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
Donbas is a region in Eastern Ukraine that is currently recognized worldwide due to the fierce war with Russia. Although, not everyone is well-acquainted with the fact, that at the end of the 19th century, Donbas was the center of Belgian, German, French, British, and American settlements. This region housed entrepreneurs from different countries who built architecture, and enterprises; introduced progressive technologies to this region. After the revolution of 1917, and the USSR's rise to power, the factories, and private property were taken from the European and North American settlers, destroying the memory of European history there. In the film, experts, historians, and local people tell their tales and pieces of evidence about the region's history, which was destroyed and distorted by Soviet authorities who worked to erase the legacies of European entrepreneurs like John Hughes, Ernest Solvay, and Henrich Laude. The film crew discovered the unique archival materials which were animated and show Donbas during the 19th century. The documentary film 'Eurodonbas' shows the European heritage of such cities as Mariupol, Lysychansk, Druzhkivka, and New York village in the Donetsk region just before the escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War. These places of Donbas are well-recognized in the world mass media, as they were almost destroyed by Russian missiles during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Film record
- Year
- 2021
- Duration
- 73 min
- Region
- Donbas
- Original language
- Ukrainian
- Production studio
- 435 Films, Be Brave Films
- Genre
- Documentary
- Awards & honours
- Selection: Hot Docs (Canada), FilmFestival Cottbus (Germany), Kharkiv MeetDocs (Ukraine).
Filming geography
Locations
Donetsk Soda Plant
donbasView location«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
donbasView locationKnown 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
donbasView locationIn 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
donbasView locationFounded 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
donbasView locationBuilt 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
donbasView locationFounded 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
donbasView locationFounded 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
donbasView locationSituated 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.
