ARTEMIVSK, Donetsk Oblast – Hit hard by the collapse of the Soviet Union, signs of the once flourishing region dot its highways: some columned factory buildings still have pro-communist slogans adorned on their walls that read, “Our goal – Communism!” and “Lenin’s ideas are immortal!”
The region’s capital city, Donetsk, has since established itself as the industrial center of the country. A recent survey found it to be the best city in Ukraine for business investment. The region’s provincial towns, though, with little domestic and foreign investment, continue to struggle, as evidenced by dwindling populations and decaying infrastructure.
But one seems to have bucked the trend. Founded in 1571 and first called Bakhmut after the Bakhmutka river – a tributary of the Siversky Donets that cuts through the region – Artemivsk is a sort of tiny gem amid the region’s mountains of coal.
One might question this at first when entering the city from the west and ecountering a decommissioned Soviet MiG – a monument to those who fought and died in the Great Patriotic War. But driving down its smoothly paved roads, past the recently constructed Pobeda entertainment complex and new European café Gusto, it is evident that this provincial town is recovering quite well from its Soviet hangover. Moreover, Turkey’s Boydak Holding in 2011 acquired the Forte Ukraine furniture manufacturing plant there, investing some $20 million and providing jobs to locals.
A monument to Artemivsk’s namesake, the Russian revolutionary Fyodor Sergeyev commonly known as Artem, welcomes visitors as they enter the city center. Surrounding it is a number of rose- and tree-lined streets, fountains, parkways and cafes. By day older residents roam the bustling central market, while students grind away at the new skate park. On summer nights the sounds of Russian dance-pop from an array of outdoor discotheques waft through the streets.
The charming provincial town is worth at least a 24-hour visit. But it is best taken in over two days, since two tours that are essential to the Artemivsk experience cannot be done in the same day.
First there is the Artemovsk Winery. Opened in the mid-1940s after Josef Stalin ordered the production of quality “Soviet sparkling” to celebrate the Red Army’s victory and rival French Champagne, it operates some 70 meters below ground in plaster-lined caves on the city’s edge.
While most of the two-hour tours leave much to be desired, it does show what many wineries keep tightly under wraps – the bottling process. The best part, though, remains the tasting at the end, which includes a red sparkling wine once served to Britain’s royal family (the Kyiv Post could not confirm this), according to the winery’s guides.
Those looking for a rest or an experience bordering on the strange can visit the Soledar salt mine some 20 minutes north of Artemivsk’s city center, in the town of Soledar. A four-minute elevator ride takes visitors down some 303 meters below ground for four-hour tours of the mine. It is not recommended for those with claustrophobia.
There is both a symphony hall the size of an airplane hangar as well as a speleosanitorium. People with respiratory problems and body aches flock to the mine for treatment, where they stay for days, even weeks at a time. The salt air is supposed to help suppress wheezing and joint pain. Medical staff there boast of the salt caves’ rejuvenation capabilities.
How to get there:
Four trains from Kyiv can take you to Kostyantynivka, about 25 kilometers from Artemivsk – the No. 20, 84 and 143 are Soviet-era trains with awful ventilation and dilapidated interiors. If you must go by them, try the No. 20. But it is best to opt for one of two Hyundai options, the No. 152K or 154O. Tickets range from Hr 87 for third class on the older trains to Hr 420 for first class Hyundai tickets. From Kostyantynivka, take a taxi for about Hr 100.
From Donetsk, buses leave regularly from the city’s Zakhidniy (Western) bus station and take about two hours to get to Artemivsk. Taxis will also go to Artemivsk from Donetsk for about Hr 250 and take a little more than an hour.
What to do:
The Artemovsk Winery (87 Patrica Lumumby St., +38-062-332-2300, www.krimart.com) offers tours Monday through Thursday at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. (two-hour tours) and 3 p.m. (one-hour tour), Friday at 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m. (two-hour tours) and 3 p.m. (one-hour tour) and Saturday at 11 a.m (two-hour tour). Tours are conducted in Russian and English. Price: Hr 100
Tours and stays at Soledar salt mine (+38-062-208-9148, www.saltsymphony.com.ua) are available year-round Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. From Artemivsk, take a taxi or a marshrutka from the central bus station (20-30 minutes). Once in Soledar, ask for the shakhta (mine). Price: Hr 120 for a four-hour tour or speleosanitorium stay.
Where to stay:
The European-styled Hotel Atlantic (20A Lenina St. +380-627-4474, www.atlantic.dn.ua) opened a few years back and has since become the choice option for an overnight stay. Located just a block from the center, with an English-speaking staff, breakfast service and an adjacent Georgian restaurant, it’s easy to see why. Rooms start from Hr 280.
Hotel Nostalgia (56A Soborna St. +38-095-168-2607, www.nostalgiya.com.ua) is exactly what it sounds like. It may have opened after the fall, but its Soviet-styled ornamentation reminds you that Communism dies hard. Rooms start from Hr 200.
Kyiv Post editor Christopher J. Miller can be reached at [email protected], or on Twitter at @ChristopherJM.
