Kharkov’s “ghost neighborhood” and “zero point”: under fire PHOTO-REPORT

At the entrance to Kharkov, life goes on as usual. Cars crash on the streets and people walking on the avenues. There are even cafes. Before leaving, we got acquainted with the latest news about the city. There were reports of shelling in various parts of Kharkov. But still that, we do not hear gunshots. It is impossible to draw any conclusions without seeing Kharkov, the largest city in Ukraine after Kiev, at least in part.

In Kharkov, we meet with Sergei Lyakhov, a volunteer who will accompany us. Before the war, he worked in business crisis management. Already in the center of Kharkov and moving towards the depths. All the buildings in the city damaged by the bombing are civilian objects: state, government, residential buildings, hospitals, parks, public catering facilities.

We enter one of the buildings. The day before our visit to Kharkov, restaurants were located in this building where a shell hit. Five people were inside on the day of the incident, one of whom died. The adjacent building was also damaged. Here is the kitchen of the restaurant. There were 18 people inside. All were injured. There are still traces of blood on the floor and walls…

An explosion is heard. Black smoke is visible in the distance and we follow in his footsteps. In the post snowWe are cut off by the military, at first they do not allow it. But saying that our documents are in order and After a short insistence, “If something happens to you, we are not responsible” is allowed by saying. As a result of the cluster bomb building and car burns. One person was injured and two died in the incident.

From there we quickly headed for the Pyatikhatka district. But Sergey drives at high speed.

“It simply came to our notice then Russia goes to the border-Belgorod. The distance to the border is 40 km. This road is often fired upon. ” Says Sergey.

Pyatixatka Russia is the closest settlement to the border. At the same time, it is the highest point of Kharkov and above sea level 20Located at a height of 0 meters. After Pyatikhatka, there are no settlements up to the border. From here, the road leads directly to the Russian city of Belgorod. As soon as we enter the area, the smell of gunpowder fills our noses. It is under fire every day. During the few hours we spent there, shells fell on us at a distance of 300-500 meters. People mostly live in shelters. Sergey and his friend Easter holidayThey distribute Easter (the Russians call it kulich – SK).

Says Sergey that, they come here every day and It is a matter of chance that they have survived so far. There are such buildings in the district that, either completely or partially destroyed. Schools and shops have suffered the same fate. There are traces of shells on the asphalt. Let’s go back. Newly opened holes on the asphalt road that we just saw and There were shell fragments scattered around…

We are in Saltovka, the largest residential area in Europe. Only residential buildings here and there are public catering facilities; Yes factory, neither a factory nor a military-strategic facility. Saltovka itself is divided into 3 parts. The most affected area is North Saltovka. Kharkiv The distance from Northern Saltovka to the combat zone is closer, as the Liptsi, Sirkuni and Volchansky districts of the northern part of the province are under occupation. The first shell in the city hit Buchman Street in the area. Some of the buildings are completely in disrepair, and the windows of all apartments in the surrounding buildings are broken. Old women are talking in one of the yards. Most of the neighbors no longer live here. Gas and There is no hot water.

Yelena Dalchiyeva put a piece of cloth on the window instead of glass. The shell hit the first floor of the block where he lived and the building began to burn. He lives on the seventh floor. But he does not want to leave his house. One of the shells hit the shelter of his block. But no one was killed, because 5 minutes before the incident and the other neighbors left and went to another shelter.

North Saltovka is also under fire several times a day. This has become commonplace for residents. To be honest, for us too.

North Saltovka now resembles a “settlement of spirits.” “Two months ago, there were people here and the car could not move “- Says Sergey. Only in Northern Saltovka 10About 0,000 people lived there, but now it is said that 250-300 people remain here. We walk the streets. Of each building snowThere are a few tired, nervous people in the window. “Don’t take my photo, you don’t see what I’m up to, go and take houses” says one of the residents. They light a fire outside and cook. It is darker than tea. They have been living in this condition for 2 months now. Sergey and his friend walks the streets and distributes Easter food. The question may arise that, why these people have not yet been evacuated. Sergey speaks that, In the early days, people did not want to go. “There were very serious skirmishes, they applied that, Get us out quickly, they would compile a list and send it to the city hall. We also traveled by bus in the rain of bombs. This means that only 15 people on the list of 300 people got on the bus. We drove 5-6 buses. This was repeated several times. Once the bombs hit all the houses, they gradually began to come out. Now there are few residents left. They don’t come out “. Sergei is both on this issue social believes that there are reasons. He says that, mostly secondary in this settlement and Low-income people live, their only property is apartments. “If they can do it, they will own nothing. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.

The sound of shells being fired into the area is clearly audible. 70- from where we stand10Black smoke rises from 0 meters into the air. Although we want to go there, it is not possible, because car can not move comfortably, surrounding glass, large pieces of stone and Whiteac filled with branches. Holes in the ground caused by the shell do not allow traffic. Checkpoints on the northern border of Kharkov at least during the day 20-30 times fired. There is such a building that, repeatedly hit by a missile. The yards are damaged and full of broken cars.

Humanitarian aid is also being provided to the church in Danilovka settlement. After receiving Easter gifts, Oleg Ata takes us to the church shelter. “We both pray and protect people here. In the first days we had 30 people, now we have 15. Some go home in the afternoon and come here in the evening. “ The church itself was not hit by the shelling, but the fate of the surrounding buildings is different. A shell exploded in the yard car There are also.

The next shelter is in one of the secondary schools. The school building was also targeted by artillery and injured. But the shelter is currently the safest place for 15 people who want to be protected from the threat of bombs.

“Metro builders”, “Lesya Serdyuk”, “Friendship of peoples” and “Natalia Ujvey.” These are street names. All of them snowThe glass is the same picture. People are lighting fires outside and cooking.

Volunteers visit the buildings one by one to try to meet the needs of the people there.

The military approaches us and checks our documents. “Everything is OK”. They say that, There is an old man on Natalia Ujvey Street, but no one is there and wants to be evacuated. This street is the last street in North Saltykovka. This is called the “zero point”. We look around. An old man was sitting on one of the benches. It becomes clear during a conversation with him that, wants to go to a safe place. We put him in a car and take him to the shelter of one of the secondary schools. Here are clothes, hot food and other necessary needs will be met.

We are reaching the 60th day of the war…

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Kharkiv Anar Rafiyev is the founder of “Ukraine Energy Efficiency and We went with the organization of the Energy Saving Fund. The organization has been involved in charity since the first day of Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine; mostly military personnel and to civilians foodhygienic means, medical The supply of equipment, including the donation of Star-Link equipment to the leadership of the cities affected by the attack, the evacuation of the population from dangerous areas, the preparation of road maps for the smooth delivery of aid.