List of people from Donetsk

The citizens of Donetsk are commonly called Donechyani (донеччани, 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 footballer 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), footballer 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 footballer 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

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