History

The settlement of the land began about 100 thousand years ago. Mammoth hunter's work instruments, made of silicon, were found on the territory of the region and now are the evidence of human stay there in a period of early Paleolith. They were found in Lugansk (KrasnyYar), on the territory of the Stanichno-Lugansk and Slavyanoserbsky districts.

     In A.D. I and II centuries Slovanic tribes settled the Donets steppes near the Sea of Azov.

     In the period of prosperity of Kiev Rus the territory of Lugansk region bordered with the lands of nomadic tribes which frequent inroads didn't give the settlement this land, where there was scarcity of people.

     In XIII century Tataro-Mongolian hordes invaded the Russian lands and devastated them. Tataro-Mongolian yoke slowed down economic and cultural development of the land, led to desolation of steppes between Dniperriver and Don river Vast, this almost non-populated territory received its historical name "Dikoye Pole" ("Wild field").

     At the end of XV - at the beginning of XVII the development of Dikoye Pole was begun by Ukrainian and Russian peasants-runaways.

      A spontaneous movement of people caused beginning of colonization with creation of watch service, fortified lines in the south steppes.

     Building of fortified towns with garrisons, organization of watch and settlement services to defense from Tatar inroads promoted a new inflow of migrants.

     From the beginning of XVII Russian government began to build well-fortified military settlements for more reliable defense of the south borders. In 1637 a watch point named OsiniviyOstrog was founded on Aidarriver.

     From the end of the 30th XVII the flow of migrants from left-bank and the right-bank parts of Ukraine to south outlying districts of Russia increased. Thus, in the south frontier a historical region of Russia under name "Slobodskaya Ukraine" was formed. The northern part of the present territory of Lugansk region (up to the Aidarriver) also formed it.

     Side by side with inhabitants of the settlements Donets land was occupied by Zaporozhian and Don Cossacks who set up strong points on the Donetsriver.

     In the 50s of XVII many peasants, Cossacks, town people began to leave for Slobozhanshina. Migrants received the support from the government; they were given land, received money for support. They had the right to organization Cossack military units. In the 50s of XVII the government formed Ostrozhsky, Akhtirsky, Sumskoy and Kharkovsky regiments of Cossacks from Slobozhanshina, and in 1685 - Tsumsky regiment.

     The southern part of the present Lugansk region stayed non-inhabited till the of XVIII.

     ZaporozhianCassacks went on settling the Donets land.

     Don Cossacks settled the Donetsriver and its tributaries.

     At the beginning of XVIII new settlements appeared: on the Krasnaya river - Melovatka. On the territory of Ostrogozhsky regiment Belolutsk, Lakotnoe, Starobelsk gained strength, Belokurakino and Markovka were formed.

     After neutralization of a vigorous antifeudal peasants and Cossacks rising 1707-1709 lands on Aidar became deserts.

     Don Cossacks' properties considerably reduced, only a small district on the right side of Derkulriver was left for them. Zaporozhian Cossacks developed new lands from the east of Kalmius on the Miusriver.

     During military campaign of 1735-1739 the northern territory of the region became an operative base of dragoon and infantry regiments that made their way towards the siege of Azov.

     Till the middle of XVIII lands along the right bank of the SeverskyDonetsriver between the rivers of Bahmut and Lugan remained unsettled. To replenish the forces, protect the borders, and to speed-up the economic development of south steppes the Russian government began to invite foreign colonists.

     Governmental Senate on the 29th of March, the 1st of April and 29th of May 1753 issued a decree concerning settlement of free lands on the right bank of Donets between Bahmut and Lugan rivers by Serbians, Bulgarians, Hungarians and other Balkan countries by birth of orthodox denomination. Settlers were united in companies, the latter formed two hussar regiments. In 1764 both regiments were united in one, named Bahmutsky hussar regiment with common numeration of companies, which were 16.

     The territory settled by the regiments was named Slavo-Serbia. It was not a province, but it was directly subordinated to Senate and High Board.

     In 1764 Slavo-Serbia became the Donetskyuyezd of Ecaterinoslavsk region, ruled by governor-general. In 1796 it was abolished and the Novorossiyskaya province was formed. In 1802 the Ecaterinoslavskaya province was singled out from the Novorossiyskaya province. The Donetskyuyezd was a part of it.

     The territory of the present regional centre was a part of Slaviano-Serbskyuyezd.

     Officers and foreign officials who moved to the land were conferred many landowner titles.

     From the end of the 40th of XVIII began the settlement of Mius district and its tributaries.

     An indispensable condition was the settling the received lands by peasants.

     Landowners began to move there their peasants from central provinces, more than one third of them came to the land spontaneously. They were free Cossacks who came from the overpopulated provinces: Poltavskaya, Chernigovskaya, Kirovskaya, Tulskaya. Government also made peasants, military men, prisoners, serving their sentence move there. Also Polish runaways, Turkish and Tatar military men, newly arrived Gypsies, the Armenians, Jews settled there. As a result of such an intensive migration stream a various ethnographic structure formed in the region with a prevalent importance of Ukrainians.

     By character of economic development Lugansk region remained to be an agrarian land. Industry was connected with production and processing. Therefore in the middle of XIX there was a prevalence of rural population in the region.

     To the end of XIX a mining and metallurgical industry began to develop there, railways were built. Mines, pits, metalworking and metallurgical works appeared there. The settlement of Lugansk region as the land in common increased 5 times faster than the settlement of other regions of Ukraine.