Soledar

During the second half of the 17th century, the Don Cossacks settled in the region of Donbass.[2]

In 1881 the first salt mine was founded near the village and several years later others appeared.

In 1965 the settlement became town Karlo-Libknekhtovsk, named after Karl Liebknecht.[3] In July 1991 it was renamed to Soledar.

In 1989, the population was 12,305.[4][3]

In 2001, the population was 13,151.

Starting Mid-April 2014, Russian GRU operatives, led by Igor "Strelkov" Ghirkin, captured several towns in Donetsk Oblast [5][6] including Soledar.[7] On 21 July 2014, Ukrainian forces secured the city from the militants.[7] On 2 August 2014 the identification team and OSCE observers dealing with the MH17 crash set up base in Soledar, because from there it was easier to get to the crash site.[8][9][10]

The main enterprises of the city are related to mining and processing industries: State Enterprise Association Artyomsol is mining and processing rock salt in Soledar Salt Mine and Knauf Gips Donbass (a subsidiary of a German gypsum producer KNAUF).

The town has a major tourist attraction: the underground galleries and chambers of salt mines, which are also used extensively for speleo (cave) treatment of asthma and other lung diseases.

A railway station.[3]

Native language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001:[11]

• Ukrainian 60.1%
• Russian 39.4%
• Armenian 0.1%
• Belarusian 0.1%

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  Railway station
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  Salt mine entrance
• 
  Inside the mine
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  Underground football field and concert hall in Soledar mine