The “Voices of Miners” is a collection of interviews with miners, miners’ wives, and doctors regarding
the health and safety of miners in Krasnodon, Rovenky and Sverdlovsk. This report is part of UNDP’s
“Improving the Health and Safety of Miners in Eastern Ukraine” project, which aims to identify and
address the health and safety needs of miners. These stories complement the facts and figures
provided in a related yet separate “Assessment Report.”
Over the past year, UNDP conducted dozens of interviews, focus groups, and community workshops
to understand the health and safety needs of miners. UNDP also worked closely with DTEK
Rovenkiantratsit, DTEK Sverdlovantratsit, and Metinvest’s Krasnodon Coal to examine the working
conditions of miners. In total, UNDP engaged over 650 miners, miners’ spouses, health workers, and
government officials to discuss the miners’ needs and priorities.
The following interviews were conducted by Mr. Hryhorii Kalashnikov, President of Life Without
Barriers and a lifelong resident of Sverdlovsk, under the guidance of UNDP. The reader should note
that the names in these interviews have been changed at the request of the interviewees unless
otherwise noted. UNDP translated the original interviews from Russian to Ukrainian and English.
UNDP translated the interviews with the intent to preserve the spirit of the interviews, not to provide
verbatim transcripts.