Popasna Raion

On 7 March 1923, the raion was originally created as Komyshuvakha Raion,{{efn|{{langx|uk|Комишевахський район}}}} with its administrative center in Komyshuvakha. It was subordinated to Bakhmut Okruha within Donets Governorate.{{cite wikisource|title=ЗУРРСУУ/1923/1/18-19/Про адміністративно-територіяльний поділ Донеччини|wslanguage=uk}} In December 1924, the administrative center was moved to Popasna, and the raion was renamed to Popasna Raion accordingly.{{cite wikisource|title=ЗУРРСУУ/1924/1/49/Про зміни в адміністраційно-територіяльному поділі Донеччини|wslanguage=uk}} On 15 September 1930, all the okruhas of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic were abolished, so Popasna Raion became directly subordinated to the Ukrainian SSR.{{Cite wikisource|title=ЗЗРРСУУ/1930/1/23/Про ліквідацію округ та перехід на двоступневу систему управління|wslanguage=uk}} In February 1932, Popasna Raion was abolished, in connection with the establishment of the oblasts of Ukraine. The constituent local councils of Popasna Raion were divided between Artemivsk Raion and Kadiivka Raion.{{cite wikisource|title=ЗЗРРСУУ/1932/5/Про утворення областей на території УСРР|wslanguage=uk}}

In June 1936, the raion was re-created as Kahanovych Raion{{efn|{{langx|uk|Кагановичський район}}}} within Donetsk Oblast, with its center in Popasna - which, at the time, was renamed after Lazar Kaganovich.{{cite wikisource|title=ЗЗРРСУУ/1936/34/Про утворення Боково-Антрацитівського, Дзержинського, Кагановичського, Сніжнянського та Харцизького районів Донецької обл…|wslanguage=uk}} On 3 June 1938, a large portion of Donetsk Oblast,{{efn|At the time, Donetsk Oblast was known as Stalino Oblast, after Joseph Stalin.}} including Kahanovych Raion, was split off to create Voroshilovhrad Oblast (now Luhansk Oblast){{cite wikisource|wslanguage=ru|Указ Президиума ВС СССР от 03.06.1938 о разделении Донецкой области УССР на Сталинскую и Ворошиловградскую области}} On 12 June 1944, Kahanovych Raion was renamed to Popasna Raion.{{cite wikisource|title=Указ ПВР УРСР від 12.6.1944 «Про перейменування Кагановичського району, Ворошиловградської області та Орджонікідзевського району…»|wslanguage=uk}}

On 30 December 1962, the raion was abolished again, and its territory transferred to Lysychansk Raion,{{efn|{{Langx|uk|Лисичанський район|Lysychanskyi raion}}; {{Langx|ru|Лисичанский район|Lisichanskiy rayon}}}} which had its center in Lysychansk.{{cite wikisource|title=Указ Президії Верховної Ради УРСР від 30.12.1962 «Про укрупнення сільських районів Української РСР»|wslanguage=uk}} On 30 December 1977, Lysychansk Raion was renamed to Popasna Raion, when its seat was moved from Lysychansk to Popasna.{{Cite web |url=http://search.ligazakon.ua/l_doc2.nsf/link1/UP772882.html |access-date=2021-10-05 |website=search.ligazakon.ua |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814142311/http://search.ligazakon.ua/l_doc2.nsf/link1/UP772882.html |archive-date=2019-08-14 |script-title=uk:Указ Президії Верховної Ради №2882-IX от 30.12.1977, Про перенесення центру Лисичанського району Ворошиловградської області в місто Попасну і перейменування району на Попаснянський. |trans-title=Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet No. 2882-IX dated 30 December 1977, On the transfer of the centre of Lysychansk Raion of Voroshilovgrad Oblast to the city of Popasna and the renaming of the district to Popasnyanskyi.}}

During the war in Donbas that began in 2014, the Ukrainian authorities lost control over parts of Popasna Raion to the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), an unrecognized, Russia-backed breakaway state.{{cite news|url=https://www.unian.info/m/war/10171847-head-of-zolote-in-donbas-gray-zone-shrinks-with-liberated-village.html|title=Head of Zolote in Donbas: Gray zone shrinks with liberated village|work=UNIAN|date=2 July 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://tribun.com.ua/38314|title=Без крыши над головой: как помогают, оставшимся без дома жителям Луганщины|website=tribun.com.ua|language=ru-RU|accessdate=2017-08-05}} On 7 October 2014, to facilitate the governance of partially-occupied Luhansk Oblast, the Verkhovna Rada made some changes in its administrative divisions, so that the localities in the government-controlled areas were grouped into districts. In particular, the urban-type settlement of Chornukhyne was transferred to Popasna Raion from Perevalsk Raion, the urban-type settlement of Novotoshkivske from Kirovsk Municipality, and the settlements Hirske, Zolote, Nyzhnie and Toshkivka from Pervomaisk Municipality. This resulted in the area of the raion increasing by 14,174 hectares.{{Cite web |title=Про зміни в адміністративно-територіальному устрої Луганської області, зміну і встановлення меж Перевальського і Попаснянського районів Луганської області |url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/go/1693-18 |access-date=2023-12-15 |website=Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України |language=uk}} The part of Popasna Raion under control of the Luhansk People's Republic were transferred to other administrative units as well.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

The Ukrainian raion was abolished for a third and final time on 18 July 2020 as part of the decentralizing administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Luhansk Oblast to eight, of which only four were controlled by the government.{{Cite news|title=Про утворення та ліквідацію районів. Постанова Верховної Ради України № 807-ІХ.|url=http://www.golos.com.ua/article/333466|access-date=2020-10-03|date=2020-07-18|website=Голос України|language=uk}}{{cite web |title=Нові райони: карти + склад |date=17 July 2020 |url=https://www.minregion.gov.ua/press/news/novi-rajony-karty-sklad/ |publisher=Міністерство розвитку громад та територій України |language=Ukrainian}}

The unrecognized Luhansk People's Republic continued to use Popasna Raion as a nominal administrative division for the next few years, despite not controlling Popasna. In 2022, during the battle of Popasna of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Popasna was completely destroyed by Russia and the LPR, who began an occupation of what remained of the city. In March 2023, legal documents of the Luhansk People's Republic - which by that point had been explicitly annexed by Russia - stopped using Popasna Raion as an administrative unit, due to the extreme level of destruction of the city and its surroundings.{{Cite news |last1=Kuzmenko |first1=Svitlana |last2=Schreck |first2=Carl|date=2023-06-11 |title=The Ukrainian Cities Obliterated In Russia's Self-Proclaimed 'Liberation' |language=en-US |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-destroyed-cities-russia-war/32454453.html}}

{{Historical populations

| title = Population history

| align = right

| direction =

| percentages =

| cols = 2

| 1970 | 41077{{Cite web |url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/ukraine-division.htm |title=Division of Ukraine |accessdate=15 December 2023}}

| 1979 | 71867

| 1989 | 66295

| 2001 | 50559

| 2013 | 40620

| 2020 | 74028

}}

As of the 2001 Ukrainian census, the population of Popasna Raion was 50,559. The self-reported ethnic distribution of the raion was:{{cite web |url=http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/ |title=Home |website=ukrcensus.gov.ua}}

• Ukrainians: 81.1%
• Russians: 17.5%
• Belarusians: 0.5%

By 2013, the population had shrunk to 40,620. Of that number, 31,180 (76.76%) lived in urban areas, and 9,440 (23.24%) lived in rural areas.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lugastat.lg.ua/sinf/demograf/demog0513_1.php |title=станом на 1 квітня 2013 року |access-date=15 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006214525/http://www.lugastat.lg.ua/sinf/demograf/demog0513_1.php |archive-date=6 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}

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Category:Former raions of Luhansk Oblast

Category:1923 establishments in Ukraine

Category:Ukrainian raions abolished during the 2020 administrative reform