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Hobie Getaway

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The Hobie Getaway is the "social boat" of Hobie Cat's rotomolded catamaran line. With significantly more hull volume than the ever-popular Hobie Wave, plus huge carrying capacity, the Hobie Getaway comfortably accommodates six adults. Or take the whole family out for a comfortable evening cruise. A lot of boat at a tremendous price, the Hobie Getaway is designed to withstand rigorous use and provide years of sailing enjoyment for the entire family. The Hobie Getaway - serious performance in a very playful, manageable boat.

Specifications: Length: 16' 7" Beam: 7' 8" Mast Length: 25' Sail Area: 180 Sq. Ft. Weight: 390 lbs. Hull Construction: Roto-Molded Polyethylene Designed By : Greg Ketterman and the Hobie Cat design Team

Standard Features: >> Super Durable, Impact-Resistant Polyethylene Roto-Molded Hulls >> Special Keel Shape Eliminates Daggerboards for Easy Beaching >> Kick-Up Rudders Allow Easy Beaching >> Multi-Colored Main Sail >> Forward Trampoline >> Roller Furling Jib >> "Hobie Bob" Mast Float Helps Prevent Turtling if Capsized >> Comptip Mast for Safety >> Cooler/Storage Compartment in both Hulls

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Hobie Catamarans

Over the past four decades, more people have taken to the water on a Hobie catamaran than almost any other sailboat design. Hobie’s rotomolded sailing catamarans are super durable, yet performance-oriented. There’s a model for every skill level. While Hobie’s fiberglass beach-launchable catamarans revolutionized sailing. Fly a hull and you’ll understand the global obsession.

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Catamaran for beach: Hobie Wave/Getaway or something else?

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Some family members are building a home on the beach in Florida (Gulf side) and they'd like to get a beach cat to keep there for the occasional jaunt into the Gulf. They are beginners and probably won't sail it much themselves, but want to have it for visitors, most of whom (like me) will probably be intermediate-at-best sailors. After some initial poking around ( this thread was particularly helpful ), the Hobie Wave seems like the leading contender. It's simple, light, and has those tough rotomolded hulls. I like the idea of the Getaway to take out multiple people at once (something tough to do with the Wave), but given that there will likely be times when only one adult is sailing, I'm concerned that at 400lbs the Getaway may be too heavy to haul to the beach and too hard to right after capsizing. Are there other viable options for a boat that will likely spend most of its time sitting in the dune grass on the beach? I've thought about looking for a used Hobie 16, but I think it's worth paying a bit more for the Wave/Getaway's more-durable hulls and anti-turtling mast bobs (although a dolly and an aftermarket anti-turtle bob might make a used 16 a viable option). Are there other beach cat manufacturers out there, or is Hobie pretty much it? Anything else to consider?  

I say go with the the Getaway. You should be able to pick one up used for a good price.... Now if you really want to impress the kids get a Hobie 18 or Nacra. Both of which are fast and fun. ALthough you could pick up a used Hobie 16 for less than 500 and add a bob for 100. (or just mount a fender to the top of the mast) No matter what yall get... just sail it and bring the kids on it. My kids love our Hobie 18 and are always asking to take a friend with them. Todd  

I've read in a couple places that the Getaway is hard for a single adult to right. How hard is it? And how hard would it be to pull the Getaway down to the water through a hundred or so yards of dunes? Would a single adult be able to do it with a catamaran dolly? I have zero experience with catamarans on beaches (my sailing has all been on dinghies and small cats that sit right at lakeside or big pre-rigged monohulls that dock in a marina) so I apologize if this is a stupid question.  

themicah said: I've read in a couple places that the Getaway is hard for a single adult to right. How hard is it? Click to expand...

Beach cats are easy to move along the beach using beach wheels... I have moved my Hobie 18 alone several times. As far as righting the cat after its flipped... yes their is a technique to right it but it is not hard. If you have a "bob" on the mast the righting will be very easy. Check out the following sites for a little info...: Catsailor.com Forums - Forums powered by UBB.threads™ Hobie Cat Forums • Index page TheBeachcats.com - Catamaran Sailing Texas City Dike Yacht Club | Dedicated to all who sail the muddy waters of Galveston bay Hobie 18 Social Network ALso once you are in the beach area try to find the local Yacht club. They may have a few used cats forsale.  

The rotomolded hulls are generally tougher, but if they get a hole, they are irreparable. I don't know all the science involved, but repairs won't stick to the plastic used for those hulls. The local Hobie rental outfit near me switched to the 16 for lessons, but he still does use Waves for rentals. YMMV.  

I owned both H16's and an H18 before buying my lead sled. I also did demo sails and new owner training for the Getaway. Go for the H16. You can have3 adults (thogh very crowded) on it, it sails fast, there are thousands of used ones waiting for some one to buy them, and they can take a beating. I like the fiberglass hulls better because you can repair any damage that may happen and they do not flex as much as the rotomolded hulls. Hobie crosslinks the plastic in the hull mold for the Getaway. This means that you will not be able to heat or chemically weld any more material to the hulls. So, if you have a big gouge in the hull, you will not be able to repair it. Getaways are heavy for thier size compared to the H16 or the H18. With the H16 if it is windy enough to capsize it is windy enough to right the boat solo. On a dolly the H16 is very easy to move up and down the beach. The H18 is tough to pull up a beach on a dolly. I am a sizeable guy at 6'2" and 260lbs and I had trouble over long distances. In summary I say the H16 because it is affordable, fun, easy to sail single handed or with two others on board, and they are solid boats.  

Nacra 500 or 570. Simple, fast, repairable.  

Personally, I lost all respect for Hobie when they switched from catamarans to ... ... beach toys. Although I may change my tune if I can find a ride on a Wildcat. What I saw looked very intersting. Buy a used 16, 17, or 18. Much better sailors. Or for that matter a Prindle 16 will be lighter and easier to haul (320 pounds). Beach wheels work if it is pretty level and flat. Otherwise, with 2 people they can manage a lot. Whether they are hard to right depends on many variables; weather (actually easier when it's blowing), size of the person, the boat, and whether the mast gets water in it. All are simple with 2 people. I like the Hobie 17 or the Prindle 16 for ease by a single sailor (160 pound minimum).  

all of the advice to get an H16 comes from people who already know how to sail. I too like the 16's better but they are bad boats for a complete beginner. They WILL overpower them. They WILL capsize them. They WILL have trouble getting them upright again. I got a Hobie Wave for the visitors at my house for three reasons 1. Though you cant repair plastic, it is pretty nearly bulletproof and wont need repairs. I have had a wave for 5 years and it is pretty near impossible to break the plastic hulls. Believe me, my teenage son and his friends tried and if it were easy they would have done it. 2. It is very forgiving for new sailors. No boom means they can't kill themselves (unlike an H16 or the others like it) and it is hard to capsize - it has more buoyancy than the fiberglass boats do. There is a good reason that this is the boat the resorts rent out. 3. It is fast. Maybe not as fast as a 16 but plenty fast for a beginner (or for me most of the time) with the added benefit that a Wave can go out in winds that would keep the 16's on the beach. It is an inherently safer boat. As for righting it, get a collapsible canvas bucket to add weight. And do get beach wheels. You will want them. A getaway would be impossible without and a wave difficult. and if it were up to me, i would get two waves instead of one getaway. then you can race!  

While I can't agree that that all of the posters suggesting Hobies... had sailed before; I suspect many of them, myself included learned on a Hobie 16 (a Prindle 16 was my first boat, not counting a 2 hour rental on a Sunfish). That said, I'm not sure cats are a good choice in general. If there isn't enough wind to power them up--and they don't come to life until you can get one hull light in the water--they aren't much fun. If there is enough wind, they are really for people who want to sail with gusto. I would start asking about small monohulls, like the Laser and Sunfish; they are popular for good reasons. I would NOT be comfortable letting a non-cat sailor borrow a beach cat on a breezy day. Most rentals shut down if there is enough wind (more than 10 knots) to be interesting. Better yet, have then sail on the intracoastal side. They've no business on the Gulf or Ocean unless they KNOW they can right the boat. I should have read the OP more closely.  

I have sailed the Wave, Getaway and the Hobie 16 out of the sailing center I am a member of. Based on your implication that the people sailing the boat will not likely get into sailing, the Wave is probably the best choice of the three. Wave: Simple to rig and sail and it can easily handle three adults or two adults and two children. I have seen two kids capsize this boat (160# total crew weight,) but it is generally very difficult to put this boat on its side. If someone develops even a remote interest in sailing well, (s)he will quickly get frustrated with the boat's lack of sail adjustments. Getaway: Also easy to rig, but as you surmised it's too heavy for one person to manhandle on the beach. The mainsheet traveller allows for better sail control, and multiple clew positions allows you to tune the sails for different wind conditions (and of course you can always furl the jib if things get harry or only one person will be sailing.) I capsized once and found the boat impossible to right by myself but two could right it easily. Hobie 16: This boat is much faster than either of the other two and more technical with jib sheet block tracks, battons in the jib, and an outhaul on the main. I'd hesitate to allow a beginner to sail this boat alone. I haven't capsized this one so I can't say much about it in that regard.  

We went to Belize, and the resort had Hobie Waves available for visitors to use. They're simple, relatively cheap, and pretty difficult to damage. Belize is built on coral, and repairing anything takes months, not weeks, so they have to have things that will hold up to abuse from careless guests. My background in Solings made me disappointed by the performance, but that's the tradeoff. Those suggesting a Hobie 16 are headed in a performance direction, but what are you going to do when your guest zips off five miles before he capsizes and starts drifting towards Cozumel, just when you've mixed the marqueritas?  

I learned to sail on an H16 with no experience. I can rig and right one solo. Granted I am not a small guy (6'2" 230lbs when I owned the boat) but there are several inexpensive aids (righting line) and some easy to learn techniques to right them. $1000 - $2000 will buy you a decent used one. The Hobie forum is very helpful (wish they were around when I started sailing) and almost anywhere you see boats someone has sailed an H16 so getting help and advice is easy. I plan to get one for my daughter when she is old enough... OK it's for me too. I think it helped me become a better mono sailor since I had to fully understand sail trim and think ahead of the boat or uncomfortable things would happen. The best part is the thrill of flying a hull while trapping out. You just don't get that feeling on any mono dinghy. If you decide to go for a used H16, pm me and I will be glad to share some advice on what to look for. Also, take a look at the hobie forum and they will be glad to help. I find beach cat sailors to be the most friendly and helpful around. I even saw experience racers helping a rookie to tune his boat.  

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Hobie T1 Rotomolded Catamaran

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Hobie T1 Rotomolded Catamaran is simple and performant. The fully battened coloured Dacron loose-footed mainsail (“Catalina”) with reef points and the smaller sail set (“Mistral”) available for lighter crews complete the equipment. Currently sold out but we are taking pre-orders, We are expecting the next T 1’s to come in at around the $16 900

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With its international design, the Hobie T1 is simple and performant. The fully battened colored Dacron loose-footed mainsail (“Catalina”) with reef points and the smaller sail set (“Mistral”) available for lighter crews complete the equipment.

Everything on board is meant for ergonomics and security : molded-in rear and front handles for easy transportation, crossbar attachments with ergonomic nuts with round smooth surface, 100% waterproof crossbar and gudgeons inserts for easy assembly, anti-skid surface molded in the hulls on the deck and between the crossbars and the mast float.

SPECIFICATIONS  *

• Length:   4.04 m
• Beam:   2.13 m
• Capacity:  210 kg 
• Weight:   120 kg
• Draft w/ Rudder Up:  .25 m
• Mast Length:  6.35 m
• Main Sail Area:  7.26 m² (small option)
• Jib Sail Area: 2.25m2 (fuller kit option)
• Spinnaker Sail Area (Optional) : 10.31m2
• Hull Construction:  Rotomolded Polyethylene

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$ 69.95 Inc GST

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This boat takes the enjoyment and handling associated with beach cats to a new level. Stiffness and balance defy the cost-effective durability of the RS CAT14’s construction – making the boat perfect, not only for training and recreational sailing, but also as a true performance pathway class. We’re excited – and we think you will be too! The design protected system for joining the beams to RS CAT hulls gives increased stiffness compared to other rotomolded catamarans, with the added bonus of allowing the boat to be disassembled quickly for storage or transport. Durability : Convenience : Excitement – the hallmarks of the RS CATs

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• RS CAT14 S: Mainsail only
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• Novice to expert capabilities for young and youthful sailors
• Crisp, easy handling from the stiff platform leads to exciting performance
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• High buoyancy hulls give reserve stability and forgiving handling
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• Designed by innovative multihull expert Jo Richards and the RS development team
• Exciting single-handed – great for two youngsters or a small groups
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• Exceptionally strong, simple and fast assembly – just 15 minutes using only one spanner
• RS Comptec PE3 construction– state of the art three layer rotomoulding system
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• Construction: 3 Layer Comptec PE3 Hull
• Length: 14 feet
• Beam: 7 feet
• Hull Weight (each): 95 lbs
• Sailing Weight: 275 lbs
• Capacity: 1-2

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Horlivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine

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• I Caught a Travel Bug Here

Horlivka, Donetsk region

My favorite postcard from Horlivka

Traveling became my passion during my student's years in Horlivka. I was a student of the English Faculty of Horlivka State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages in Soviet times. At that time nobody called the city Horlivka, everybody said in Russian: Gorlovka.

Revisiting Victory Square in 2010

They say that he who had studied in Horlivka for five years became a city resident. I wondered if I could call myself a local and my answer was negative. I did not visit too many places in the city to be able to have it at my fingertips. Perhaps I spent too much time doing my homework...So I had to rediscover Horlivka during my visits after my graduation: in 2002, 2009 and 2010.

1779 is the foundation year of Horlivka. The city is called after an outstanding Russian mining engineer Peter Gorlov (1839-1915). He was commissioned for the construction of Kursk-Kharkiv-Azov railway and designed many coalmines.The grateful residents of Horlivka erected a monument to Peter Gorlov in Victory Avenue in 1999.

The city area is 422 square kilometers, which is half of the size of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Horlivka is divided into three administrative districts: Central City District, Kalinin District and Nikitov District. The settlements of Golmovsky, Zaytsevo, Panteleymonovka and the villages of Ozerianovka and Gladossovo are incorporated into the city area. About 300,000 residents live in Horlivka now. The city has three railway stations, more than 1,500 streets, avenues, boulevards and lanes. There is a small river in the city – the River Korsun, a tributary of the River Krynka that flows into the Seversky Donets, our big river.

The entrance plaque of my college

Studying the city map, I noticed that Horlivka streets sometimes sounded very unique. What do you think of such street names:

• Merry Street (in Ozeryanovka)
• Galileo Street (in Gagarin Settlement)
• Democratic Street (in Block 88)
• Long Lane (in Alexeyevka)
• Pearl Street (in Coalmine 6-7 settlement)
• Picturesque Street (in Nikotov District)
• Cultural Street (in Alexeyevka)
• Moon Street (in Kondratyev Settlement)
• Olympic Street (in Kirov Settlement)
• Christmas Street (in Kalinin Settlement)
• Amber Street (in Komarov Settlement)
• Clean Lane (in Komarov Settlement)
• Cold Street (in Komarov Settlement)
• Narrow Lane (in Alexeyevka Settlement).

As you see, streets in Alexeyevka and Komarov Settlement are champions in beautiful street names. These are the street names I have never come across in any city I have visited. However, I do not think the streets look as poetic, attractive and beautiful as their names sound. I am sure that just a picture at the background of a street name plaque would be a fun to have at home. It would be great for any local like me, to say nothing of foreigners. In fact, it is one of my further plans about traveling to Horlivka: to visit some of those streets and to take pictures there.

Our hostel at 49 Kirov Street

Horlivka means a lot of nice memories of my youth to me. We used to study the culture of the English-speaking countries. We all realized that we could not even dream of visiting them. We had to travel without seeing most of the time. However, we wanted to learn more about the habits and ways of the English-speaking countries. We could only learn from our college textbooks or from propaganda TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. Our Communist textbooks, where every word had been approved "from above", did not satisfy our thirst for knowledge and experience, and we sought other ways of developing our skills and ideas. My friends and I enjoyed listening to the VOA ("Voice of America") "Special English" programs after we had installed an extended SW antenna into an old radio set in our room in the dormitory, where we used to stay. It was very interesting and exciting to get the first-hand knowledge from native speakers over the radio, especially in the times of the information vacuum in our country. It was not very safe, though. But good luck was on our side and our passion for foreign broadcasts did not lead us into any trouble with the authorities. The videos were very rare in those days and we got the feeling of the foreign culture through music. We listened to music and learnt by heart the songs of "Queen", "ABBA", "Beatles," "Pink Floyd", "Boney-M" and others.

Horlivka city coat-of-arms

I have a lot of good memories of my five-year study in Horlivka. My fondest memories of Horlivka are:

1. *** visiting the ponds on the western outskirts;

2. *** walking in the city parks;

3. *** seeing new movies at "Shakhtar" movie theater;

4. *** attending a swimming section at the local Palace of Sports;

5. *** listening to the VOA Special English Programs over the radio;

6. *** visiting the nearby Korolenko ponds;

7. *** meeting with my friends there;

8. *** working at the college library and linguistic laboratory;

9. *** discovering the city streets;

10. *** exploring the city ourskirts such as the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal

11. *** shopping at the city stores;

12. *** celebrating each other's birthdays.

13. *** visiting Donetsk at weekends (one hour bus ride).

The monument to Nikita Izotov

I am very thankful to my alma mater for education, practice and experience. In 1981, my fellow student Oleg and I were selected for a study trip to "friendly Germany", the GDR, or East Germany, what is now "the new provinces". We had a month-long intensive German course at Erich Weinert Pedagogical College Magdeburg (PHM) in Magdeburg (now it is a part of Otto von Guericke University). It was a great experience for me, of course. I was privileged to visit Berlin, Magdeburg and many other big and small towns and cities during the weekends.

During my last year of studies, my college recommended me for a business trip abroad as an interpreter. Such testimonials were issued every year to several gifted students, but only some of them were selected for a business trip in the long run. Thanks a lot, my college, for that testimonial! A business trip abroad was a huge award in those times, especially if you take into account that a person like myself did not belong to the ruling Communist party. Thank Goodness nobody realized then that I had no intention of joining it whatsoever! In those Communist times you only had to study well, to attend all the general meetings of the Young Communist League (YCL) of your school or college, and to raise your hand to vote for this or that resolution. You did not even have to follow the agenda of the meeting, you only had to sit and behave, and nobody really cared if you had any genuine respect for the Communist ideals and leaders.

Luckily, while I was a fifth-year student, I was selected as a candidate for a possible business trip abroad as an interpreter. The college recommendation worked, and in August of the same year I found myself invited to the "friendly Iraq" as an interpreter at a Soviet-built cement plant in the city of Samawa located in the south of Iraq. I spent there one year translating for a technical assistance group from the Soviet Union. Thanks, my good college, for recommending me for that honorable – and cool – job abroad! You see, there was a custom in the Soviet Union to build factories and plants for developing countries that were regarded by the USSR as friendly nations and potential socialist countries. Our technical assistance group in Samawa, Iraq, worked at the Portland cement plant built by the Soviet Union in the seventies. The city of Samawa itself is located 270 km to the south of Baghdad. Working at the Soviet-built cement plant was a very serious job and a good way of practicing my knowledge. Besides, it was a good financial start in my career. I think I did my best and managed my everyday duties as an interpreter in that faraway mysterious country. In May 2009, I attended a jubilee reunion of the graduates of our college dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Horlivka State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages. It was a must for me, and an opportunity to meet with my former fellow students, to visit the old and new places there and to take tons of pictures.

At Shakhtar Movie Theater

During our Reunion on May 31, 2009, the Association of the College Graduates of Horlivka State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages was founded. Now I am its member among hundreds of other former students. In July 2010, I revisited Horlivka to meet my old friend and former roommate Vladimir who lived in Russia by that time. It was a great reunion! To see the main sites and to feel the busy city atmosphere, I would suggest that you drive along the main city streets according to the following route (you can make as many stops as you wish just to take pictures of some sights or merely to relax. Starting point:

• the monument to Nikita Izotov, Lenin Avenue >>>
• turn left to Besposhchadny Street (Jubilee Park, ponds and Volcano nightclub) >>>
• Minin and Pozharsky Street (Gostiny Dvor – Inn – hotel + restaurant) >>>
• turn left to Komsomol Street (past Power Specialists Park and Victory Square) >>>
• turn left to Rudakov Street (past Heroes Park) >>>
• turn left to Herzen Street >>>
• turn right to Victory Avenue (Bavaria Restaurant) >>>
• turn right to Gagarin Street >>>
• turn left to Pushkin Street (arts museum and city history museum) >>>
• proceed to Soviet Army Park and the bus terminal.

Peter Gorlov bust at the city history museum

Horlivka Uprising monument

There are fifty-two bus routes about the city and its environs. These routes are operated by about four hundred buses all in all every day. These are the city bus routes for you, fellow travelers, just in case.

1 – Nikitovka Station – Knitted-goods factory 2 – Grechnev Street – Construction Workers Block 3 – Ring route 4 – Volkov Street – Komarov Settlement 5 – Herzen Street – Settlement of Kondratievka 6 - Knitted-goods factory – October Settlement 7 – 40 Years of Ukraine Street - Nikitovka Station 10 – Herzen Street – Lenin Coalmine Settlement 11 – Bus terminal – Kochegarka Coalmine Settlement 12 – Kalinin Coalmine – Settlement of Bayrak 13 – Chemical factory - Komarov Settlement 14 - Nikitovka Station - Bessarabka 15 – Bus terminal– Red Partisan Settlement 16 – Volkov Street – 40 Years of Ukraine Street 17– Railway Station – Peace Street 18- Bus terminal – Wide Ravine 19– 88 Block – Sunny Block 20 – Volkov Street - Construction Workers Block 21 – Bus terminal – 88th Block 22 – Volkov Street – Chemical factory 23 – Grechnev Street – Service station 24 – Chemical factory – 245th Block 25 – Bus terminal - Komarov Settlement 27 – 40 Years of Ukraine Street – Bus terminal 2 - Komarov Settlement – Settlement of Kuznetsovka 28A - Komarov Settlement – Koksan Company 29A - Ring route 29B – Ring route 30 – Herzen Street - Village of Vorobyovka 31 – 88th Block – Nikitovka Station 32 – Herzen Street – Mirnoye Settlement 33 – Herzen Strteet - Autostore 35 – Ring route 36 – 88th Block – Chemical factory 38– Village of Vorobyovka – Nikitovka Station 77 – Bus terminal - Panteleymonovka 81 – Nikitovka Station – Settlement of Golmovsky 82 - Nikitovka Station – Settlement of Zaytsevo 83 - Nikitovka Station – Settlement of Bakhmutka 83A – Volkov Street – Settlement of Nokolayevka 100 –Komarov Settlement - Nikitovka Station 101 – Zhukov Street – Kalinin Coalmine 102 – 88 Block – 40 Years of Ukraine Street 104 – Kondratyevka – 245th Block 106 – 88 Block – 245th Block 107 – Gagarin Coalmine Settlement – Ksenevka Settlement

Horlivka Railway Station

The city has three railway stations, which is not bad for the city of more than 300,000 residents. The central railway station is located not far from Palace of Sports and is called Horlivka. I frequented this station when I left for my home city on weekends. Nikitovka is another large railway station located in the eastern part of the city. Usually all the trains pass these both large stations, so it is convenient for locals to get off closer to where they live.

Bus terminal

The bus terminal is in Pushkin Street. When I was there, there were many buses to Horlivka from Donetsk and from many other regional centers, towns and cities of Donetsk and Luhansk region. Besides, buses to/from Odessa, Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Dnipro passed Horlivka. Also, there are a lot of local buses that will take you to any town of Donetsk region.

Posted by Vic_IV 05:31 Archived in Ukraine Comments (0)

• Good Memories

Horlivka Donetsk region

Kochegarka Coalmine Leisure Centre

The city is called after an outstanding Russian mining engineer Peter Gorlov (1839-1915). He was commissioned to the construction of Kursk-Kharkiv-Azov railway and designed many coalmines.

Peter Gorlov monument in Victory Avenue

The thankful residents of Horlivka erected a monument to Peter Gorlov in 1999 at the beginning of Victory Avenue in Horlivka. The engineer's name is written in Russian, “Peter Gorlov”.

Rodina Hotel

Peter Gorlov was born on May 23, 1839 in Irkutsk in the family of a well-known functionary, chairman of the regional authorities. Peter studied in Moscow and later in St.Petersburg where he had training as a mining engineer. He began to work at coalmines in Don Cossacks’ area and created the first coalmining and geological atlas of the area. He was invited to work at the construction of the first railway in the Donets Basin – Kharkiv-Taganrog.

Victory Avenue

Peter Gorlov studied the reserves and quality of coal and was the leader of the construction of the first coalmines in the Donets Basin. He also founded the first coalmining school for training specialists in that sphere. The school was located in Horlivka. He was also one of the founders of the Coalminers’ Congress of the South of Russia. He did a lot for attracting foreign investments to the Donets Basin. Owing to his initiative the Belgian investors built a machine-building factory in Horlivka in 1895. Peter Gorlov died in St.Petersburg on November 20, 1915.

Shakhtar Movie Theatre

I used to frequent this movie theater in Lenin Street: Shakhtar ("Coalminer") Movie Theater. The movie theater has a spacious hall with rich Stalin era decor, a big nice foyer with a bar, comfortable seats. And, of course, there is a beer tent at the entrance. I wonder if they drink beer before or after the show... The movie theater was refurbished in 2000 and looks very nice now, much better than it used to when I was a student. There are also concerts and gala meetings in the main hall of this movie theater. I attended our Graduates’ Reunion in this hall.

Postcards from Horlivka: Korolenko Ponds

Korolenko Ponds_bathing is prohibited

We also enjoy going for a walk to Korolenko Ponds located on the city outskirts about forty minutes walk from our dormitory in Kirov Street. Bathing is Prohibited! - This is what you can read at the former beach of Korolenko Ponds. The ponds look quite neglected and the water has never been purified within the decades when these ponds were leisure spots of Horlivka. The ponds' bottom has never been cleaned. You can only rent a water cycle at the last pond and explore the pond on it, which is a bit too risky too since you will get splashed with the polluted water...My friend and I simply stood and watched.

The Seversky Donets-Donbass Canal

Besides, we went for a walk to the city outskirts to the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal located about five miles from where we lived in Horlivka. The freshwater canal connected the River Seversky Donets in the north and the River Calmius in the south. We visited the place on the city outskirts where the canal runs in pipes.

Coat-of-arms of Horlivka, Donetsk region

When I was a student, nobody paid any attention to whether a city had a flag or a coat-of-arms. I don't even think they were adopted and used then. Nowadays every Ukrainian town and city has such symbols, and Horlivka is not an exception. St.George and a coalminer with an air hammer are shield-holders on its coat-of-arms. The city symbols - the coat-of-arms and the flag - are at the entrance to the city council.

The monument to Nikita Izotov, Horlivka

Nikita Izotov monument in Lenin Avenue is one of the oldest and biggest city symbols. It was unveiled on May 18, 1968 in front of Lenin Palace of Culture (Kochegarka Coalmine Leisure Center) at the place where Lenin monument stood. Therefore, Lenin had to "give place" to the monument to a simple coalminer - Nikita Izotov. Lenin monument was moved farther down Lenin Avenue and installed in front of the coalmining administration building. Who could have thought! I had never heard of any other case when the Communist authorities, no matter how much they revered "the Great Leader" (or were told to), had to remove a Lenin monument to give place to another monument. What was more holy in Soviet times than the "Grandpa Lenin"? As you see, the image of a simple coalminer turned out to be more important and symbolic than the poor Lenin. Nobody even tried to argue with strong and resolute coalminers in those unpredictable Soviet times... As we were told, the monument to Nikita Izotov became the world's first monument to a simple worker. This gigantic bronze monument is really a masterpiece. It looks very impressive, and the face resemblance is superb. The monument soon became one of the city symbols. The Communist authorities were satisfied as well: they had unveiled the world's first monument to a simple worker!

Trams of Horlivka

I liked the Anchor of Horlivka, a nice city monument, as it were. It is located inside the fountain opposite Rodina Hotel in Dimitrov Boulevard. I have never seen it operate, but saw the photographs where it looked very nice when the water was on. I think it only happens on big holidays such as Coalminer's Day, City Day and others.

The Anchor of Horlivka

Like many other cities of Ukraine, Horlivka has an anthem. I decided to translate it for you here. Here it is.

The Motherland, like a mother, is not chosen: The Motherland is, like a mother, the only one. People live and die for the sake of it, Wishing she would always live.

Under the blue Ukrainian sky, In the golden wreath of fields My city stands as a worthy son Of my free Motherland.

Both Gorlov and Izotov used to live here, Their labor and feat were righteous, Making an alloy – intellect and work, Song and elevated soul.

Gorlovka is a land of labor and songs, Of generous smiles and of fire, Therefore I am happy and merry For you and I are blood relatives.

FYI: It's always tempting to take a bus, a trolley-bus or a tram and to travel around the city. I must say they are all very slow and often crowded and stuffy. You have to have a lot of patience and time to use them. We, locals, don't mind it. Unique Suggestions: Take a bus or a tram once, inhale a lot of dust inside and get off as soon as you can and then take a cab instead. Fun Alternative: Take a cab or a walk instead.

By trolleybus around Horlivka

By trolleybus in Horlivka

Be careful when walking along the sidewalks or crossing the streets. There are a lot of pot-holes where you can easily stumble and fall, especially in rainy weather or at night. Many sidewalks and roads look as though they have not been repaired for decades... Watch your step please or merely grab a cab and arrive home safely.

The media are worried about the state of chemical pollution in Horlivka. They say the chemical factory has a lot of explosives (30 tons) and poisonous substances (2.5 tons) in its storehouses. A lot of chemical waste has accumulated in the factory area. Stirol Corporation is the neighbor of the chemical factory. It has a lot of containers with liquid ammonium hydrate. It is hard to imagine what can happen is there is a fire or an explosion at one of these monster factories. You have been warned…

Posted by Vic_IV 05:34 Archived in Ukraine Comments (0)

• Popular Places

Visiting Victory Square is a must for everybody who comes to Horlivka. Our college, Horlivka State Teacher Training Institute of Foreign Languages, is situated in Rodakov Street not far from this square, so it was our favourite hangout. In fact, due to a university reform of 2013, the college merged with another one in Donetsk Region and is now called Donets Basin State Teacher Training University.

Visiting Victory Square in Horlivka

Visiting Victory Square

Victory Square used to be one of the favourite hangouts of young people. Even today it can be seen by a lot of litter left by them on the ground in the evenings. The janitors, if any, do not manage to take all the litter away: the empty plastic beer bottles, packing, etc. The square is so popular among locals that they never use its full name, but say simply "the Square". You can just walk around the square shopping, taking pictures and having coffee at one of its numerous cafes or have a beer or two at one of the pubs here. Please keep the country tidy, too! Do not follow the example of some cool and careless local guys leaving tons of litter around...

The fountain in Victory Square is a good meeting point for city visitors. Thank goodness the fountain operates in hot weather. However, I did not see anybody bathe there. It must be forbidden. The fountain bottom is far from being clean; therefore locals do not risk bathing there. The locals call this fountain ash-tray. So you can say to new your local friends, "Meet you at the ash-tray!" and they will be more than pleased to know you are well informed about their customs.

Visiting the Promenade

The Promenade is another must in Horlivka. The Promenade is one of the favorite places of lots of local children, teenagers and grownups. It begins in Victory Avenue and runs along Dimitrov Boulevard to Revolution Square. There is a park with stone figures, a beer tent and a lot of benches. The Promenade ends at Horlivka Uprising Monument near Rodina Hotel that, in its turn, stands in front of Stirol Leisure Center. There are a lot of young and not-so-young people here at any time of day and night. The Promenade is well lit; it was a lot of fun to take a stroll along it. The Promenade is one of the favorite places of many local people. There are several attractions along the Promenade, among them:

• - a park with stone figures;
• - a children's playground with two lion sculptures;
• - Promenade Cafe;
• - lots of benches to relax on.

It was a lot of fun for me to take a stroll along it one quiet evening when I revisited Horlivka.

The Castle of Soviet Times - this is how you would call this leisure center located at 22 Lenin Avenue opposite Barselona Restaurant. Its official name has always been Lenin Palace of Culture. This leisure center became one of the ten "Labor Palaces" built in the Soviet Union in the twenties of the 20th century. Unlike all other state construction sites, this one was declared to be a "people's construction site". The city residents had to work at the construction sitre on weekends during "subbotniks" and "voskresniks" ("voluntary Saturday work"/Sunday work). The leisure center was dedicated in 1927 and became a real Soviet Castle, the Castle of Labor, just as it had been designed. The leisure center belongs to Kochegarka ("Stokehold") Coalmine, the biggest one in the city. It was erected to glorify the coalminers' hard labor and, according to the authorities, was a gift to the city workers. Now this building also houses a court.

The monument to Nikita Izotov, the famous local coalminer, is located in front of the main entrance to this leisure center.

There are a lot of children's dance studios and hobby groups here. On holidays such as International Children Protection Day (June 1) concerts are held right at the main entrance to the leisure center. We attended several concerts and meetings at this leisure center and enjoyed its interior and the spectators’ hall.

This building is a true sample of Stalin era Empire Style in achitecture, the style that was banned by Khrushchov government in 1955. In 1955, Khrushchov government adopted a decree on the struggle against "architectural excesses". Stalin era's designing and architecture were declared as wasteful and extravagant. The Resolution No.1871 of the Communist Party Central Committee and the USSR Cabinet of Ministers “On elimination of excesses in designing and construction” dated November 4, 1955 declared all the architectural masterpieces of Stalin era as extravagant and wasteful, and blamed the architects for their approach. The after war "Empire Style" was banned and the architects started building what we call boxes instead of the original and inimitable houses. "Democratic" Nikita Khrushchov regarded Stalin era construction extravagance as out of place and lacking economic discipline. A new academy was founded: the City Construction and Architecture Academy, whose task was to accelerate the fulfillment of the Communist Party plans in the city construction.

War memorial opposite the bus terminal

There is a hill with a tank memorial on its top. The tank is the famous Soviet T-34. The inscription below the tank reads, “Unknown soldiers of the Soviet Army who fell in the battles for liberation of Horlivka from Nazi invaders in September 1943. Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for freedom and independence of our Motherland !” There is a memorial park around this memorial. The park is very special and strange at the same time. There are no benches here. I think they were removed since many people used them for their "lunch break with beer" leaving a ton of litter around, which was inappropriate. As far as I can see, it is a common grave of Soviet soldiers. Now I understand why there are no benches here. We all have to honour the memory of the fallen soldiers and remain standing rather than sit on a bench and drink beer.

Horlivka was occupied by the Nazis on October 29, 1941. It was liberated by the Soviet Army on September 5, 1943. About 25,000 city residents were tortured to death, executed or deported to forced labour in Germany during the dark days of the Nazi occupation. Twenty-two residents of the city became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Now there are fifty-nine war memorials in Horlivka, among them - 25 common graves of Soviet soldiers.

You can see dozens of memorial plaques in different parts of the city. I saw some of them during my strolls downtown.

War memorial in Rudakov Street

If you walk along Rudakov Street (turn left from Gagarin Street), you will see Heroes Park with Glory Obelisk. Glory Obelisk was dedicated on November 5, 1969 to commemorate the city residents who fell in the battles with Nazis. The obelisk was designed by the architect A.K.Antonovich and was sponsored by the city enterprises. On May 9, 1970 the Eternal Flame was lit at the foot of the obelisk. It became a tradition to hold rallies on Victory in Europe Day here when hundreds of city residents gather here to attend the festivities. The newly-weds always lay flowers to the foot of Glory Obelisk on their wedding day. I saw the Heroes Park memorial plaque. This memorial plaque contains with the names of twenty-three war heroes - three Soviet soldiers, four NCOs and sixteen officers (among them one Soviet cosmonaut, A.Volkov, from Horlivka) - who were awarded with the highest military decoration - the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Here is the list of the Heroes of the Soviet Union who were born and lived in Horlivka:

• Lieutenant G.Boyko
• Major P.Vantsin
• Cosmonaut A.Volkov
• Colonel V.Gavrilov
• Sergeant G.Gilmoutdinov
• Captain I.Grossoul
• Lieutenant D.Dotsenko
• Major V.Yermakov
• Captain Lieutenant I.Ivanov
• Lieutenant Colonel V.Igtatyev
• Sergeant B.Cotov
• Engineer Colonel V.Molozev
• Private A.Olenin
• Major I.Ostroverkhov
• Senior Sergeant V.Petrenko
• Senior Lieutenant A.Rulev
• Master Sergeant D.Tarassov
• Colonel L.Filin
• Private M.Kholod
• Private 1st Class F.Chernikov
• Colonel F.Chichkan
• Lieutenant A.Shumsky
• Major V.Shcherbina

In addition, I saw several other memorial plaques. 14 Victory Avenue memorial plaque: this building housed the HQ of the 11th Air Force Squadron of the 22nd long-range aircraft division in September - December 1943 after the city had been liberated from the Nazi invaders. Pilots Alley memorial plaque: the trees were planted by the veterans of the 11th Air Force Squadron of the 22nd long-range aircraft division on April 19, 1985.

My book about Horlivka Arts Museum

“A Small Pearl of the Donets Basin” - this is how the Arts Museum in Horlivka is often called by the local media. The museum was dedicated on April 29, 1959. It contains seven halls. It is proud of its largest collection of works of Nickolay Roerich in Ukraine. Here you can marvel at the masterpieces of classical Russian art of the 19th century as well as the works of some outstanding Soviet artists. In addition, the museum has a large collection of works of local artists. Traveling exhibitions are often held here. Since no photography is allowed at this museum, I decided to scan some pictures from a book by Gallina Rubanova, Horlivka Arts Museum (Art Publishers, Kiev, 1987). I hope Art Publishers will not mind.

Horlivka Arts Museum

At Horlivka Arts Museum

I admired several great paintings when I was there: 1. Nickolay Roerich (1874-1947), The Grave of a Viking, 1908 2. Ivan Ayvazovsky (1917-1900), Harbor, 1851 3. Nickolay Ghe (1831-1894), Portrait of a boy, 1878 4. Vassily Tropinin (1780-1857), A femaly portrait, 1841 5. Vassily Vereshchagin (1842-1904), Ruins of an Egyptian temple, 1884 6. Dmitry Gorlov, A female wolf with her cubs, 1946 7. Victor Zaretsky, A female portrait, 1959 8. Ilia Glazunov, Land explorer Semion Diezhnev, 1964 9. Stepan Korobchak, Lviv landscape, 1975 10. Anatoly Shyrokov, Vassily Chapayav, 1977

Razumov Miniature Book Museum

Razumov Miniature Book Museum is another must-see museum in Horlivka. It is located at 57 Victory Avenue. It is a good idea to make an appointment before paying a visit and having a guided tour. Phone: +38 0624 55 27 57, +38 06424 55 27 75. The museum is open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Wednesday is a day off. Website: http://mmk.ucoz.org

Razumov Miniature Book Museum, Horlivka

The museum has several halls with exhibitions of miniature books and micro books. The museum collection comprises more than 10,000 books in 103 languages from 57 countries, among them 7,008 books were presented by the museum founder Benjamin Razumov (1915-2001) who had collected such books for decades. He left his entire collection by will to the city in 1991.

Razumov memorial at the Museum_

It is a unique museum, the only one of such kind in Ukraine. It has books published in 57 countries in 103 languages. These are ancient and modern, handwritten and printed books. You can even see a unique book called speck of dust whose dimensions are sixty times smaller than a poppy seed. You can see the book through the microscope and read two poems by Alexander Pushkin there.

Posted by Vic_IV 05:39 Archived in Ukraine Comments (0)

• Some Local Humor

Horlivka was selected as one of the tourist cities for Euro-2012 soccer championship. When I was in this city in 2010 for the last time, I heard the reaction that decision had caused among the locals. The motto of that reaction was, “WELCOME TO GORLIWOOD!” (remember? – Horlivka sounds as “Gorlovka” in Russian). Here is some local humor for you, fellow travellers:

• I am afraid after several groups of foreigners, nobody will ever come to Horlivka from abroad except, perhaps, for those who really like extreme tourism.
• Horlivka is famous for such people as Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy, who liked NOT to come to this city a lot!
• Of course, the monument “Menneken Pis” was invented in Brussels, but to do so in the streets was definitely invented in Horlivka.
• Horlivka is a real modern city where there is even one metal detector (at Volcano Nightclub)!
• The infantry armored vehicle is a symbol of Horlivka for it is the best means of transportation about the city.
• Disoriented, aren’t you? Knowing the local principle of the attitude to life – orientation on where it is worse – I am at a loss upon seeing any small improvement such as a repaired road that makes me think, “How come? What other dirty trick should I await?”
• Horlivka is a city where parents scare their naughty children with the view from the window.
• Doctors believe that if you want to look at Horlivka without damaging your health, you should do it from space.
• People in the US always smile because they have never seen Horlivka.
• The residents of Horlivka switch off the lights at night so that they do not see their city at least at night.
• I would not mind moving somewhere from Horlivka, say, to Vancouver, and to love my beloved city from there. It is much easier to love Horlivka from a distance.

Here are some funny posters from Horlivka:

Funny posters from Horlivka, Ukraine

Posted by Vic_IV 05:44 Archived in Ukraine Comments (0)

• Places to Relax

Old and new spots

Three Little Birch Trees (our local)

• Three Little Birch-Trees : This pub used to be our local during my student’s years. My fellow students and I used to frequent this place on our way from our college. It is conveniently located close to our dormitory. We had beer and dried salted fish ("taranka" in Russian - the best beer snack then and now). We even had beer drinking championships. My record was only six pints within three hours. I did not aim at any prize. A friend of mine became a beer-drinking champion after drinking 18 pints of beer!

Of course, the place has completely changed since that time. Now it is a restaurant, a poker club, a billiards place and a sauna. Address: 15 Sudeyko Street. Directions: Opposite the former kids' park. Phone: +38 06242 55 05 61.

Beerloga Pub

At Beerloga Pub

• The Best Pub: Berloga is a nice downtown pub. Its name is translated as Den. It is located in Komsomol Street near Victory Square, near the Stalin era apartment house with roof pavilions.

We celebrated our reunion there. The pub has a terrace and two halls inside. The halls are richly decorated in a hunting style. We tried some home style fried potatoes with beef liver, julienne, Greek salad, etc. Phone: +38 0624 52 25 35; +38 095 558 61 96.

Barnsley Restaurant, Horlivka

Barnsley Restaurant in Horlivka

Barnsley Restaurant_partnership memorial plaque

• Barnsley : this high end restaurant is located in the main street - Victory Avenue. It is called after the city of Barnsley - the twin-city of Horlivka.

The restaurant was dedicated on September 27, 1997 by Valery Pakhomov, the city mayor, and Councillor Charles Wraith, Mayor of Barnsley. The restaurant has several halls: two on the first floor and two on the second floor, among them the Lord Mayor's hall (on the first floor), the big wedding hall and a medium hall on the second floor. They also have a terrace with tent-like tables outside. Address: 67a Victory Avenue. Phone: +38 06242 2 70 61.

• Pautina (“Web”): this place is a young people’s refuge. It is called an entertainment centre. It is located at 28 Rudakov Street, across the street from my college. I imagine what would happen if it was there in our times when I was a student. I am sure we would frequent it both after classes and in the evening. What would happen to our studies then, I wonder?

There is a dance club, a sports cafe and a strip bar here. The entrance fee on weekends is about $5. We sat outside in the sports bar and had a beer doing some people watching. They have nice and draft beer Staropramen.

At Shinnok Ukrainian Resrtaurant

• Shinnok : this restaurant is located in the premises of the former Ukrainian restaurant. They did not even change the decor into the Georgian one.

They offer many dishes of the Ukrainian cuisine and nice (but expensive) Georgian wine. We ordered Saperavi dry red wine and it was superb! The restaurant occupies a cellar and it was fresh and pleasant to sit there in a hot weather. Chanakhi was a great dish there, as well as Greek salad. Address: 22 Victory Avenue. Phone: +38 099 901 50 22, +38 06242 7 41 64.

At Macao Cafe

• Macao : this restaurant is on the first floor of an apartment house in Victory Avenue, opposite the city council building and Lenin monument. It has several air-conditioned large halls and three banquet halls. Many foreign customers leave their banknotes with their autographs and coins that are places under the glass on the tables afterwards.

I do not quite welcome the idea of signing banknotes, but they look nice under the glass on the table or on the wall at the bar. My favorite dish there: Greek salad. Address: 72 Victory Avenue. Phone: +38 06242 2 10 99. In addition, there is Macao Coffeehouse, where you can have tea/coffee and chat with your friends.

Macao Coffeehouse

• Old Shilling : this pub has a convenient downtown location (opposite the fountain, in the building of the old hotel).

There are a couple of halls inside and a terrace outside. We appreciated the name and the rich decor. The draft beer was great there! It is a nice place for a bar crawl. There are five or six other bars and pubs around Victory Square. Address: 31 Victory Avenue.

There are numerous bistros and several billiards clubs where you can have a good time depending on your mood and budget. Take care, fellow travelers!

Barselona Restaurant

Victory Avenue apartment houses

Karaoke : this is a popular place for many young people. It is full of them in the evenings. The customers order mainly drinks and snacks. There is a tent outside and an air-conditioned hall inside. This pub is a nice place for people watching, too. Address: 24a Victory Avenue. Phone: +38 06242 7 44 05.

Driving along Lenin Street

Coalmining Administration building

Driving or walking along Lenin Avenue, you will see an old Lenin monument in Lenin Avenue next to Artiom Ugol Coalmining Administration. This old monument is unique for it is black and looks as though it was carved of a piece of high quality coal. Where else can you see a black Lenin monument? I think only the well-respected Soviet coalminers could get away with such things in the good old USSR. A lot of things depended on them in the economy and they were treated very well in the USSR...

At the entrance to Gorky Park in Horlivka

Gorky Park in Horlivka

The old city park is called Gorky Park exactly like in Moscow. It is located far from all the main modern attractions of the city and is not frequented as much as the Promenade. I can understand that. The park is really far from all apartment houses. It is very large and looks like a forest.

It was dedicated in 1932 and is the oldest park in the city. Its territory is really huge: about 60 hectares. There are a lot of trees: oaks, chestnut-trees, ash-trees, birch-trees. They say some oaks are over 100 years old. When we were students, we did not frequent this park and not only because we were very busy with our homework. This park had a very bad fame...

Now children visit this park only with grownups or with their educators as a field trip. Children enjoy riding the roller coaster and merry-go-rounds, drop in at the shooting gallery and take a walk along its numerous lanes. However, very few people decide to walk about this park and along its neglected lanes. According to our cab driver, the park is quite safe now.

If you proceed farther along Lenin Avenue and turn left to Dimitrov Boulevard, you will see this Afghan War memorial at the beginning of Dimitrov Boulevard. First you will see a bronze eagle with a black memorial plaque with the names of all soldiers and officers who fell in the battles in Afghanistan during the war of 1979-1989. There are 28 names of Horlivka residents who fell in the battles in Afghanistan. Further you will see a bronze figure of a dying soldier that looks very impressive indeed...

History Museum_the bust of Nikita Izotov

If you wish to find out more about the city, why not visit the city history museum in Pushkin Street? The museum is on the first floor of an apartment house in the premises of a former store. It has nine exhibitions halls and about 18,000 exhibits. The exhibits start with the prehistory of this area. The museum was founded in 1957.

History Museum_city diorama

History Museum_city map

Stalin era apartment houses in Empire style in Lenin Avenue

Posted by Vic_IV 04:35 Archived in Ukraine Comments (0)

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