It was established in 1970 after the merger of the Barbara-Wyzwolenie Coal Mine and Chorzów Coal Mine. The first was infamous because of an underground fire in 1954. The number of victims is still unknown (80–120 people). The communist authorities whitewashed the size of the accident. The rescue operation lasted 50 days. The mine stopped operating on October 31, 1993.
29.37 kilometers – at the time of writing this report, separating Kramatorsk, the temporary capital of the Donetsk Oblast, from the front line. One third of the 220,000 inhabitants remained. In the deserted city you can see mostly soldiers. They head to the front or return from it to rest for a while. The fate of Kramatorsk and eastern Ukraine depends on the outcome of fierce fighting. Military trucks and heavy equipment rush to nearby Bakhmut every day.
