For The People of Bakhmut Trivia Quiz

Answer: Donetsk Oblast

Bakhmut is located in the eastern part of the Donetsk Oblast, and is considered to be the oldest city there. Part of the Donbass region, the city was annexed by Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian War on April 12, 2014. At that time it became part of the Donetsk People's Republic, a separatist pro-Russian state. On July 6, 2014 (some sources say July 7), it was liberated by Ukrainian forces. Russia annexed The Donesk People's Republic in 2022. Its flag is seen in the picture.

At the beginning of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, Bakhmut became one of Russia's target cities, as it was claimed that taking Bakhmut would pave the way for the Russians to be able to take more territory. By December 2022, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the city was "burned ruins".

Answer: Protect Russia's borders

There is discussion as to whether a settlement was even established by Ivan IV in 1571. While some sources claim that a fort was built in the area, others say that the area was just used as a meeting place where the border guards would trade information. It is known, however, that Crimean Tatars, like the one in the picture, threatened the southern boundary of Russia at the time, and that Ivan was interested in establishing guard posts in the area.

By the time the 1764 List of Fortresses was published, Bakhmut had a garrison of around 2500 infantry and 150 horsemen; the Artillery List of Fortresses of 1765 stated that the fort also had 60 cannons and 16 mortars.

Answer: Cossacks

The Cossacks were a semi-nomadic independent group that lived in southern Russia and the steppes of Ukraine that stretch from the northern Black Sea region to the Northern Caspian Sea region; it is typically called the Pontic-Caspian steppe. The different Cossack groups eventually formed a confederation alliance among themselves, and were called upon many times throughout their history to provide military protection and serve as a buffer between Russian land and would-be invaders.

In later years the Cossacks formed two main groups - The Cossacks of Zaporizhzhia, which was centered around the Pontic-Caspian steppe, and The Don Cossack State, centered around the Don River. They continued to cultivate their reputation as border policeman and military allies to the czar, taking his side when the Bolshevik Revolution began.

The picture of the charging Cossacks was taken in September 1941.

Answer: Peter the Great

This order had a monumental affect on the development of Bakhmut. Prior to that, it was a small fort or guard post attached to a very small village, but Peter the Great ordered Cossacks to actually settle and live there. By 1703, a new fortification was built, and 170 people lived within the complex.

In addition, as those semi-nomadic Cossacks were expected to settle down in the area, the population at the time doubled. But equally important, Peter I also commanded that the Cossacks participate in what became an important economic endeavor for Bakhmut.

It is believed that the map in the picture dates to the 17th century.

Answer: Mine salt

Mining salt has been important in the history of Bakhmut. Peter the Great ordered the Cossacks to mine salt - which they did - and by the 1876 rock salt was discovered in the region. In 1885, the salt mines in Bakhmut produced an estimated 70% of all Russian salt, and the commodity no longer had to be imported. By the turn of the 20th century there were four salt mines in the area which employed 874 workers.

Today the salt mining industry is more focused on the town of Soledar, which is about 10 km from Bakhmut. Tours are given of the underground mine there, which contains, among other attractions, a concert hall, football field, church, and salt sculptures.

Answer: Serfs

Led by Kondraty Bulavin, the Don Cossacks and escaped serfs attempted a revolt against the strict government of Peter I from 1707-1708. The Russians had been expanding into the territory of the Don Cossacks, which threatened Donian control of the salt mines, as well as their autonomy. Serfs, whose work was vital to Russia's economy, were fleeing urban areas and attempting to begin anew in the outer boundaries of Russian land, such as the area around Bakhmut. The Czar's police, whose presence threatened Donian control of the area, would search for the serfs in the area, and return to their owners.

The Bulavain Rebellion began after the leader of Peter's army, who had been sent to Bakhmut to round up serfs, was assassinated. In retaliation, Bakhmut was burned to the ground. Bulavin's group was no match for the czar's army, and after he died - either by suicide or assassination - the rebellion was over. Peter the Great visited the area in 1709 and ordered that the village and fortress be rebuilt. After this the czar's government began a policy of tighter control over the area.

The picture obviously doesn't show serfs who participated in the rebellion, but the people were working in a similar fashion, and I thought it was interesting. It was taken on a collective farm in the Donetsk Oblast in 1933.

Answer: True

In 1924, Bakhmut became known as Artemivsk; it was renamed for Comrade Artem, whose real name was Fyodor Sergeyev. A friend of Stalin's, Comrade Artyom was born in the Kurst Oblast, but had organized a Bolshevik overthrow in the Donets Basin in 1917. Bakhmut was renamed in his honor because he had lived and worked there as the Revolution was beginning to take place.

The statue of Comrade Artem was removed from the Bakhmut town square in 2015. Bakhmut kept its new name until 2016, when its traditional name was restored by a vote of the city council, and was ratified by Ukraine's parliament.

The date on the postcard says it was issued before 1924.

Answer: False

The Germany army occupied Bakhmut (then Artemivsk) from October 31, 1941, to September 5, 1943. Many of the city's Jewish population had fled to the Soviet Union when they heard the Wehrmacht was advancing to the area, however, others, about 3,000 in all, stayed.

On January 9, 1942, they were told to report to the city's train station, where their valuables were taken. Then they were removed to a mine tunnel, where some were shot, and others were enclosed behind a brick wall. In 1999, a memorial, called the Wailing Wall, was built into the wall, which is currently part of a winery.

The German destruction of Kyiv during WWII is seen in the picture. Bakhmut is approximately 716 kilometers (446 miles) southeast of Kyiv.

Answer: Sparkling wine

Joseph Stalin reportedly enjoyed wine produced in Bakhmut, and encouraged the development of a traditional sparkling wine business that would rival the French. The caves made during the gypsum mining era in Bakhmut had a climate that was perfect for production of the wine, and so the Artwinery company in Bakhmut was born in 1950.

It became one of the largest businesses in Eastern Europe. In the storage gallery, located within old gypsum mines, an estimated 50 million bottles of the wine are kept as they age. In 2005, Artwinery produced 300 million bottles of sparkling wine.

Answer: River

The Bakhmutka River is a tributary of the Seversky Donets, which eventually joins the more famous Don River. Its name is believed to be derived from the Turkic "bakhmat", which means steppe horse. In the past there must have been a lot of steep horses grazing in the area, as there is another nearby river called Zherebets, which translates to stallion river.

Another theory is that the name was taken from the Turkic "Mahmut", which is a variation of the name Muhammad. It may have been name have been named for a person.