Discussions on the format of the new administrative-territorial structure and rayon reform are ongoing in the Donetsk Oblast. Experts suggest different options for a new division into rayons, all of which are publicly discussed with the participation of oblast, local and rayon authorities.

During the meeting of the working group on the reform of the administrative-territorial system, formation of four large rayons – the Kramatorsk, Mariupol, Pokrovsk and Vuhledar (or Volnovakha) – was discussed. But there were also proposals to create the Bakhmut Rayon, dividing part of the territory from the large Kramatorsk Rayon. Such an opinion was substantiated by including Maksym Tkach, decentralisation adviser of the Donetsk LGDC of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

The Bakhmut Rayon State Administration is sure there are solid grounds for creating a new Bakhmut Rayon, including historical, economic, ecological, geographical, cultural ones, etc. The prospects for creating the Bakhmut Rayon were considered during a visit of the Donetsk LGDC team to the Bakhmut RSA.

The participants of the meeting discussed the administrative-territorial structure of the Donetsk Oblast and feasibility of the Bakhmut Rayon creation in a new format, which will include the present Bakhmut and Konstyantynivka Rayons, Bakhmut, Konstantinovka and Toretsk cities.

In this composition, the population of the new Bakhmut Rayon will be almost 338 thousand people, without taking into account the temporarily occupied territory of the Bakhmut Rayon.

Bakhmut itself is logistically convenient for transportation between remote villages and the city. And the transfer of the rayon centre to Kramatorsk will worsen the logistics of passenger transportation, will increase the distance between the settlements and the rayon centre, and will necessitate new routes’ development.

During the visit to Bakhmut, the Donetsk LGDC team had a chance to talk with Serhii Tatarinov, local historian and ethnographer. He explores in detail the historical roots of the Bakhmut Rayon, pays attention to historical sites on hromadas’ territories and encourages them to develop. He also inclines to formation of a reformatted Bakhmut Rayon and is ready to bring the historical component of the new rayon into focus.

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