with a population of over 250,000, and about ten million tons of coal being mined each year. In the 1970s and 1980s, the city was the scene of many of Andrei Chikatilo's murders. Perestroika proved devastating for the city, as mines were privatized and shut down, causing massive unemployment, which led to a severe rise in crime and drug abuse. Today's Shakhty is the main industrial center of the Eastern Donbas. The city is also one of the main producers and exporters of tile in Eastern Europe. Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is incorporated as Shakhty Urban Okrug—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, this administrative unit also has urban okrug status. Demographics The city's population was 239,987 as of the 2010 Census; up from 222,592 recorded in the 2002 Census. As of the 1989 Census, the population was 225,797. Attractions There are many monuments and museums In Shakhty. Monument to Alexander II. The monument to Emperor Alexander II was opened on April 29, 2015. It was placed in front of the main building of the Institute of Service and Entrepreneurship of Don State Technological Institute (DSTU) in the city of Shakhty. The monument was built on voluntary donations. The right to hold its opening was given to a representative of the house of Romanov, the great-grandson of Emperor Alexander III, Pavel Eduardovich Kulikovsky-Romanov. The pedestal is made of dark granite, and the statue of Alexander II, cast in bronze. The height of the monument is 5.7 meters, and the figure of Alexander II is 2.4 meters. On the front side there is the inscription in gold letters that reads "Alexander II. Tsar the Liberator. " From the back, there is a brief biographical note on the ruler: "Emperor Alexander II abolished serfdom in Russia in 1861 and freed millions of peasants from centuries of slavery, conducted military and judicial reforms, introduced the system of local self-government, city dumas and local administrations, brought to the end the long-lasting Caucasian War, and liberated the Slavic peoples from the Ottoman yoke. He was killed on March 1, 1881 and was a victim of a terrorist. The monument was erected on the initiative of the Historic council of the city of Shakhty. The sculptor is Yuri Alekseevich Levochkin. Monument to Vasily Alexeyev (2014). Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev was a