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.
Categories:
- People from Donetsk
- Lists of Soviet people
- Lists of people by city in Ukraine