It will shortly be 2 years from the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which resulted in the liberation of Kharkivish occupation. Mass graves and another traces of Russian brutality have been discovered in many reflected towns. The planet took this information with outrage and... rapidly forgot. Meanwhile, people inactive live in the “Russian mir” affected areas, facing the effects of Russia's temporary presence all day. However, many of them inactive live in the shadow of the Russian threat – within scope of cannons and rockets, which invaders unscrupulously fire on civilian objects.
– And so time flies here – the villager of Circus sighs. A fewer days earlier, the Russian Grad hit his house; the building was completely destroyed. “From tragedy to tragedy,” explains my interviewer. With him, a 93-year-old parent and a 70-year-old sister lost their roof over their head. All 3 now live in a farm pudding, in a tiny area that serves as a kitchen, bedroom and pantry.
For homes and dwellings that as a consequence of war activities are not suitable for renovation, Ukrainians receive compensation. They are granted a certificate that entitles them to acquisition the premises elsewhere (something like a voucher that gave Poles an chance to acquisition any tourist service of defined value). Offices are required to act immediately, which is hard erstwhile the property has an unorthodox legal status. individual bought something from the family, so why “paper” for it, the transaction was sealed with alcohol and lived on like it was on its own. Only in case of demolition of the house, property should be proven, without this certificate.
– Do you have all the essential documents? – I ask the 58-year-old victim. This wave of his hand, resigned and annoyed. In specified a situation there are thousands of agrarian residents Kharkivchis. Sad? Yes, but there are besides situations that are encouraging. But first, a small flashback. In January 2023, I drove across all free Ukraine, driving to the front of the Bachmut. In the company of respective volunteers, I traveled through the darkness, not only due to long winter nights. This was the highest minute of the Russian rocket campaign, aimed at Ukrainian energy. For deficiency of power, but besides through intentional blackouts, the passage through even the largest cities required a cat's eye.
This darkness – apart from the typical dangers for travellers – besides hides painful secrets. In the area liberated in the autumn of 2022, Iziumu faced a concrete barrier blocking the entrance to a bridge blown up by the Russians. Somewhere close was a temporary crossing, so I decided to look around. I rapidly realized that we were in the center of any kind of a shrine. On both sides of the paved roads stood typically Ukrainian tiny huts and without war looking like 7 misfortunes. erstwhile he was utilized to the darkness, he could see all the mutilated lumps. Broken roofs, broken windows, shot walls. Broken fences, wreckage of a car – the popular kopecka order in the East. And there's no sign of a surviving creature, no specified thing as chaotic dogs, who hang around in Donbas. The settlement was dead. On 1 of the buildings there was a large “Z” painted with white paint, visible and without flashlight light. Putin's soldiers thus sealed the “return” of villages to the “Russian matrix”. “With” in this case meant as much as “this is ours”. And it was usually associated with destruction. A complete message that can be added to the statement: “There were people—there are no men.” On the way from and to Bachmut, I saw many specified treated settlements. Freed rubble...
Destruction in the Sevchenkov territory in the center of Kharkiv after the Russian attack on 5 August 2024.
In July 2024, I returned to the area described – they inactive look pathetic (although in the summertime anturaża and the environment of nature rapidly entering abandoned properties a small less). There are inactive plenty of signs informing about mines, inactive almost deserted, but just – you can already see traces of the first return. The ones that are permanently accompanied by renovations of demolished houses. This looks surreal – single restored huts, surrounded by rubble everywhere. "This was the way Polish villages and towns had to look, liberated from the German occupation" – erstwhile this reflection came to me, the conviction of the sense of life in the midst of ruins gave way.
However, the top amount of optimism about the future of Kharkiv region gives the capital of the circuit. Never captured by Russians – though they tried and inactive try, an example taken in May offensive. due to her, the Kharkiv left many diplomatic organizations and representations. The situation was considered possibly escalating and threatening the wellness and life of the staff. besides hastily, due to the fact that not only did the Ukrainians manage to halt the attackers, they destroyed the terrorizing Kharkovian rocket launchers deployed around Russian Belgorod. As a result, the metropolis is safer present than in spring – of course in the comparative sense of the word.
In the centre, there are no problems with uncovering traces of shelling, the city has left a 4th of its permanent residents. You can see it by walking and driving. But ready to draw hastily conclusions about the expected exodus of horsebackfish I mention to suburban forests and over water reservoirs. The inhabitants of the metropolis were accustomed to the Russian threat – who was to escape from it, had already escaped. Today, partial absenteeism “on the city” is the consequence of summers and holidays, i.e. vacation trips (which in Poland are frequently considered unimaginable due to erroneous, martyrdom notions of wartime everyday life). An exceptionally hot summertime that occurred in the realities of energy shortages – it is worth noting. The power plants destroyed by the Russians do not work, Ukraine rations electricity, over 40-degree heat in energy-deprived apartments – air conditioning and frequently water – prompt people to flee to the wild. That's the war pragmatism and another illustration of human integrity, which is well expressed by the phrase “because life must continue.” So it's going on.
