle it, forcing the separatists to flee.[5] On 10 July, Ukrainian forces secured the town from the separatists.[10]

Despite the end of actual fighting in the city itself, the trend of economic and population decline accelerated,[5] and the city remained a "war zone" for the remainder of the war in Donbas, though most of the residents of the city did not flee at the time.[11] As of 2016, Siversk was located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the frontline.[6]

During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022, Siversk became a frontline city in the fighting again. In July 2022, the battle of Siversk began between Ukrainian forces and Russia, allied with its proxy separatist forces. The Russian goal was to break through to nearby Bakhmut by taking Siversk, as well as minor nearby settlements like Verkhniokamianske.[12] Siversk itself fell into humanitarian crisis, with running water and electricity services being shut down and most buildings damaged.[2] 70% of buildings in the city were reportedly in "ruins".[5] However, Russian forces failed to ever actually reach the city by 20 July.[13] After Ukraine's 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive, a United States military official said on 12 September that Russia was moving its focus from Siversk to its attacks on Bakhmut.[14]

On 28 June 2023, Siversk officially launched a sister city program with Weston, Connecticut.[15] Siversk has not recovered from the war damage, with only about 1,000 residents remaining in the city as of July 2023.[2]

## Economy

[edit]

The dolomite plant in Siversk

The main economy of Siversk has traditionally been dolomite mining and processing since 1913, until 2008 when the mines were exhausted. The mineral was used in metallurgy, construction, and the chemical industry, and it was the main source of income to the city.[5]

Siversk also contains the "Yamskyi" state farm, a milk factory, and a sewing factory.[4][6]

## Education

[edit]

As of 1970, Siversk had two secondary schools, a primary school, a boarding school, a music school, and an agricultural school. There were eight kindergartens and nurseries, and four libraries.[4] However, by 2016, there were only three schools left.[6]

## Infrastructure

[edit]

Public transport in the city is minimal. There is one bus that travels in a loop around the city, and "if it breaks down, passengers walk". Ukrainian media have said that the Ukrainian joke about roads in eastern Ukraine having been "bombed even before the war" applies to Siversk.[6]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1959| 11,948[16]| —
1970| 14,168[16]| +18.6%
1979| 14,544[16]| +2.7%
1989| 14,019[16]| −3.6%
| Year| Pop.| ±%

|
|

2001| 14,393[16]| +2.7%
2014| 12,000[5]| −16.6%
2022| 10,875[1]| −9.4%
2023| 1,000[2]| −90.8%

As of the 2001 Ukrainian census, the population was 14,393 people,[16] 76.7% of whom spoke Ukrainian as their native language.[17] 81.23% of the residents identified as ethnic Ukrainians, 16.95% claimed to be Russian. The town is home to various smaller ethnic minorities, such as Belarusians, which account for roughly 1% of the population, as well as Greeks, Georgians and Azerbaijanis.[18] The population has been declining since the 1990s, a trend which has greatly accelerated since the beginning of the war with Russia.[5] After the destructive battle of Siversk in 2022, there were large-scale evacuations, and only about 1,000 people remain in the city as of July 2023.[2]

| Ethnic groups in Siversk

Ethnic groups |  | percent
Ukrainians |

| 81.23%
Russians |

| 16.95%
Belarusians |

| 0.78%
Azerbaijanis |

| 0.14%
Georgians |

| 0.12%
Greeks |

| 0.09%

| Native languages in Siversk

Languages |  | percent
Ukrainian |

| 76.7%
Russian |

| 22.6%
Belarusian |

| 0.3%
others |

| 0.1%

## Gallery

[edit]

* The dolomite plant in Siversk

* Bakhmutka river near Siversk

* A typical vegetable garden along the Bakhmutka River in Siversk

* Monument to labor glory - "Universal" tractor in Siversk

* Panorama of a wheat field near Siversk

* Photo of a chalk mountain near the city of Siversk

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.
2. ^ a b c d e Sirgany, Sarah; Gak, Kostyantin; Wedeman, Ben (10 July 2023). "'We are waiting for that minute when the war ends.' Residents of a Ukrainian frontline town cling on to life". Retrieved 27 November 2023.
3. ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Yatsenko, Dimitry (20 September 2022). "As fighting intensifies in Ukraine's east, a frontline town is cut off from the world". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
4. ^ a b c d e f g "Яма, Артемівський район, Донецька область". Історія міст і сіл Української РСР (in Ukrainian).
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Місто, що не по зубах окупантам: історія Сіверська" (in Ukrainian). 28 August 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h Свобода, Радіо (13 June 2016). "Сіверськ. Станція Яма". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
7. ^ Указ ПВР УРСР від 27.1.1950 «Про об'єднання населених пунктів Ямської селищної Ради, Ямського району, Сталінської області, в одно смт Яма» (in Ukrainian) - via Wikisource.
8. ^ Указ Президії ВР УРСР від 10.09.1959 «Про ліквідацію Ольгинського, Старомлинівського і Ямського районів Сталінської області» (in Ukrainian) - via Wikisource.
9. ^ "War in Ukraine: 'Those who can't dig, they die'". Le Monde.fr. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2023. "In April 2014, at the beginning of the war, when the Moscow-backed Ukrainian separatists had seized Siversk, Ivan had fled to Kharkiv before returning, four months later, in July, after the liberation of the city by the Ukrainian army."
10. ^ "Ukraine forces clash with separatists at Donetsk airport". BBC News. 10 July 2014.
11. ^ "Battleground Towns: In the Heart of Russia's War in Ukraine". 12 April 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
12. ^ Ellyatt, Holly; Macias, Amanda. "Russians 'destroying everything they see' in the Donbas; many dead and wounded after missiles hit Ukrainian city". Retrieved 27 November 2023.
13. ^ "RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 20". Retrieved 27 November 2023.
14. ^ Tara Subramaniam; Sana Noor Haq; Aditi Sangal; Mike Hayes; Maureen Chowdhury; Elise Hammond (12 September 2022). "September 12, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news". Retrieved 27 November 2023.
15. ^ "Ukraine Sister City - Siversk". Town of Weston, Connecticut. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
16. ^ a b c d e f "Cities & towns of Ukraine". pop-stat.mashke.org. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
17. ^ "Рідні мови в об'єднаних територіальних громадах України".
18. ^ "Національний склад міст".

* v
* t
* e

Bakhmut Raion

Administrative center: Bakhmut

Cities|

* Bakhmut
* Chasiv Yar
* Siversk
* Soledar
* Svitlodarsk
* Toretsk
* Zalizne

Coat of arms of Bakhmut Raion

Rural settlements|

* Dachne
* Dolomitne
* Druzhba
* Dyliivka
* Hladosove
* Kalynivka
* Khromove
* Krasna Hora
* Krymske
* Kurdiumivka
* Luhanske
* Myronivskyi
* Nahirne
* Nelipivka
* New York
* Novoluhanske
* Novospaske
* Opytne
* Ozarianivka
* Pidhorodne
* Pivdenne
* Pivnichne
* Roty
* Shcherbynivka
* Shumy
* Sukha Balka
* Spirne
* Travneve
* Valentynivka
* Vyimka
* Zaitseve
* Zelenopillia

Villages|

* Andriivka
* Bakhmutske
* Berestove
* Berkhivka
* Bilohorivka
* Blahodatne
* Bohdanivka
* Bondarne
* Dacha
* Dibrova
* Dronivka
* Dubovo-Vasylivka
* Fedorivka
* Fedorivka Druha
* Holubivka
* Hryhorivka (Chasiv Yar urban hromada)
* Hryhorivka (Siversk urban hromada)
* Ivanhrad
* Ivanivske
* Ivano-Darivka
* Khromivka
* Klishchiivka
* Klynove
* Kodema
* Krasnopolivka
* Kuzmynivka
* Leonidivka
* Lozove
* Lypivka
* Lypove
* Midna Ruda
* Minkivka
* Mykolaivka Druha
* Mykolaivka (Soledar urban hromada)
* Mykolaivka (Svitlodarsk urban hromada)
* Nova Kamianka
* Novoselivka
* Nykyforivka
* Odradivka
* Orikhovo-Vasylivka
* Paraskoviivka
* Pazeno
* Pereizne
* Platonivka
* Pokrovske
* Pryvillia
* Pylypchatyne
* Riznykivka
* Rozdolivka
* Rozsadky
* Sakko i Vantsetti
* Semyhiria
* Serebrianka
* Striapivka
* Sviato-Pokrovske
* Trypillia
* Vasiukivka
* Vasylivka
* Verkhniokamianske
* Vershyna
* Vesela Dolyna
* Vesele
* Vidrodzhennia
* Volodymyrivka
* Vozdvyzhenka
* Yahidne
* Yakovlivka
* Zaitseve
* Zaliznianske
* Zvanivka

Hromadas|

* Bakhmut
* Chasiv Yar
* Siversk
* Soledar
* Svitlodarsk
* Toretsk
* Zvanivka

* v
* t
* e

Administrative divisions of Donetsk Oblast

Administrative center: Donetsk

Raions|

* Bakhmut
* Donetsk
* Horlivka
* Kalmiuske
* Kramatorsk
* Mariupol
* Pokrovsk
* Volnovakha

Hromadas|

* Amvrosiivka
* Andriivka
* Avdiivka
* Bakhmut
* Bilozerske
* Boikivske
* Chasiv Yar
* Cherkaske
* Chystiakove
* Debaltseve
* Dobropillia
* Dokuchaievsk
* Donetsk
* Druzhkivka
* Horlivka
* Hrodivka
* Illinivka
* Ilovaisk
* Kalchyk
* Kalmiuske
* Khartsyzk
* Khliobodarivka
* Khrestivka
* Komar
* Kostiantynivka
* Kramatorsk
* Kryvorizhzhia
* Kurakhove
* Lyman
* Makiivka
* Manhush
* Marinka
* Mariupol
* Mykolaivka
* Myrne
* Myrnohrad
* Nikolske
* Novoazovsk
* Novodonetske
* Novohrodivka
* Ocheretyne
* Oleksandrivka
* Olhynka
* Pokrovsk
* Sartana
* Selydove
* Shakhove
* Shakhtarsk
* Siversk
* Sloviansk
* Snizhne
* Soledar
* Starobesheve
* Staromlynivka
* Sviatohirsk
* Svitlodarsk
* Toretsk
* Udachne
* Velyka Novosilka
* Volnovakha
* Vuhledar
* Vuhlehirsk
* Yasynuvata
* Yenakiieve
* Zhdanivka
* Zvanivka

Cities|

* Amvrosiivka
* Avdiivka
* Bakhmut
* Bilozerske
* Bilytske
* Bunhe
* Chasiv Yar
* Chystiakove
* Debaltseve
* Dobropillia
* Dokuchaievsk
* Donetsk
* Druzhkivka
* Hirnyk
* Horlivka
* Ilovaisk
* Kalmiuske
* Khartsyzk
* Khrestivka
* Kostiantynivka
* Kramatorsk
* Krasnohorivka
* Kurakhove
* Lyman
* Makiivka
* Marinka
* Mariupol
* Mospyne
* Mykolaivka
* Myrnohrad
* Novoazovsk
* Novohrodivka
* Pokrovsk
* Rodynske
* Selydove
* Shakhtarsk
* Siversk
* Sloviansk
* Snizhne
* Soledar
* Sviatohirsk
* Svitlodarsk
* Toretsk
* Ukrainsk
* Volnovakha
* Vuhledar
* Vuhlehirsk
* Yasynuvata
* Yenakiieve
* Zalizne
* Zhdanivka
* Zuhres

* v
* t
* e

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

* Part of the Russo-Ukrainian War
* Followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine

General
topics|

* Aircraft losses
* Humanitarian situation
* International reactions
* Sanctions
* Sanctioned people
* OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
* Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine
* Civil volunteer movement
* Little green men
* Anti-terrorist Operation Zone
* Civil–military administrations

Timeline|

* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022

Battles|

* Battle of Artemivsk
* Siege of Sloviansk
* Battle of Kramatorsk
* Battle of Mariupol
* Battles of Sievierodonetsk
* Battle of Karlivka
* 1st Battle of Donetsk Airport
* Siege of the Luhansk border base
* Battle of Krasnyi Lyman
* Zelenopillia rocket attack
* Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion
* Battle of Horlivka
* Battle of Ilovaisk
* Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack
* Battle of Novoazovsk
* Mariupol offensive
* 2nd Battle of Donetsk Airport
* Battle of Debaltseve
* Shyrokyne standoff
* Battle of Marinka
* Battle of Svitlodarsk
* Battle of Avdiivka (2017)

Other
events|

* Donbas status referendums
* Ukrainian Air Force Il-76 shootdown
* Shelling of Donetsk, Russia
* 2014 Russian cross-border shelling of Ukraine
* MH17 shoot-down
* reactions
* UNSC Resolution 2166
* NATO summit in Wales
* Minsk Protocol
* Donbas general elections
* 2014 G20 Brisbane summit
* Volnovakha bus attack
* Mariupol rocket attack
* Kramatorsk rocket attack
* Minsk II ceasefire agreement
* Kharkiv bombing
* Assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko
* Donbas general elections
* No to capitulation!
* Stanytsia Luhanska kindergarten bombing

Self-proclaimed
states|

* Donetsk People's Republic (April 2014 – September 2022)
* Luhansk People's Republic (April 2014 – September 2022)
* Novorossiya (May 2014 – May 2015)
* International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic

(Pro-)
Russian|

| Organizations|

* Russian Armed Forces
* Wagner Group
* Separatist forces
* List of equipment
* Army of the South-East
* Russian Orthodox Army
* Vostok Battalion
* Kalmius Brigade
* Sparta Battalion
* Somalia Battalion
* Prizrak Brigade
* Political parties and movements
* Donetsk Republic
* New Russia Party
* Communist Party of DPR
* Peace to Luhanshchina
* Borotba
* Antifascist Committee of Ukraine
* Ukrainian Choice
* The Other Russia of E. V. Limonov
* Eurasian Youth Union
* Night Wolves
* Don Cossacks
* Internet Research Agency
* Russian Imperial Movement

|

Lead figures|

* Russian
* Vladimir Putin
* Dmitry Medvedev
* Vladislav Surkov
* Sergei Shoigu
* Crimean
* Sergey Aksyonov
* Vladimir Konstantinov
* Natalia Poklonskaya
* Donetsk
* Vladimir Antyufeyev
* Eduard Basurin
* Fyodor Berezin
* Igor Bezler
* Alexander Borodai
* Mikhail Chumachenko
* Igor Girkin
* Pavel Gubarev
* Ekaterina Gubareva
* Igor Khakimzyanov
* Alexander Khodakovsky
* Vladimir Kononov
* Arsen Pavlov†
* Vyacheslav Ponomarev
* Andrei Purgin
* Denis Pushilin
* Mikhail Tolstykh†
* Alexander Zakharchenko†
* Sergei Zhurikov
* Luhansk
* Alexander Bednov†
* Valery Bolotov†
* Aleksey Karyakin
* Aleksandr Kharitonov
* Arsen Klinchaev
* Sergey Kozlov
* Aleksey Mozgovoy†
* Leonid Pasechnik
* Igor Plotnitsky
* Gennadiy Tsypkalov†
* Kharkiv
* Yevhen Zhylin†
* Others
* Aleksandr Dugin
* Nelya Shtepa
* Oleg Tsaryov

Ukrainian|

| Organizations|

* Government of Ukraine
* 1st Yatsenyuk
* 2nd Yatsenyuk
* Groysman
* Ministry of Internal Affairs
* National Guard
* Azov
* Donbas
* Patrol Police
* Dnipro-1
* Armed Forces of Ukraine
* Ukrainian Ground Forces
* Territorial defense battalions
* Aidar
* Dnipro-2
* Kryvbas
* Rukh Oporu
* Ukrainian Air Force
* Ukrainian Air Assault Forces
* Security Service of Ukraine
* Alpha Group
* Euromaidan Press
* State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
* Volunteer battalions
* Right Sector

|

Lead figures|

* Petro Poroshenko
* Oleksandr Turchynov
* Arseniy Yatsenyuk
* Volodymyr Groysman
* Andriy Parubiy
* Arsen Avakov
* Vitali Klitschko
* Oleh Tyahnybok
* Yuriy Lutsenko
* Valentyn Nalyvaichenko
* Valeriy Heletey
* Stepan Poltorak
* Mykhailo Koval
* Mykhailo Kutsyn
* Oleh Makhnitskyi
* Viktor Muzhenko
* Vitaly Yarema
* Oleh Liashko
* Dmytro Yarosh
* Rinat Akhmetov
* Ihor Kolomoyskyi
* Serhiy Taruta
* Ihor Baluta
* Semen Semenchenko
* Hennadiy Moskal
* Nadiya Savchenko
* George Tuka
* Pavlo Zhebrivskyi

*[Pop.]: Population
*[±%]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template