Mykhnenko A. History of Donets Basin, the Second Half of XIX - the First Half of XX Century.

In thesis, the complex problems dealing with the history of Donets Basin during the second half of XIX - the first half of XX century was covered. The major trends of capitalist modernization that had been accomplished at the territory of Donets Basin and transformed the region into the major metallurgical and coal-mining center of Russian Empire were considered and analyzed. The major factors and prerequisites that had conditioned development of heavy industry in Donets Region were determined. The major social contradictions and disputes that had been connected with economic modernization and caused the support of Bolshevik revolt by local proletariat were traced. The leading trends, forms and methods of Socialist industrialization, collectivization and post-war reconstruction carried out in Donets Basin by the Soviet regime were thrown the light upon and interpreted. It was demonstrated that the above Socialist transformation had been based on merciless exploitation of human resources, introductionof extraordinary measures into economic management and cruel punitive and repressive system. It was ascertained that criminal policy pursued by the ruling Communist party had conditioned starvation and morality in 1921-1923, 1932-1933 and 1946-1947. It was proved that, as result of Socialist experiments conducted in Donets Region, its industrial complex had received distorted structure and man-caused overloads whereas socio-cultural sphere is deformed.