Bakhmut

• {{Langx|uk|Бахмут}}, {{IPA|uk|bɐxˈmut|pron}}{{efn|The pronunciation {{IPA|uk|ˈbɑxmʊt|}}, with the emphasis on the first syllable, is also commonly used, especially by non-locals, but it is sometimes considered historically incorrect by some locals.{{Cite news |first=Олександр |last=Пономарів |author-link=:uk:Пономарів Олександр Данилович |title=Блог Пономарева: чи правильна табличка "Вхід заборонено"? |language=uk |work=BBC News Україна |url=https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/blog-olexandr-ponomariv-42822288 |date=25 January 2018 |quote=Наталя Царик із Бахмута на Донеччині пише, що наголос у назві міста має бути на другому складі: БахмУт - річка БахмУтка. Але багато ведучих і дикторів кажуть БАхмут, і це читачку дратує. Наталя Царик із Бахмута на Донеччині пише, що наголос у назві міста має бути на другому складі: БахмУт - річка БахмУтка. Але багато ведучих і дикторів кажуть БАхмут, і це читачку дратує. [...] Я попросив одного з донецьких просвітян провести опитування, і він відповів, що місцеві мешканці кажуть і БахмУт, і БАхмут. Але оскільки історично наголос був БахмУт, річка БахмУтка, то з поверненням місту історичної назви має бути БахмУт.}}}}
• {{Langx|ru|Бахмут}}, {{IPA|ru|bɐxˈmut|pron}}

The name derives from the Bakhmutka River, on which the city lies.{{Cite book |title=The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2019 |isbn=978-0-19-260254-1 |edition=5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ufkFEAAAQBAJ |via=Google Books}} The ultimate origin of the name Bakhmut is uncertain. According to a theory by Kharkiv historian Igor Rassokhaa, the word may derive from a Turkic word meaning 'salt water' or 'beach'. It may also be derived from bakhmát ({{wikt-lang|uk|бахмат}}), ultimately from Turkic paχn at, meaning "steppe horse". Another theory states that the name Bakhmut is based on Turkish or Tartar Mahmut, a variant of Muhammad.Sources:{{Bulleted list|{{Cite web |title=Synʹo-zhovtyy Bakhmut - 1917 roku nad mistom zamayoriv ukrayinsʹkyy prapor |url=https://dn.gov.ua/news/sino-zhovtij-bahmut-1917-roku-nad-mistom-zamajoriv-ukrayinskij-prapor |date=2024-07-23 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=Donetsk Regional State Administration |script-title=uk:Синьо-жовтий Бахмут - 1917 року над містом замайорів український прапор |trans-title=Blue-and-yellow Bakhmut - in 1917 the Ukrainian flag flew over the city |language=uk}}|{{Cite web |title=Bakhmut: The Origin And Development Of A Strategically Important City – Analysis |url=https://www.eurasiareview.com/21052023-bakhmut-the-origin-and-development-of-a-strategically-important-city-analysis/ |last=Šerić |first=Matija |date=2023-05-23 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=Eurasiareview}}|{{Cite web |title=Why is 'meat grinder' Bakhmut so crucial for Russia in Ukraine war |url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/why-is-meat-grinder-bakhmut-so-crucial-for-russia-in-ukraine-war-63519 |last=Sofuoglu |first=Murat |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=TRT World}}}}

• {{Langx|uk|Артемівськ|Artemivs'k}}, {{IPA|uk|ɐrˈtɛmʲiu̯sʲk|pron}}
• {{Langx|ru|Артёмовск|Artyomovsk}}, {{IPA|ru|ɐrˈtʲɵməfsk|pron}}

In 1924, the city was renamed Artemivsk in honour of Fyodor Sergeyev, who was pseudonymously known as "Comrade Artyom". On 23 September 2015, the city council decided to restore the name Bakhmut under the Decommunisation Laws, in which cities with communist-related names were required to be renamed.{{Cite web |title=Deputaty misʹkrady Artemivsʹka vyrishyly pereymenuvaty misto |url=https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/deputati-miskradi-artemivska-virishili-pereymenuvati-misto-499147.html |date=2015-09-23 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=TSN.ua |script-title=uk:Депутати міськради Артемівська вирішили перейменувати місто |trans-title=Deputies of the Artemivsk City Council decided to rename the city |language=uk}} The Verkhovna Rada approved a bill of renaming to Bakhmut on 4 February 2016.Sources:{{Bulleted list|{{Cite web |title=Khto pereymenuvav Bakhmut na Artemivsʹk |url=https://bahmut1571.com.ua/news/hto-perejmenuvav-bahmut-na-artemivsk/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Hazeta "Vpered" Bakhmut |script-title=uk:Хто перейменував Бахмут на Артемівськ |trans-title=Who renamed Bakhmut to Artemivsk? |language=uk}}|{{Cite web |title=Postanova Verkhovnoyi Rady Ukrayiny pro pereymenuvannya okremykh naselenykh punktiv ta rayoniv |url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/984-19#Text |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Verkhovna Rada |script-title=uk:Постанова Верховної Ради України про перейменування окремих населених пунктів та районів |trans-title=Decree of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the renaming of certain settlements and districts |language=uk}}}}

Near the city, archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic-era flint processing workshop, excavated ancient burial grounds from the Copper Age and Bronze Age, and discovered stone baba sculptures associated with nomads from the ninth-to-twelfth century.

File:Historical map of Bakhmut in Ukraine (cropped).jpg

Although there is evidence of prior settlement in 1556, the first official mention of Bakhmut dates from 1571, when Ivan the Terrible, in order to protect the southern border of the Russian state from Crimean–Nogai slave raids, ordered the creation of border fortifications along the Aidar and Siverskyi Donets rivers.Булавинское восстание. (1707—1708 гг.) Труды Историко-Археографического Института Академии Наук СССР. — Москва 1935. — Том XII. The settlement was described then as a guard-fort (storozha) named after the nearby Bakhmutka River, a tributary of the Siverskyi Donets, and located at the mouth of a stream called the Chornyi Zherebets.

The ultimate origin of the name Bakhmut is uncertain. According to a theory by Kharkiv historian Igor Rassokhaa, the word may derive from a Turkic/Tatar word meaning 'salt water' or 'beach'.{{cite web |title=Харьковский историк считает, что название Бахмут имеет индоевропейские корни и происходит от слова бук |trans-title=Kharkov historian believes that the name Bakhmut has Indo-European roots and comes from the word beech |url=https://bahmut.in.ua/novosti/v-artemovske/571-kharkovskij-istorik-schitaet-chto-nazvanie-bakhmut-imeet-indoevropejskie-korni-i-proiskhodit-ot-slova-buk#:~:text=Основная%20версия%20происхождения%20названия%20города,турецко-татарским%20владением%20окрестных%20земель. |website=Громадський медіапортал Бахмут IN.UA |date=20 October 2015 |publisher=bahmut.in.ua |access-date=20 November 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120213431/https://bahmut.in.ua/novosti/v-artemovske/571-kharkovskij-istorik-schitaet-chto-nazvanie-bakhmut-imeet-indoevropejskie-korni-i-proiskhodit-ot-slova-buk#:~:text=Основная%20версия%20происхождения%20названия%20города,турецко-татарским%20владением%20окрестных%20земель. |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://24tv.ua/ru/istorija-bahmuta-centra-ukrainskogo-donbassa_n2114807|title=Соль земли и сердце украинского Донбасса: история Бахмута|publisher=24 Channel|author=Konstantin Dovgan|date=23 August 2022|access-date=26 March 2023|archive-date=26 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326010139/https://24tv.ua/ru/istorija-bahmuta-centra-ukrainskogo-donbassa_n2114807|url-status=live}} The name dates back to 1571.{{Cite news |last=Parker |first=Claire |date=2023-03-03 |title=Why Russia and Ukraine are fighting over Bakhmut |language=en |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/03/bakhmut-battle-ukraine-russia/ |access-date=2023-05-18}}

Bakhmut was initially a border post, and later became a fortified town. In 1701, Peter the Great ordered the fort at Bakhmut to be upgraded and the adjacent sloboda (free village) of Bakhmut be designated a city. The new fort was completed in 1703 and housed 170 people. In 1704, Peter commanded some Cossacks to settle at the Bakhmutka River and mine salt. The population of Bakhmut doubled, and the town was assigned to the Izium Regiment, a province of Sloboda Ukraine.

In the autumn of 1705, Bakhmut became one of the centers of the Bulavin Rebellion. A detachment of Don Cossacks headed by Ataman Kondraty Bulavin captured the Bakhmut salt mines{{Cite web|url=https://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/istoriya/VOSSTANIE_KRESTYAN_I_KAZAKOV_POD_RUKOVODSTVOM_KONDRATIYA_AFANASEVICHA_BULAVINA.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403012056/http://www.krugosvet.ru/enc/istoriya/VOSSTANIE_KRESTYAN_I_KAZAKOV_POD_RUKOVODSTVOM_KONDRATIYA_AFANASEVICHA_BULAVINA.html|title=ВОССТАНИЕ КРЕСТЬЯН И КАЗАКОВ ПОД РУКОВОДСТВОМ БУЛАВИНА | Энциклопедия Кругосвет|archive-date=3 April 2012|website=www.krugosvet.ru}} and occupied the city until they were defeated and the city retaken by government troops. According to official Soviet sources, the government forces "brutally" suppressed the revolution and Bakhmut was completely destroyed.

From 1708 to 22 April 1725, Bakhmut was assigned to the first Azov Governorate. On 29 May 1719, it became the administrative center of Bakhmut Province within Azov Governorate.{{cite web |url=http://www.history.org.ua/?termin=Bakhmutska_provintsiia |title=Інститут історії України НАН України |trans-title=Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |work=history.org.ua |access-date=9 February 2015 |archive-date=9 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209071726/http://www.history.org.ua/?termin=Bakhmutska_provintsiia |url-status=live }} From 1753 until the colony's abolition, it was the administrative center of Slavo-Serbia,{{Cite news |last=Dovgan |first=Konstantin |date=2022-08-23 |title=Сіль землі та серце українського Донбасу: історія Бахмута |language=uk |url=https://24tv.ua/istoriya-bahmuta-tsentra-ukrayinskogo-donbasu_n2114743 |access-date=2023-05-18}} a short-lived territory that was settled by thousands of colonists from the Balkans, predominantly Serbs.{{Cite news |date=2014-07-13 |title=Ukraine's New Serbia and Slavo-Serbia: From Imperial Russia to Separatist Donetsk |language=en-US |url=https://balkanist.net/new-serbia-slavo-serbia-from-imperial-russia-to-separatist-donetsk/ |access-date=2023-05-16|work=Balkanist}} Bakhmut was fortified, to serve the colony's purpose of frontier protection.{{Cite web |title=Sloviano-Serbia |url=https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CS%5CL%5CSloviano6Serbia.htm |access-date=2023-08-21 |website= Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine|first=Arkadii |last=Zhukovsky}} In 1764, the {{ill|Bakhmut hussar regiment|uk|Бахмутський гусарський полк|ru|Бахмутский гусарский полк}} was formed by merging two Serbian settler regiments, with its headquarters in Bakhmut.{{harvtxt|Kostić|2001|page=141}} After the abolition of Slavo-Serbia, in 1765 Bakhmut was assigned to Novorossiya Governorate. In 1775, it became part of the second Azov Governorate.{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.history.org.ua/?termin=Artemivsk_mst|title=АРТЕМІВСЬК (БАХМУТ)|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine|language=uk}}

In 1783, Bakhmut received city status, and was assigned to Yekaterinoslav Province of the re-established Novorossiysk Governorate.{{cite book|title=Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia Dictionary|year=1903|language=ru}} On 2 August 1811, a coat of arms of Bakhmut was approved, featuring symbolism evoking the salt reserves of the city. In 1863, a large synagogue was built in the city, as a place of worship for Bakhmut's Jewish community of 1,560 people. In 1875, a municipal water system was installed. In 1876, due to the work of Russian geologist Alexander Karpinsky, large deposits of rock salt were discovered near Bakhmut. Bakhmut soon produced 12.3% of the total output of salt in the Russian Empire.

File:Baxmut.jpg

Bakhmut saw industrialization during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the early 1870s, German industrialist Edmund Farke built alabaster, brick and tile factories in the city. In 1878, the Kharkiv-Bakhmut-Popasna railroad was constructed.

Streets were paved in Bakhmut in 1900. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the city began to develop metal-working industry. By 1909, the city had 64 industrial enterprises, which employed 1,075 workers.

In 1905, after the release of the October Manifesto, an antisemitic pogrom took place in Bakhmut, killing and wounding several Jewish residents of the city.{{cite wikisource|wslanguage=ru|title=ЕЭБЕ/Бахмут}} In April 1918, after the collapse of the Russian Empire, troops loyal to the Ukrainian People's Republic took control of Bakhmut.{{in lang|uk}} [http://www.istpravda.com.ua/short/2018/04/18/152320/ 100 years ago Bakhmut and the rest of Donbas liberated] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501115243/http://www.istpravda.com.ua/short/2018/04/18/152320/ |date=1 May 2019 }}, Ukrayinska Pravda (18 April 2018) Later, it was captured by White movement soldiers led by Pyotr Krasnov, who were eventually defeated by Soviet forces.

From 1920 to 1925, Bakhmut was the administrative center of the newly created Donets Governorate of the Ukrainian SSR.{{Cite news |last=Shurkhalo |first=Dmytro |date=2023-01-28 |title=Історія Бахмуту: від фортеці, солі та шампанського – до фортеці у війні РФ проти України |language=uk |work=Радіо Свобода |url=https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/istoriya-bakhmutu/32241923.html |access-date=2023-05-18}} In 1923, there were many enterprises in Bakhmut, including the "Victory of Labor" factory that made nails and spikes, the "Blyskavka" ("Lightning") factory that produced agriculture tools, as well as brick, tile, and alabaster factories, and a shoe factory. In 1922, to help rebuild the salt industry, a state salt mining company was created, which is now Artemsil. In 1925, the salt mining areas were split off from Bakhmut into their own urban-type settlement named Karlo-Libknekhtivsk (now Soledar).

In 1924, the city's name was changed from Bakhmut to Artemivsk, in honour of the Bolshevik leader Fyodor Sergeyev, who was known as Comrade Artem (or Artyom). The city's synagogue was shuttered in 1928. 3,255 residents of Artemivsk died as a result of the Holodomor.{{Cite web |title=Bakhmut |url=https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%255CB%255CA%255CBakhmut.htm |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine}} During Stalin's Great Purge in the late 1930s, more than 500 residents of Artemivsk were victims of the repressions.

{{Further information|Artemivsk massacre}}

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B19887, Russland Artemiwsk Fremdarbeiter vor Abfahrt.jpg, May 1942|thumb]]

During the Second World War, at the beginning of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Artemivsk's population included 5,300 Jews, making up almost 10% of the total population.{{cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2023-02-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/on-ukraines-front-lines-russia-is-razing-bakhmuts-jewish-history-to-the-ground/00000186-4a9d-d39e-a9bf-4b9fe2990000|title=On Ukraine's Front Lines, Russia Is Razing Bakhmut's Jewish History to the Ground|first=Shimon|last=Briman|work=Haaretz|date=14 February 2023|access-date=16 May 2023}} The majority of these were either drafted into the Red Army or evacuated into the interior areas of the Soviet Union.

On 31 October 1941,{{efn|The starting date is sometimes also given as 1 November 1941.}} Nazi German troops began their occupation of Artemivsk.{{cite web|url=https://collections.yadvashem.org/en/untold-stories/community/14622516|title=Artemovsk|work=Yad Vashem}} On 19 November, the occupation authorities issued a decree forcing the remaining local Jews to register at the local commandant's office and wear armbands marking them as Jewish. On 9 January 1942, under the pretext of needing to gather in one place for relocation, Artemivsk's Jewish population was gathered in the city park, where they were forced to hand over all their valuable possessions, then were locked in the cellar of a former NKVD building. They were locked in the "freezing" cellar for three days without food or water. During this period, according to Haaretz, local residents threw lumps of snow through the windows in an attempt to provide some sort of drinkable water to the imprisoned Jews. A few residents risked their lives to rescue some Jewish children, a feat for which they would later receive the title of Righteous Among the Nations from Israel.

File:Jewish memorial in ArtWinery (Aug 2019) 1.jpg

The Artemivsk massacre took place on 11–12 January 1942, when Sonderkommando 4b of Einsatzgruppe C led thousands of Jews into a mineshaft in an alabaster mine,{{cite news|url= https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/buried-alive/|title= Buried alive: A Yom Hashoah story from Ukraine|date=11 April 2023|access-date=18 May 2023|first=Joanne|last=Palmer}} where they shot into the crowd, killing several people. The soldiers then bricked up the entrance to the tunnel, suffocating the remaining people trapped inside.{{cite web|title="Wailing Wall" for the murdered Jews of Bakhmut: Remembrance|website=Information Portal to European Sites of Remembrance|url=https://www.memorialmuseums.org/denkmaeler/view/1494/%C2%BBWailing-Wall%C2%AB-for-the-murdered-Jews-of-Bakhmut|publisher=Stiftung Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas|location=Berlin, Germany|access-date=3 February 2020|archive-date=21 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621151722/https://www.memorialmuseums.org/denkmaeler/view/1494/%C2%BBWailing-Wall%C2%AB-for-the-murdered-Jews-of-Bakhmut|url-status=live}} The exact number of dead is unclear,{{Cite news |last=Schechter |first=Simon |date=2023-04-18 |title=Who remembers Bakhmut's 'Babi Yar'? |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjerqlnzn |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Ynetnews |language=en}} and records of the Jewish death toll differ: Soviet documents reported a number of about 3,000, while the German occupation authorities recorded 1,200 victims.{{Cite web |title=Murder story of Artemovsk Jews in the Alabaster Mines near Artemovsk |url=https://collections.yadvashem.org/en/untold-stories/killing-site/14627857-Alabaster-Mines-near-Artemovsk |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Yad Vashem}} The city was eventually liberated by the Red Army on 5 September 1943.

In 1990, {{ill|Oleksiy Reva|uk|Рева Олексій Олександрович}} became mayor of Bakhmut during the last years of the Soviet period. In the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum, the overwhelming majority of Bakhmut residents voted for independence from the Soviet Union. In January 1999, a charitable Jewish foundation in the city, as well as the Artemivsk city council and a winery that had opened on the site in 1952, inaugurated a memorial to commemorate the victims of the 1942 mass murder. The memorial was built into a rock face in the old mine where water collects and was named the "Wailing Wall" for the murdered Jews of the city.

{{further|Battle of Artemivsk}}

File:T64BV_n5_captured_in_Artemivsk_03.jpg, captured after the rebel retreat from Artemivsk]]

In April 2014, at the beginning of the war in Donbas, pro-Russian rebels led by Igor Bezler and belonging to the Donetsk People's Republic claimed the city of Artemivsk as part of their territory.{{cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/117387/putin-accidentally-helping-unite-eastern-and-western-ukraine|title=Putin Is Accidentally Helping Unite Eastern and Western Ukraine – The New Republic|author=Leonid Ragozin|magazine=The New Republic|date=16 April 2014|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-date=17 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517110856/https://newrepublic.com/article/117387/putin-accidentally-helping-unite-eastern-and-western-ukraine|url-status=live}} As the rebels entered the city, mayor Oleksiy Reva temporarily fled the city. Local military units defended the city for months, repelling separatist assaults over the course of the Battle of Artemivsk.{{cite web |date=April 24, 2014 |title=Військову частину в Артемівську обстрілювали з автоматів та гранатометів |trans-title=The military unit in Artemivsk was fired upon with machine guns and grenade launchers |url=https://espreso.tv/news/2014/04/24/viyskovu_chastynu_v_artemivsku_obstrilyuvaly_z_avtomativ_ta_hranatometiv |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108224605/https://espreso.tv/news/2014/04/24/viyskovu_chastynu_v_artemivsku_obstrilyuvaly_z_avtomativ_ta_hranatometiv |archive-date=2022-11-08 |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=Espreso TV |language=uk}} Ukrainian government forces fully recaptured the city on 7 July 2014, ending the battle.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28191833|title=BBC News – Ukraine crisis: Bridges destroyed outside Donetsk|work=BBC News|date=7 July 2014|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-date=5 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205195145/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28191833|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/212315.html|title=Ukraine flag raised over two cities, military tells Poroshenko|work=Interfax-Ukraine|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-date=6 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206125352/http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/212315.html|url-status=live}}

On 15 May 2015, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko signed a bill into law that started a six-month period for the removal of communist monuments and the mandatory renaming of settlements with names related to communism.[http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2015/05/15/7068057/ Poroshenko signed the laws about decomunization] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423181130/http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2015/05/15/7068057/ |date=23 April 2016 }}. Ukrayinska Pravda. 15 May 2015
[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/265988.html Poroshenko signs laws on denouncing Communist, Nazi regimes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819162411/http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/265988.html |date=19 August 2016 }}, Interfax-Ukraine. 16 May 2015
[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32267075 Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307200441/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32267075 |date=7 March 2016 }}, BBC News (14 April 2015) On 23 September 2015, the city council voted to restore the city's former name of Bakhmut.[https://web.archive.org/web/20150923150638/http://artemrada.gov.ua/uk/news/10260 Renaming city and streets]. Artemivsk city council website. 23 September 2015 The final decision was made by the Verkhovna Rada on 4 February 2016, and the city returned to its original name.[http://www.unian.info/society/1255225-decommunisation-continues-rada-renames-several-towns-and-villages.html Decommunisation continues: Rada renames several towns and villages] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611153200/http://www.unian.info/society/1255225-decommunisation-continues-rada-renames-several-towns-and-villages.html |date=11 June 2022 }}, UNIAN (4 February 2016){{cite web|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/02/4/7097833/|title=Rada de-communized Artemivsk as well as over hundred cities and villages|date=4 February 2016|publisher=Ukrayinska Pravda|language=uk|access-date=4 February 2016|archive-date=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003063119/https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/02/4/7097833/|url-status=live}} The Russian government, as well as Russian state media, have continued to refer to the town as Artyomovsk, especially in military contexts.{{cite web |title=Russian mercenary chief says Ukraine's Bakhmut is practically surrounded |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-mercenary-chief-says-ukraines-bakhmut-is-practically-surrounded-2023-03-03/ |website=Reuters |access-date=5 March 2023 |language=en |date=3 March 2023 |archive-date=5 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305005057/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-mercenary-chief-says-ukraines-bakhmut-is-practically-surrounded-2023-03-03/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |date=2023-02-07 |title=Why Russia Is So Determined To Capture Bakhmut |language=en |url=https://time.com/6253515/bakhmut-battle-ukraine-russia/ |access-date=2023-11-15}}

{{main|Battle of Bakhmut}}

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bakhmut became a frontline city in May, and was regularly shelled by Russian forces.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/inside-ukraine-hospital-where-medics-work-rockets-fall-2022-05-11/|title=Inside a Ukraine hospital where medics work as rockets fall|date=11 May 2022|publisher=Reuters|access-date=23 August 2022|archive-date=16 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816073752/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/inside-ukraine-hospital-where-medics-work-rockets-fall-2022-05-11/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220712-in-ukraine-s-bakhmut-war-is-never-far-away|title=In Ukraine's Bakhmut, war is never far away|date=12 July 2022|publisher=France24|access-date=23 August 2022|archive-date=15 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815203525/https://amp.france24.com/en/live-news/20220712-in-ukraine-s-bakhmut-war-is-never-far-away|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/murals-bring-hope-ukrainian-city-under-russian-attack-2022-08-15/|title=Murals bring hope in Ukrainian city under Russian attack|date=15 August 2022|publisher=Reuters|access-date=23 August 2022|archive-date=28 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828152520/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/murals-bring-hope-ukrainian-city-under-russian-attack-2022-08-15/|url-status=live}} In May 2022, according to local authorities, an estimated 20,000 people remained in the city.{{cite web|url= https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-regions/3486922-rosijski-zagarbniki-zavdali-aviaudaru-po-bahmutu.html |title= російські загарбники завдали авіаудару по Бахмуту |trans-title=Russian invaders carried out an airstrike on Bakhmut |publisher=Укрінформ |date= 9 May 2022 |language=uk}} It became a major battle of the war, attracting worldwide attention due to the level of destruction in the city and the numbers of casualties on both sides.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64877991 |title=Ukraine war: Why Bakhmut matters for Russia and Ukraine |work=BBC News |first=James |last=Landale |date=9 March 2023 |access-date=10 March 2023 |archive-date=10 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310123924/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64877991 |url-status=live }}

According to the Associated Press in October 2022, "taking Bakhmut would rupture Ukraine's supply lines and open a route for Russian forces to press on toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, key Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk province".{{cite news |last1=VARENYTSIA |first1=INNA and SAM MEDNICK |title=Russia's hope for Ukraine win revealed in battle for Bakhmut |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-business-moscow-c449617bb579fd2dd217a0a042e16a6b |access-date=29 October 2022 |work=AP News |agency=Associated Press |date=28 October 2022 |archive-date=29 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029004018/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-europe-business-moscow-c449617bb579fd2dd217a0a042e16a6b |url-status=live }} In a December analysis of the offensive, however, the UK Ministry of Defence said "the capture of the town would have limited operational value although it would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk".{{Cite tweet |author=Ministry of Defence |author-link=Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) |user=DefenceHQ |number=1598934055608893441 |date=3 December 2022 |title=Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 03 December 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: http://ow.ly/oBjO50LUiIJ 🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 |link=https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1598934055608893441 |access-date=5 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203091222/https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1598934055608893441 |archive-date=3 December 2022 |url-status=live}} On 11 December 2022, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces had turned the city into "burned ruins".{{Cite web |title=Zelenskyy says Russia reduced Bakhmut city to a 'burned ruin' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/11/zelenskyy-says-russia-has-reduced-bakhmut-city-to-a-burnt-ruin |access-date=12 December 2022 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=14 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114074231/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/11/zelenskyy-says-russia-has-reduced-bakhmut-city-to-a-burnt-ruin |url-status=live }}

By early March 2023, Russian forces had not taken Bakhmut, but were continuing to press the attack, and hoped to complete their encirclement of the city.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-clings-bakhmut-us-readies-400-million-new-military-aid-2023-03-02/|title=Russia close to encircling Ukraine's Bakhmut after months of fighting|website=Reuters|date=4 March 2023|access-date=5 March 2023|archive-date=5 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305093436/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-clings-bakhmut-us-readies-400-million-new-military-aid-2023-03-02/|url-status=live}} On 4 March, the deputy mayor of the city said that 4,000 civilians remained in Bakhmut and were living in shelters with no access to water, gas or electricity.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64846666|title=Bakhmut: Fighting in the streets but Russia not in control – deputy mayor|website=BBC News|date=4 March 2023|access-date=5 March 2023|archive-date=5 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305062541/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64846666|url-status=live}} On 20 May, Russia claimed to have fully taken Bakhmut;{{Cite web |title=Kyiv says Bakhmut situation 'critical' as Wagner claims control |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/20/russias-prigozhin-claims-complete-capture-of-bakhmut |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-captures-bakhmut-putin-ukraine-counteroffensive-rcna72615|title=Russia claims capture of Bakhmut from Ukraine, a win for Putin|website=NBC News|date=21 May 2023 |access-date=21 May 2023}} however, Ukraine has denied this.{{cite news |url= https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bakhmut-zaporizhzhya-nuclear-plant/32422157.html |title= Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant Cut Off From Grid; Fighting Continues In Bakhmut |date= 22 May 2023 |publisher=Radio Free Europe}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/21/ukraine-zelenskiy-denies-russian-claims-to-have-taken-bakhmut |title=Ukraine: Zelenskiy denies Russian claims to have taken Bakhmut |work=The Guardian |date=21 May 2023}} At the G7 summit, Zelensky stated that the images of the ruined Hiroshima after atomic bombing reminded him of the level of destruction in Bakhmut.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/world/europe/zelensky-bakhmut-hiroshima.html |title=Images of a Ruined Hiroshima Remind Zelensky of Present-Day Bakhmut |date=21 May 2023 |newspaper=The New York Times}} The battle is still ongoing with Ukraine claiming to still control a strip of territory within city limits along the T0504 highway, as well as performing attacks on the flanks of the city.{{cite web |title=Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 2, 2023 |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-2-2023 |website=Institute for the Study of War |access-date=3 June 2023}} By May 24, reports that corroborated the claimed seizure of the city by Russian and Wagner forces had surfaced.{{cite news |title=Russia takes Bakhmut: Taking stock of the war's bloodiest battle so far |url=https://kyivindependent.com/russia-takes-bakhmut-taking-stock-of-the-wars-bloodiest-battle-so-far/ |access-date=24 May 2023 |work=Kyiv Independent |date=21 May 2023 |language=en}} By 25 May, Wagner had begun withdrawing from the city to be replaced by regular Russian troops.{{cite news |last1=Nechepurenko |first1=Ivan |title=Wagner's Withdrawal From Bakhmut Would Present Test to Russian Army |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/05/25/world/russia-ukraine-news |access-date=26 May 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=25 May 2023}} On June 4, Yevgeny Prigozhin conceded that Ukrainian forces still controlled parts of the city along the T0504 highway.{{cite web |last1=Bailey |first1=Riley |last2=Wolkov |first2=Nicole |last3=Stepanenko |first3=Kateryna |last4=Barros |first4=George |last5=Kagan |first5=Fredrick W. |last6=Mappes |first6=Grace |title=Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 4, 2023 |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-4-2023 |website=Institute for the Study of War |access-date=5 June 2023}}

Bakhmut has a humid continental climate (Dfb bordering on Dfa).

{{Weather box

|location = Bakhmut (1981–2010)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|width = auto

|Jan high C = -0.9

|Feb high C = 0.2

|Mar high C = 6.2

|Apr high C = 15.7

|May high C = 22.3

|Jun high C = 26.3

|Jul high C = 28.5

|Aug high C = 28.2

|Sep high C = 21.8

|Oct high C = 13.9

|Nov high C = 5.2

|Dec high C = 0.1

|year high C = 14.0

|Jan mean C = -4.0

|Feb mean C = -3.9

|Mar mean C = 1.7

|Apr mean C = 9.6

|May mean C = 15.6

|Jun mean C = 19.7

|Jul mean C = 21.8

|Aug mean C = 20.8

|Sep mean C = 14.9

|Oct mean C = 8.4

|Nov mean C = 1.8

|Dec mean C = -2.7

|year mean C = 8.6

|Jan low C = -6.9

|Feb low C = -7.4

|Mar low C = -2.4

|Apr low C = 3.9

|May low C = 8.8

|Jun low C = 13.1

|Jul low C = 15.1

|Aug low C = 13.6

|Sep low C = 8.8

|Oct low C = 3.7

|Nov low C = -1.4

|Dec low C = -5.6

|year low C = 3.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 44.9

|Feb precipitation mm = 38.8

|Mar precipitation mm = 37.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 39.7

|May precipitation mm = 44.7

|Jun precipitation mm = 64.1

|Jul precipitation mm = 57.6

|Aug precipitation mm = 37.1

|Sep precipitation mm = 48.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 39.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 43.7

|Dec precipitation mm = 46.4

|year precipitation mm = 541.4

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 9.0

|Feb precipitation days = 7.8

|Mar precipitation days = 8.3

|Apr precipitation days = 7.0

|May precipitation days = 7.0

|Jun precipitation days = 8.7

|Jul precipitation days = 7.0

|Aug precipitation days = 4.6

|Sep precipitation days = 6.8

|Oct precipitation days = 5.4

|Nov precipitation days = 7.5

|Dec precipitation days = 8.9

|year precipitation days = 88.0

|Jan humidity = 82.2

|Feb humidity = 80.5

|Mar humidity = 76.4

|Apr humidity = 66.2

|May humidity = 63.0

|Jun humidity = 66.0

|Jul humidity = 65.0

|Aug humidity = 62.8

|Sep humidity = 69.2

|Oct humidity = 76.1

|Nov humidity = 83.7

|Dec humidity = 84.0

|year humidity = 72.9

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210717143555/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Ukraine/12.6.%20WMO_Normals_Excel_Template%20%282%29.xls

| archive-date = 17 July 2021

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Ukraine/12.6.%20WMO_Normals_Excel_Template%20(2).xls

| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1981–2010

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 18 July 2021}}

}}

{{Historical populations

|percentages = pagr

|cols = 1

|1703 | 170{{Cite web |title=Артемівськ, Артемівський район, Донецька область |url=https://ukrssr.com.ua/donetska/artemivskiy/artemivsk-artemivskiy-rayon-donetska-oblast |access-date=2023-09-18 |language=uk}}

|1825 | 4215

|1857 | 9197

|1897 | 19300

|1943 | 25000{{Cite web |title=Артемівськ, Артемівський район, Донецька область (продовження) |url=https://ukrssr.com.ua/donetska/artemivskiy/artemivsk-artemivskiy-rayon-donetska-oblast-2 |access-date=2023-09-18 |language=uk}}

|2017 | 75900{{cite web|url=http://bahmut.com.ua/news/society/5183-kolichestvo-zhiteley-bahmuta-prodolzhaet-sokraschatsya.html|title=Количество жителей Бахмута продолжает сокращаться|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505112732/http://bahmut.com.ua/news/society/5183-kolichestvo-zhiteley-bahmuta-prodolzhaet-sokraschatsya.html|archive-date=5 May 2018|trans-title=The number of Bakhmut residents continues to decline|work=Vecherniy Bakhmut|date=5 September 2017}}

|2022 | 71094

|2023 (March) | 4000

|2023 (May) | 500{{Cite web |date=2023-05-31 |title=Mayor: 204 Bakhmut residents killed, 505 injured since start of full-scale invasion |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/mayor-204-bakhmut-residents-killed-210105029.html |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-US}}

}}

Bakhmut's population has continuously declined in recent years, with the death rate (535) significantly higher than the birth rate (187) in 2017. In January 2022 (the last estimate of the city's population before the Russian invasion of Ukraine), the estimated population of Bakhmut was 75,900.

The majority of Bakhmut's residents are ethnic Ukrainians (69.4%), with a large minority of ethnic Russians (27.5%).{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207045443/http://donetskstat.gov.ua/census/census.php?ncp=11&ncp1=6|archive-date=7 February 2012|title=Національний склад та рідна мова населення Донецької області. Розподіл постійного населення за найбільш численними національностями та рідною мовою по міськрадах та районах.|trans-title=National composition and native language of the population of Donetsk region. Distribution of the permanent population by the most numerous nationalities and native language by city councils and districts.|url=http://donetskstat.gov.ua/census/census.php?ncp=11&ncp1=6}} Many of the latter group are descendants of migrants who arrived in Bakhmut during industrialization efforts in the Soviet era, between the later 1920s and the 1940s. There are also small minorities of ethnic Belarusians (0.6%), Armenians (0.3%), Romani people (0.2%), and Jews (0.2%).

The most spoken native language is Russian (62%), with a large minority speaking Ukrainian (35%), and very small minorities speaking Armenian (0.19%), Romani (0.15%), and Belarusian (0.10%).{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/|title=Ukrcensus.gov.ua|access-date=9 February 2015|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116080157/http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/|url-status=live}} The Russian speech of many residents has characteristics of surzhyk, a kind of mixed Ukrainian and Russian speech common in eastern Ukraine.

Historically, Bakhmut was a more Ukrainian-speaking city. In 1897, most residents of Bakhmut spoke Ukrainian (61.8%), while minorities spoke Russian (18.9%) and Yiddish (16.7%).

Bakhmut's political leaning and sense of identity has historically been mixed. In the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum, the overwhelming majority of Bakhmut residents voted for independence from the Soviet Union.{{Cite news |date=2023-06-18 |title=Bakhmut Lives in Memories of Former Residents |language=en |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/bakhmut-lives-in-memories-of-former-residents-/7141301.html |access-date=2023-11-15}} In the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election, most voters in Bakhmut and surrounding areas voted for Russia-leaning Viktor Yanukovych and his party the Party of Regions. However, Christopher Miller, visiting the city in 2010, reported that "few seemed enthusiastic about having [voted for Yanukovych] and openly acknowledged that they believed he was corrupt. His party was seen by many as the least bad option." He said that most residents of the city considered themselves "people of the Donbas" first and foremost, and that while they valued autonomy, separatist sentiments were extremely rare.

{{ill|Oleksiy Reva|uk|Рева Олексій Олександрович}}, who became mayor of Bakhmut in 1990 during the last years of the Soviet period, has become the longest-running mayor of any city in Ukraine.{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=2023-02-16 |title=He wanted an adventure. He ended up in Ukraine's most brutal war zone |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f1983056-c34f-4646-946a-6328200d65e7 |access-date=2023-11-15}} Ukrainian media, describing Reva, said "He survived the collapse of the empire, two revolutions and six presidents." He has "only once" been accused of corruption. He has been criticized for his conduct during the 2014 battle of Artemivsk during which he fled the city, but in September 2019, when he held a city council session in the Ukrainian language for the first time, it was considered a "historic event" for Bakhmut.{{cite news|url=https://m.tyzhden.ua/publication/246371|title=Ключі від міст. У чому секрет довголіття мерів|trans-title=Keys to cities. What is the secret of longevity of mayors|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111214335/https://m.tyzhden.ua/publication/246371 |archive-date=11 November 2021|work=The Ukrainian Week|date=10 August 2020|url-status=dead}}

Bakhmut is the administrative center of Bakhmut urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. In addition to Bakhmut, the hromada also contains the nearby town Krasna Hora and numerous small surrounding villages.{{Cite web |last=Автор |title=Бахмутська територіальна громада |url=https://decentralization.gov.ua/newgromada/3706 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=Децентралізація в Україні}}

File:АЗШВ.jpg

Since 1950, the winery {{ill|Artwinery|uk|Артвайнері|ru|Артёмовский завод шампанских вин}} (or Artvaineri, formerly Artemovsk Winery) has operated in the city. Its production was disrupted by the Russian annexation of Crimea, as it used to procure 70% of its grapes from Crimea.{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Christopher |date=2017-02-17 |title=Brut force: the winery in the middle of a war zone |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/eastern-ukraine-wine-tour-war-zone-artwinery |access-date=2023-03-25 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=25 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325164047/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/17/eastern-ukraine-wine-tour-war-zone-artwinery |url-status=live }}

The Artemsil salt mine is located in the suburb of Soledar.{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/giant-ukrainian-salt-mine-takes-center-stage-in-war-11673610354|title=Giant Ukrainian Salt Mine Takes Center Stage in War|first1=Alistair |last1=MacDonald|first2=Oksana |last2=Pyrozhok|work=The Wall Street Journal}} The chambers in the mine are large enough that a hot air balloon has been floated inside,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/features-64235614|title=Соледар. Цікаві факти про місто, бій за яке називають божевіллям|access-date=23 January 2023|work=BBC|first=Svitlana|last=Dorosh|date=12 January 2023|language=uk}} and classical music concerts have been played.{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-salt-mines-soledar-wagner-russia-claims-seized-2023-1|quote=The vast salt mines are owned by state enterprise Artemsil, which was one the biggest producers of salt in Europe, but halted operations following Russia's invasion in February.|title=Take a look inside the incredible 'underground city' carved from salt that Russia and Ukraine are battling over}}

The highway between Kharkiv and Rostov-on-Don passes near the city.

File:Симфонічний оркестр та хор АМУ ім.І.Карабиця.jpg

The city contains an institute of the salt industry, several technical colleges, medical schools, music schools, and teacher-training colleges. Among others, there is the Ivan Karabyts Bakhmut College of Arts (named after composer Ivan Karabyts) and the Bakhmut Pedagogical College.{{Cite web |title=Bakhmut |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Bakhmut |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}

There are twelve libraries, including one for blind people.

After the outbreak of the war in Donbas in 2014 the Horlivka Institute for Foreign Languages was evacuated and is now operating in Bakhmut.{{in lang|uk}} [https://m.tyzhden.ua/publication/248239 How did the innovations work for entrants from ORDiLO and Crimea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121083939/http://m.tyzhden.ua/publication/248239 |date=21 January 2021 }}, The Ukrainian Week (30 September 2020)

The mass media in Bakhmut includes Russian-language newspapers such as Sobytiia and Vpered, as well as local television and radio channels. There is also an internet publication, bahmut.in.ua.

The Metalurh Stadium, a football stadium constructed in 1949, is located within the city and has a seating capacity of 4,800.{{Cite web |title=Stadion Metalurh |url=https://www.europlan-online.de/stadion-metalurh/stadion-63183.html |access-date=21 May 2023 |website=Europlan-Online}} The stadium was damaged during the Russian invasion.

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite journal|first=Mita |last=Kostić|author-link=:sr:Мита Костић|title=Nova Srbija i Slavenosrbija|location=Novi Sad|year=2001|url=http://www.rastko.org.rs/rastko-ukr/istorija/mkostic-nsrbija.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306191642/http://www.rastko.org.rs/rastko-ukr/istorija/mkostic-nsrbija.pdf|archive-date=2009-03-06|language=sh}}

{{Commons category|Bakhmut}}

{{EB1911 poster|Bakhmut}}

• {{in lang|ru}} [http://www.art.dn.ua/ City portal]
• {{in lang|uk}} [http://artemrada.gov.ua/ City council website]

{{Bakhmut Raion}}

{{Donetsk Oblast}}

{{2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1571 establishments in Europe

Category:Populated places established in 1571

Category:Cities in Donetsk Oblast

Category:Bakhmut urban hromada

Category:Mining cities and regions in Ukraine

Category:Former Soviet toponymy in Ukraine

Category:Cities and towns built in the Sloboda Ukraine

Category:Bakhmutsky Uyezd

Category:Populated places destroyed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine