List of people from Donetsk

The citizens of Donetsk are commonly called Donechyani (Ukrainian: донеччани, Russian: дончани). The following is a list of famous people that were born or brought up in the city:

Academics[]

• Alexander Anoprienko (b. 1957), Professor of Computer Engineering
• Volodymyr Biletskyy (b. 1950), Ukrainian scientist.
• Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko (b. 1945), Russian Mathematician and lecturer at the Moscow University. Promoter of New Chronology.
• Valeriy Konovalyuk (b. 1966), an economist and businessman.
• Alexander Kuzemsky (b. 1944) - Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist.
• Kirill Borisovich Tolpygo (1916-1994), Soviet physicist and a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Artists[]

• Viktor Burduk (b. 1957), an artist, a blacksmith.
• Pavlo Vigderhaus (1925-2013), Soviet architect, Monument to a Miner creator.
• , A dissident artist in the Soviet Union, he was detained in a psychiatric hospital and rehabilitated with the arrival of Perestroika.In 1988, in Donetsk (Donbass), he founded Avantgarde, the first exhibition center in the USSR devoted to Unofficial Art.

Athletes[]

• Polina Astakhova (1936-2005), Ukrainian gymnast.
• Serhiy Bubka (b. 1963), Ukrainian pole vault athlete; Olympic Games champion: 1988; World Champion: 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, European Champion: 1986; Champion of the USSR: 1984, 1985.
• Yuriy Dehteryov (b. 1948), Soviet goalkeeper.
• Yuriy Gavrilov (b. 1967), Volleyball player, Olympic gold medallist.
• Julia Glushko (born 1990), Ukrainian-born Israeli tennis player
• Aleksandr Lebziak (b. 1969), Russian boxer.
• Denys Lyashko (b. 1980), footballer
• Natalya Mammadova (b. 1984), Azeri volleyball player.
• Ilya Mate (b. 1956), Olympic champion in 1980.
• Oleksiy Pecherov (b. 1985), a Ukrainian basketball player.
• Lilia Podkopayeva (b. 1978), a Ukrainian gymnast, and the 1996 Olympic All Around Champion
• Serhii Rebrov (b. 1974), footballer.
• Viktor Smyrnov (b. 1986), Paralympic swimmer.
• Viktor Sidyak (b. 1943), fencing, first Soviet individual sabre Olympic gold medal in Munich 1972, multiple times winner of World Championships and Olympic medalist (1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980).
• Nadiya Tkachenko (b. 1948), Olympic-gold winning pentathlete.
• Oleg Tverdovsky (b. 1976), Russian ice hockey player.
• Alexander Yagubkin (b. 1961), boxer.
• Oleg Vernyayev (b. 1993), Gymnast, Olympic gold medallist.
• Artem Yevlyanov (b. 1986), footballer

Business[]

• Rinat Akhmetov (b. 1966), Ukraine's wealthiest businessman, founder of System Capital Management, No. 47 in Forbes' The World's Billionaires.
• Serhiy Arbuzov (b. 1976), head of Ukrainian Bank.
• Akhat Bragin (1953-1995), businessman and mobster.
• Valeriy Konovalyuk (b. 1966), an economist and businessman.
• Ihor Sorkin (b. 1967), head of the Ukrainian National Bank.

Entertainers[]

• Vera Filatova (b. 1982), actress.
• Yuri Kara, Russian film director and producer.
• Tatyana Kravchenko, Soviet and Russian actress.
• Make Me Famous - English language Metalcore band.
• Master SheFF, the leader of Bad Balance and creator of Russian hip hop.
• Siouzana Melikián, a Russian-Mexican actress.
• Vadim Pisarev, Ukrainian dancer and art Director of Donetsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Solovyanenko.
• Aleksandr Revva (b. 1974), comedian.
• Denis Shaforostov (b. 1992), Ukrainian musician, vocalist for Asking Alexandria
• Oleg Stefan (b. 1959), Russian actor.
• Anatoliy Solovyanenko (1932-1999), Soviet opera singer.
• Vladimir Grigoryevich Zakharov (1901-1956), Soviet composer.
• Tatiana Shmailyuk, Vocalist for Ukrainian metal band Jinjer.
• Jinjer, Ukrainian heavy metal band.

Journalists[]

• Stanislav Aseyev, Ukrainian writer and journalist.
• Dmytro Gnap (b. 1977), journalist, investigating corruption.
• Oleksiy Matsuka (b. 1983), corruption investigator, Reporters Without Borders named Matsuka in its list of 100 Information Heroes.

Military[]

• Fyodor Berezin (b. 1960), Russian-language science fiction writer and Deputy Minister of Defence of the Donetsk People's Republic.
• Mikhail Krichevsky (1897-2008), the last surviving World War I veteran who fought for the Russian Empire.
• Aleksandr Zakharchenko (1976-2018), Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (deceased).

Politicians[]

• Zalman Aran (Aharonovich) (1899-1970), Israeli social-democratic politician, minister of education (1955–1960) and (1963–1969).
• Mykola Azarov (b. 1947), former Prime Minister of Ukraine
• Nikita Khrushchev, General Secretary of the CPSU and Premier of the Soviet Union 1953–1964 (born in Kalinovka, Kursk Oblast, Russia but grew up in Yuzivka).
• Volodymyr Rybak, Mayor of Donetsk and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.
• Natan Sharansky, former Soviet dissident, anticommunist, Zionist, Israeli politician and writer.
• Petro Symonenko, head of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
• Viktor Yanukovych, deposed former president of Ukraine (due to Euromaidan Revolts of 2013–2014)
• Aleksandr Zakharchenko (1976-2018), Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (deceased).

Writers[]

• Emma Andijewska, Ukrainian poet.
• Fyodor Berezin, Russian-language science fiction writer and Deputy Minister of Defence of the Donetsk People's Republic.
• Vladislav Adolfovitch Rusanov, Russian-language science fiction writer and chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic Writer's Union.
• Vasyl Stus, Ukrainian poet and publicist, one of the most active members of Ukrainian dissident movement.
• , 1956-2009 Donetsk, poet and journalist.
• , poet. Houston, United States.

Other[]

• Yevgeny Khaldei, Soviet photographer.
• Dmytriy Leonidovich Cherniavskiy, senior manager and political adviser.
• Evgenij Miroshnichenko, Ukrainian chess player.
• Marina Tsvigun, religious sect leader, new age movement.