Mining Matters Quiz | Mixed Nations

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The title of the quiz refers to mining, which has been much connected with the region of Donbas. Which Donbas city derives its name from the Ukrainian word for a miner?

Answer: Shakhtarsk

Shakhtarsk derives from the word Shakhtar, meaning "miner". It is located in Donetsk Oblast, one of the two oblasts (counties) that make up the region. However, all the cities of the region, more or less, arose from conglomerations of villages proximal to a big mine or a metallurgical plant.

2. In terms of ecology, Donbas is dominated by two landforms: one is the forest, which predominates in the northern part of Luhansk Oblast and some parts of Donetsk Oblast. What is the other landform that dominates Donbas' landscape?

Answer: Steppe

The steppe zone primarily convers most of Donetsk Oblast and the southern half of Luhansk Oblast. Precisely because of the terrain, this part has been historically very difficult to control and dominate, providing an incentive for fugitives, dissidents and even criminals to come there.

3. Precisely because of the geographical makeup of the area, Donbas has, in the past, been ruled by non-sedentary groups. One of them, the Cumans, have left a lasting impact in the region, with specimens of their sculpture appearing there very frequently. Under which appellation do we find the Cumans in medieval Kyivan chronicles?

Answer: Polovtsy

Polovtsy is usually understood as denoting blondness, although other etymologies have been proposed. The Polovtsy figure prominently in Kyivan chronicles, often as allies of one Rurikid principality against the other. In the end, they, although fiercely Pagan, made common cause with the Christian scions of Rurik against the Mongols, which ended in defeat and disaster.

4. The region has not been intellectually stagnant in modern times, despite its historical reputation for chaos and unruliness. One of the most famous authors from Donbas, from the city of Donetsk, is Volodymyr Rafeyenko. In which novel, which is largely autobiographical, does Rafeyenko tackle the themes of internal displacement, language switch and shedding one's colonial heritage? Hint: it's also a term for a mishearing or erroneous interpretation of a phrase.

Answer: Mondegreen

"Mondegreen: Songs of Death and Love" is the book we are looking for. Drawing from his personal experiences and attempting to make people aware of the situation in his hometown, the author, via his protagonist, wanders around Kyiv's center while learning the Ukrainian language, having decided to switch to it permanently so that he shall no longer perceive himself as both a victim of a war, while simultaneously being part of its cause (one of the reasons Russia gave for invading Donbas in 2014 was the supposed, but non-existent, persecution of Russophones in eastern Ukraine).

5. As demonstrated, there is no lack of cultural voices from Donbas. However, there is a particular author, who has also excelled in the music scene, hailing from the city of Starobilsk, in the easternmost reaches of Donbas. What is his name?

Answer: Serhiy Zhadan

Zhadan was born in 1974 in Starobilsk. Although in his adult life he moved to the city of Kharkiv, several of his literary works are set in Donbas. His musical career involves many albums released with his band, Zhadan i Sobaky, meaning "Zhadan and the Dogs". Among those albums, one should mention "Army Sports Club", "Fight for Her" and "Dogs".

6. Neither are sportspeople absent when one counts the prominent figures associated with Donbas. Naturally, Serhiy (Sergei) Bubka comes to mind. In which of the two capital cities of the Donbas oblasts was he born?

Answer: Luhansk

Bubka was born in 1963 in Luhansk, then named "Voroshilovhrad" in Ukrainian and "Voroshilovgrad" in Russian (back then, the Soviet Union was still in existence). Bubka first became a Soviet athlete par excellence, winning many titles in pole vaulting and, after Ukrainian independence, he continued competing in Ukrainian teams.

In 2022, he expressed support for his home country after the full-scale Russian invasion.

7. In the field of cuisine, there are some unique local specialities in various places in Donbas. For example, the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast has its traditional kasha. What is the equivalent of a kasha in the English-speaking world?

Answer: Porridge

Kasha is a dish consisting chiefly of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), but in Avdiivka the dish is mostly prepared with rice. The rice is boiled for a little while, washed, spread on a towel and left to dry. Then it's to be boiled again, while adding beaten eggs and milk while stirring. If the procedure is done correctly, then the porridge will acquire a sweet taste like vanilla or milk and a yellowish colour.

8. Religious life in Donbas has been dominated by the Orthodox Church, but there are also Protestant denominations active at least since the 18th century. One specific group made international headlines in 2014, when four of its members were abducted and murdered by a paramilitary group affiliated with the pro-Russian militants occupying Donetsk. Which denomination are we talking about?

Answer: Pentecostals

Although all those denominations have been active throughout Ukraine, including Donbas, and have been, to a various degree, been persecuted by Russian (Tsarist, Soviet and post-Soviet) authorities and affiliated organizations, the 2014 incident targeted Pentecostals.

The crime occurred in Sloviansk, a city in Donetsk Oblast. While there were undoubtedly political corollaries to the murder of the four men (namely, their activities against the militants' occupation of their city), the murders were carried out by fanatics of the so-called "Russian Orthodox Army" and were equally motivated by religious bigotry.

9. Moving on to the territory of folklore, Donbas has its own legendary figures, including the enigmatic Shubin. From which of the figure's attributes is his name mostly thought to derive?

Answer: Fur coat

Shuba is a word that, in both Ukrainian and Russian, means "fur coat". Shubin is an entity similar to Germanic Kobolds, either a benevolent spirit helping miners or a malevolent entity wishing to demonstrate that he is the master of the mine. There are other theories concerning the etymology of his name, including an onomatopoetic one (that it derives from the shu-shu sound from methane accumulating in the mine) and that it derives from the surname of an oppressive mining master who committed killings in subterranean shafts.

10. And we should finish with something related to animals. The steppe marmot, although commonly associated with the Asian steppe or with the river Don, can also be found in the Ukrainian Donbas and in the neighbouring Kharkiv Oblast. Under which other name is it known?

Answer: Bobak marmot

Bobak marmot, or baybak in the regional dialect, is an important part of Donbas' fauna. Its closest relatives are grey marmots and forest-steppe marmots.

The species is also present in local heraldry, such as the coat of arms of Luhansk Oblast and of many cities within the oblast itself.

Source: Author DeepHistory

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Mining Matters Trivia Quiz

Welcome! Since there is a lack of quizzes focusing on the region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine, I decided to create one myself. Good luck!

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