Eurodonbas
The documentary Eurodonbas uncovers the region's forgotten 19th-century European legacy—built by international entrepreneurs and later erased by the Soviet Union — just before many of these historical sites were destroyed in the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Synopsis
While contemporary Donbas is largely recognized worldwide due to the fierce war with Russia, few are well-acquainted with the fact that at the turn of the 20th century, the region was a thriving hub of Belgian, German, French, British, and American settlements. International entrepreneurs established vibrant communities, introduced progressive technologies, and built unique industrial architecture across Eastern Ukraine. Following the 1917 revolution and the rise of the USSR, Soviet authorities confiscated these enterprises and private properties, systematically distorting the region's history to erase the legacy of European pioneers like John Hughes, Ernest Solvay, and Henrich Laude.
To unearth this suppressed heritage, director and co-writer Kornii Hrytsiuk, producer and co-writer Anna Palenchuk, and cinematographer Bohdan Kinashchuk led a dedicated film crew across the region. Working closely alongside local historians, archivists, and residents, the team uncovered rare historical records and animated dynamic 19th-century blueprints to reconstruct the lost cosmopolitan world of Donbas.
Filmed on location in cities like Mariupol, Lysychansk, Druzhkivka, and the village of New York shortly before the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion, Eurodonbas captures these architectural treasures just in time. Functioning as a vital historical investigation and a bittersweet visual time capsule, the documentary preserves the memory of Ukraine's European roots right before many of these historic sites were reduced to ruins by Russian bombs.
Film record
- Year
- 2021
- Duration
- 73 min
- Original language
- Ukrainian
- Production studio
- 435 Films, Be Brave Films
- Genre
- Documentary
- Awards & honours
- Selection: Hot Docs (Canada), FilmFestival Cottbus (Germany), Kharkiv MeetDocs (Ukraine).
Stills
Backstage
Fimlming in Mariupol: Illich Plant Filming Donbas in May Filming industrial areas in Donbas Drone shot of a crew Interviews with experts Interviews with experts
Filming geography
Locations
Donetsk Soda Plant
«Donetsk Soda Plant» was founded in 1892 by the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solve. More than 30 objects of Belgian architectural heritage were found around Donsoda. Near the factory at the beginning of the 19th century. a small town was built with all the infrastructure, part of the buildings remained at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
Lysychansk
Known as the "Cradle of Donbas," Lysychansk is one of the region's oldest industrial cities, famous for hosting the first Donbas coal mine and a rich 19th-century Belgian architectural heritage.
Donetsk Metallurgical Plant
In 1869, the British engineer and entrepreneur John Hughes began the construction of a metallurgical plant and a railway. During Yuz's time, the city was divided into two parts: Factory, "English Colony" - a place where workers who came to Yuzivka from Great Britain lived, and "New World" - an area where local workers lived. The creation of the plant was the cause of mass migration of workers from Wales to the future Donetsk.
Illich Steel and Iron Works
Founded in 1897 by Belgian industrial interests, the "Russian Providence" metallurgical plant in Mariupol was a modern European enterprise that was later nationalized by the Soviets and merged into the iconic Ilyich Steel and Iron Works.
Soda Plant Hospital
Built in 1911 in the Art Nouveau style by architect Yuliy Tsaune, the historic Lysychansk soda factory hospital—a red-brick landmark of the city's European heritage—now stands abandoned and rapidly deteriorating despite efforts by local activists to save it.
Yuzivka
Founded in 1869 by Welsh businessman John Hughes, the workers' settlement was initially named Yuzove or Yuzivka after him. It was later renamed Stalino in 1924, before finally being named Donetsk in 1961.
New York
Founded in 1889 by German Mennonites, the town of New-York (later renamed Novhorodske by Soviet authorities) grew into a bustling industrial agricultural settlement famous for advanced machinery plants, brick factories, and iconic structures like Peter Dick's steam mill.
Mariupol
Situated on the Sea of Azov, the port city of Mariupol grew into a global metallurgical powerhouse in the late 19th century through state-of-the-art American machinery and Belgian-backed industrial enterprises.
