The Donetsk Regional State Administration and Regional Military Administration are accepting reasoned proposals for renaming districts in cities in the Donetsk region.
The names of districts in cities that contain symbols of the communist totalitarian regime and Russian imperial policy remain in Donetsk Oblast only in the cities of Donetsk, Makiivka, and Horlivka, which have been temporarily occupied since 2014 and in which state authorities and local self-government bodies are temporarily not exercising their powers.
In connection with the full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 64/2022 of February 24, 2022, "On the introduction of martial law in Ukraine," approved by Law of Ukraine No. 2102-IX of February 24, 2022, martial law was introduced in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and remains in effect to this day.
According to the List of territories where hostilities are (were) conducted or temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, approved by Order of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine No. 376 of February 28, 2025 (as amended), registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on March 11, 2025, under No. 380/43786, the territories of the Horlivka and Donetsk districts have been included in Section II "Territories of Ukraine Temporarily Occupied by the Russian Federation" from April 7, 2014, to the present.
The following districts of the cities of Horlivka, Donetsk, and Makiivka need to be renamed:
- Kalinin district of the city of Horlivka;
- Budyonovsky district of the city of Donetsk;
- Voroshilovsky district of the city of Donetsk;
- Kalinin district of the city of Donetsk;
- Kirovsky district of the city of Donetsk;
- Kuybyshevsky district of Donetsk;
- Leninsky district of Donetsk;
- Petrovsky district of Donetsk;
- Proletarsky district of Donetsk;
- Kirovsky district of Makiivka;
- Sovietsky district of Makiivka;
- Chervonogvardeisky district of Makiivka.
The renaming of these districts in cities will be carried out in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the condemnation and prohibition of propaganda of Russian imperial policy in Ukraine and the decolonization of toponymy" and the order of the Prime Minister of Ukraine dated September 17, 2025, No. 2831/2/1-25.
When preparing proposals, the general procedure for naming and renaming districts in cities, which is regulated by the Law of Ukraine "On the Procedure for Resolving Certain Issues of the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Ukraine," should be followed.
Thus, in accordance with the provisions of Article 15 of the aforementioned Law, the following requirements should be observed:
- each district in a city has its own name;
- the name of a district in a city is derived from the geographical, historical, national-cultural, or other conditions of the locality.
Additionally, we would like to inform you that the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Judicial System and Status of Judges" regarding the change of names of local general courts" has renamed (taking into account the proposals of scientists, local historians, and the public) district courts in cities with the names of districts in the cities of Donetsk, Horlivka, Makiivka, which do not correspond to the actual names of districts in these cities at present.
Proposals with justification for the proposed names of districts are accepted until January 3, 2026, by email at: 01694@dn.gov.ua.