Walk through Forged Figures Park and discover metalwork as public art
Step into Forged Figures Park on Vul. Universitetska near the city hall, and you enter a gallery of over 160 metal sculptures created by blacksmiths from across the region and beyond. The park opened in 2001 as a one-of-a-kind space where the International Smithcraft Festival takes place annually, bringing master metalworkers to exhibit their craft in the open air. Iron arbours and zodiac-themed sculptures line the paths—a testament to the region's deep connection to metalworking heritage. These pieces, donated by artists year after year, have turned a public green space into an evolving collection of forged figures that catch light and shadow as you walk.
Religious architecture across faiths and centuries
Donetsk's spiritual landmarks tell stories of community building and cultural identity. The Ahat Cami Mosque on Prospekt Marshala Zhukova stands as the first mosque built in the Donets Basin since the Soviet Union's fall—its minaret honors Akhat Bragin, the businessman whose vision made the structure possible. The mosque opened officially on September 3, 1999, and houses the Ukrainian Islamic University, the first Muslim institution of higher education in Ukraine, on its first floor. Across the city, the Roman Catholic church of parish of St. Joseph on Vul. Artema welcomes worshippers to Donetsk's first Catholic church, opened in 2006 with support from Polish and German Catholics. Those seeking Orthodox tradition can visit the Svyato-Iverskiy Ukrainian Orthodox Nunnery on Vul. Stratonavtiv, opened in 2001, where an icon said to have been written on Mount Athos rests within the walls.
Museums and collections that document the city's industrial life
The Donetsk railway Museum at the railway station on Vul. Artemovska holds more than 2,000 exhibits spanning the history and development of the Donetsk railway. Documents, uniforms, instruments, equipment, and photographs chronicle the vital role trains played in building the city. The Ekspodonbass Exhibition center on Vul. Cheliuskintsev operates as one of Ukraine's largest exhibition spaces, hosting around 20 exhibitions annually, including international shows that reflect Donetsk's place in the broader cultural landscape.
Monuments to workers, athletes, and cultural figures
Public sculpture in Donetsk honors the people who built and shaped the city. The Artem (F.A.Sergeevu) Monument stands at the corner of Ave Mira and Vul. Artema—a 10.5-meter bronze figure weighing 16 tons, commemorating the Soviet revolutionary and founder of the Donetsk-Krivorozhskoy republics. Near the Olimpiis'kyi stadium, the Bubka S.N. Monument celebrates Sergey Nazarovicha Bubki, the Olympic champion who set 35 world records in pole vaulting. The Student Monument on Prospekt Vatutina captures a young scholar in repose, while the Mother Monument on Prospekt Panfilova—a unique sculpture in Ukraine—depicts a woman holding a child, each figure standing in full height. The Palm of Mertsalova, forged from a rail at the end of the 19th century by blacksmith Alexei Ivanovich Mertsalovi, remains an emblem of Donbass craftsmanship; it won a Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris International Industrial Fair and now stands near the Expo-Donbass center, its image forming part of the regional coat of arms.
Temples honoring workers and the lost
The Sviato-Voskresens'kyi temple on Sq. Shakhterskaya, which opened in 2005, features a striking golden dome funded by a joint-stock mining company. Within its grounds stands the Saint Barbara chapel, built in memory of miners lost underground—a quiet space that acknowledges the city's dangerous industrial heritage. The Temple of the Exaltation of the Cross on Vul. Gornaya marks its patronal feast each September 27, inviting reflection on the spiritual dimensions of community life.
Donetsk's streets reveal a city forged by metal and mining, where public art and religious buildings stand as testaments to the workers who built it. Plan your visit to walk the parks, stand before the monuments, and step inside the spaces where faith and memory are preserved.