City: Donetsk Province: Donetsk Oblast Population: 1,100,700 inhabitants Area: 358km² Altitude: 225m above sea level Heart of the Donets Basin, Donetsk is also considered the centre of Ukraine’s coal mining region. The city is situated southeast of Kyiv on the Kalmius River and considered the third largest urban centre in the country. Donetsk was founded in 1869 by Welsh businessman John Hughes, who established a steel mill and several coal mines in the area. A century and a half later and the city's patrons are still built on foundations of steel and coal, the industries leaving an indelible mark on the cityscape. Despite images of soot-caked faces and hob-nailed industry, the capital of the Donbas has actually been recognised by UNESCO as the world's cleanest industrial city and the centre is benefiting from a financial injection. Five rivers meander through it, with the Kalmius attracting all manner of sailors even if the Sea of Azov, the world's shallowest sea, i
