About this book:

From prehistoric steppe nomads and Cossack frontier life to coal barons, Soviet steelworks, and modern war, *A History of Donetsk* tells the dramatic story of one of Eastern Europe’s most contested and consequential cities. This sweeping narrative reveals how Donetsk grew from grasslands, rivers, and kurgans into Yuzovka, an industrial powerhouse, and finally a symbol of the struggles defining today’s Eurasian frontier.

Rich in vivid storytelling and grounded in multiple perspectives, the book brings to life the miners, migrants, workers, artists, soldiers, and families who shaped Donetsk’s identity across centuries. For readers drawn to history, geopolitics, empire, industry, and the human cost of conflict, this is an essential guide to understanding how one city came to embody the forces that have shaped modern Europe.