# List of people from Donetsk

The citizens of Donetsk are commonly called Donechyani (Ukrainian:донеччани, Russian:дончани). The following is a list of famous people that were born or brought up in the city:

## Academics

* Alexander Anoprienko (born 1957), Professor of Computer Engineering.
* Volodymyr Biletskyy (born 1950), Ukrainian scientist.
* Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko (born 1945), Russian Mathematician and lecturer at the Moscow University. Promoter of New Chronology.
* Valeriy Konovalyuk (born 1966), an economist and businessman.
* Alexander Kuzemsky (born 1944), Soviet and Russian theoretical physicist.
* Kirill Borisovich Tolpygo (1916–1994), Soviet physicist and a Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

## Artists

* Viktor Burduk (born 1957), an artist, a blacksmith.
* Pavlo Vigderhaus (1925–2013), Soviet architect, Monument to a Miner creator.

## Athletes

* Aleksandr Androshkin (1947–2010), Soviet sports shooter.
* Polina Astakhova (1936–2005), Ukrainian gymnast.
* Konstantin Bakun (born 1985), Ukrainian volleyball player.
* Nadiya Beshevli (born 1982), Ukrainian former swimmer.
* Yuliya Beygelzimer (born 1983), Ukrainian tennis.
* Artem Bloshenko (born 1985), Ukrainian heavyweight judoka.
* Vyacheslav Bobrov (born 1992), Ukrainian basketball player.
* Danyil Boldyrev (born 1992), Ukrainian speed climber.
* Joel Bolomboy (born 1994), Ukrainian-born Russian-American professional basketball player.
* Bogdan Bondariew (born 1974), Ukrainian former professional cyclist.
* Serhiy Bubka (born 1963), Ukrainian pole vault athlete; Olympic Games champion: 1988; World Champion: 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, European Champion: 1986; Champion of the USSR: 1984, 1985.
* Vladyslav Bukhov (born 2002), Ukrainian swimmer.
* Igor Bychkov (born 1987), Ukrainian-born pole vaulter.
* Yuriy Dehteryov (1948–2022), Soviet goalkeeper.
* Tetiana Dovzhenko (born 2002), Ukrainian female rhythmic gymnast.
* Volodymyr Dzhus (born 1993), Ukrainian professional racing cyclist.
* Yuri Evseichik (born 1971), Israeli Greco-Roman wrestler.
* Marta Fiedina (born 2002), Ukrainian synchro swimmer.
* Yuriy Gavrilov (born 1967), Ukrainian handballer player, Olympic gold medallist.
* Julia Glushko (born 1990), Ukrainian-born Israeli tennis player.
* Marina Goliadkina (born 1997), Ukrainian-born Russian synchronised swimmer.
* Olena Grechykhina (born 1991), Ukrainian competitor in synchronized swimming.
* Veronika Hryshko (born 2000), Ukrainian synchronised swimmer.
* Yelyzaveta Hubareva (born 2004), Ukrainian artistic gymnast.
* Ali Ismayilov (born 1974), Ukrainian boxer.
* Viktor Ivanov (1956–2007), Ukrainian boxer.
* Yevhen Kanana (born 1953), Soviet footballer and referee.
* Stanyslav Kashtanov (born 1984), Ukrainian-Russian boxer.
* Oleksandra Kashuba (born 1996), Ukrainian competitor in synchronized swimming.
* Valeriya Khanina (born 1999), Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast.
* Oleksandr Khotsianivskyi (born 1990), Ukrainian freestyle wrestler.
* Ganna Klymenko (born 1992), Ukrainian competitor in synchronized swimming.
* Natalia Kosmina (born 1982), Ukrainian para table tennis player.
* Vasyl Krainyk (born 1996), Ukrainian Paralympic swimmer.
* Andriy Kravchenko (born 1980), Ukrainian racecar driver.
* Nikita Kryvonos (born 1986), American former professional tennis player.
* Natalya Kushch-Mazuryk (born 1983), Ukrainian pole vaulter.
* Aleksandr Lebziak (born 1969), Russian boxer.
* Inna Logutenkova (born 1986), Ukrainian Olympic dressage rider.
* Denys Lukashov (born 1989), Ukrainian basketball player.
* Natalya Mammadova (born 1984), Ukrainian and Azerbaijani volleyball player.
* Oleksandr Martynenko (born 1989), Ukrainian cyclist.
* Nikita Mashtakov (born 1999), Ukrainian tennis player.
* Ilya Mate (born 1956), Soviet and Ukrainian freestyle wrestler.
* Maksym Mazuryk (born 1983), Ukrainian pole vaulter.
* Evgenij Miroshnichenko (born 1978), Ukrainian chess player.
* Viktor Miroshnichenko (born 1959), Ukrainian boxer.
* Mark Padun (born 1996), Ukrainian cyclist.
* Elina Partõka (born 1983), Estonian former swimmer.
* Oleksiy Pecherov (born 1985), a Ukrainian basketball player.
* Vitaly Petrov (born 1945), Ukrainian athletics coach, mainly specialising in pole vault.
* Volodymyr Pianykh (born 1951), Ukrainian football player.
* Valeriy Pidluzhny (1952–2021), Ukrainian long jumper.
* Lilia Podkopayeva (born 1978), a Ukrainian gymnast, and the 1996 Olympic All Around Champion.
* Svitlana Prokopova (born 1993), Ukrainian group rhythmic gymnast.
* Serhii Rebrov (born 1974), football player.
* Olha Saladukha (born 1983), Ukrainian former triple jumper.
* Issuf Sanon (born 1999), Ukrainian professional basketball player.
* Hanna Shelekh (born 1993), Ukrainian athlete.
* Alina Shynkarenko (born 1998), Ukrainian synchronised swimmer.
* Viktor Sidyak (born 1943), fencing, first Soviet individual sabre Olympic gold medal in Munich 1972, multiple times winner of World Championships and Olympic medalist (1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980).
* Viktor Smyrnov (born 1986), Paralympic swimmer.
* Aleksandr Tkachenko (born 1955), Soviet Olympic boxer.
* Nadiya Tkachenko (born 1948), Ukrainian Olympic-gold winning pentathlete.
* Dmitri Tolstenkov (born 1973), Ukrainian former track cyclist.
* Oleg Tverdovsky (born 1976), Russian ice hockey player.
* Iryna Ustymenko (born 1966), Ukrainian former butterfly and freestyle swimmer.
* Yanika Vartlaan (born 1999), Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast.
* Oleg Verniaiev (born 1993), Ukrainian artistic gymnast, Olympic gold medallist.
* Alexander Yagubkin (born 1961), Soviet Olympic boxer.
* Yelyzaveta Yakhno (born 1998), Ukrainian synchronised swimmer.
* Yuriy Yermakov (born 1970), Ukrainian gymnast.
* Artem Yevlyanov (born 1986), Ukrainian football player.
* Viktor Yevsyukov (born 1956), Soviet javelin thrower.
* Yevhen Yudenkov (born 1993), Ukrainian artistic gymnast.
* Denys Yurchenko (born 1978), Ukrainian pole vaulter.

## Business

* Rinat Akhmetov (born 1966), Ukraine's wealthiest businessman, founder of System Capital Management, No. 47 in Forbes' The World's Billionaires.
* Serhiy Arbuzov (born 1976), head of Ukrainian Bank.
* Akhat Bragin (1953–1995), businessman and mobster.
* Valeriy Konovalyuk (born 1966), an economist and businessman.
* Oleksandr Ryzhenkov (born 1950), Hero of Ukraine recipient
* Ihor Sorkin (born 1967), head of the Ukrainian National Bank.

## Entertainers

* Vera Filatova (born 1982), actress.
* Jinjer, Ukrainian heavy metal band.
* Yuri Kara (born 1954), Russian film director and producer.
* Anna Korsun (born 1986), Ukrainian singer, pianist, organist, conductor, composer and academic teacher, based in Germany.
* Khrystyna Kots-Hotlib (born 1983), Ukrainian singer.
* Tatyana Kravchenko (born 1953), Soviet and Russian actress.
* Make Me Famous - English language Metalcore band.
* Master SheFF, the leader of Bad Balance and creator of Russian hip hop.
* Siouzana Melikián (born 1986), a Russian-Mexican actress.
* Omnia (born 1987), Ukrainian DJ and music producer and sometimes singer.
* Vadim Pisarev (born 1965), Ukrainian dancer and art Director of Donetsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Solovyanenko.
* Aleksandr Revva (born 1974), comedian.
* Denis Shaforostov (born 1992), Ukrainian musician, vocalist for Asking Alexandria.
* Tatiana Shmailyuk (born 1987), Vocalist for Ukrainian metal band Jinjer.
* Anyuta Slavskaya (born 1983), Ukrainian-Russian singer and TV presenter.
* Oleg Stefan (born 1959), Russian actor.
* Anatoliy Solovyanenko (1932–1999), Soviet opera singer.
* Vladimir Grigoryevich Zakharov (1901–1956), Soviet composer.
* Svitlana Zakharova (born 1987), Ukrainian singer-songwriter in the jazz, classical and estrada genres as well a director of concert programs.
* Zhanulka (born 2004), singer, songwriter.

## Journalists

* Stanislav Aseyev (born 1989), Ukrainian writer and journalist.
* Dmytro Gnap (born 1977), journalist, investigating corruption.
* Oleksiy Matsuka (born 1983), corruption investigator, Reporters Without Borders named Matsuka in its list of 100 Information Heroes.

## Military

* Fyodor Berezin (born 1960), Russian-language science fiction writer and Deputy Minister of Defence of the Donetsk People's Republic.
* Mikhail Krichevsky (1897–2008), the last surviving World War I veteran who fought for the Russian Empire.
* Aleksandr Zakharchenko (1976–2018), Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

## Politicians

* Zalman Aran (Aharonovich) (1899–1970), Israeli social-democratic politician, minister of education (1955–1960) and (1963–1969).
* Mykola Azarov (born 1947), former Prime Minister of Ukraine
* Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971), General Secretary of the CPSU and Premier of the Soviet Union 1953–1964 (born in Kalinovka, Kursk Oblast, Russia but grew up in Yuzivka).
* Volodymyr Rybak (born 1946), Mayor of Donetsk and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.
* Natan Sharansky (born 1948), former Soviet dissident, anticommunist, Zionist, Israeli politician and writer.
* Petro Symonenko (born 1952), head of the Communist Party of Ukraine.
* Viktor Yanukovych (born 1950), deposed former president of Ukraine (due to Euromaidan Revolts of 2013–2014)
* Aleksandr Zakharchenko (1976–2018), Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (deceased).

## Writers

* Emma Andijewska (born 1931), Ukrainian poet.
* Fyodor Berezin (born 1960), Russian-language science fiction writer and Deputy Minister of Defence of the Donetsk People's Republic.
* Dmytro Hnap (born 1977), Ukrainian journalist at Slidstvo.Info and Hromadske.TV.
* Iya Kiva (born 1984), Ukrainian poet, translator, journalist, and critic.
* Yuri Levitansky (1922–1996), Russian-language poet and translator.
* Oleksiy Matsuka (born 1983), Ukrainian journalist.
* Vladislav Adolfovitch Rusanov (born 1966), Russian-language science fiction writer and chairman of the Donetsk People's Republic Writer's Union.
* Vasyl Stus (1938–1985), Ukrainian poet and publicist, one of the most active members of Ukrainian dissident movement.

## Other

* Ismail Abdullaiev (born 1966), director of pro-Russian television channels in Ukraine.
* Diana Berg (born 1979), human rights activist and graphic designer.
* Dmytriy Leonidovich Cherniavskiy (born 1971), senior manager and political adviser.
* Elvira Gasanova (born 1991), fashion designer and brand owner.
* Yevgeny Khaldei (1917–1997), Soviet photographer known for his photograph of a Soviet soldier raising a flag over the Reichstag.
* Marina Tsvigun (born 1960), religious sect leader, new age movement.