The article analyzes historical parallels between the current events in the Donbas and the pages of its past from hundreds of years ago, when this region was at the center of a fierce struggle between various political forces, social strata and rival groups. On the example of the personal destinies of people who were somehow forced to lead regional separatist movements or become puppets in the hands of mainstream puppeteers, the inadmissibility of ignoring the laws of historical development is reminded for us. The fratricidal war in Donbas has been going on for almost five years. The region, like a hundred years ago, became the scene of a bloody war, uncontrollable chaos, significant human casualties, destruction of economic potential. Taking advantage of the direct support of the Russian Federation, the disorganization and destruction of the government of Ukraine in the Revolution of Dignity context, based on the historical experience of the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog republic, the separatist leaders declared the creation of the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk «people’s republics». These leaders are very often conflict victims in Donbas. Over the past five years, a large number of people who held senior positions in so-called «people’s republics» have died. In this regard, it becomes interesting for us that, like a hundred years ago, almost all those who created the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog republic, held key posts in its leadership were somehow destroyed - shot during the years of repression, died as a result of mysterious accidents and catastro-phes, committed suicide. Of the 16 people’s commissars who were the founders of the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog republic, almost all died a violent death. Most of these leaders were accused of anti-Soviet activities and shot during the years of repression. The fate of these people clearly shows how the attempts to intervene in the course of historical events end up by speculating on the complex topic of interethnic relations. The article deals with the analogy between the fate of today’s separatist leaders in the Donbas and their predecessors, who created the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog republic in 1918, emphasizes the need to study historical experience and analyze it in order to prevent similar phenomena in the future.