Ice village: how Demydiv lives 10 months after flooding

In August, Rubryka already told about the life of the flooded Demydiv. In December, our journalist came to the village again to see whether the authorities had kept their promises to pump water by the end of summer and how the people of Demydiv live today.

Ice

On February 25, the Ukrainian military blew up a dam in the village of Kozarovychy, which held back the Irpin River. Water spilled over Demydiv and adjacent fields, creating an obstacle for the military equipment of the invaders. For some time, the russians stood in the occupied Demydiv, convincing the locals that russia was here forever. But later, the enemies fled, and the village remained in the water.

Irpin spilled over thousands of hectares. Back in the summer, when Rubryka came to the Demydiv for the first time, the water reached the tops of the trees in some places. The locals pointed their hands to the blue surface and talked about the gardens, orchards, and whole fields buried under it.

The dam, blown up in February, was finally repaired at the end of August. However, the water remained. Only winter changed the picture. Where in the summer storks hunted fish and frogs, now there is ice.

We are approaching a familiar place — Ivan Lavrentiyovych's plot. During our meeting in the summer, he was pumping out water with two pumps. The man shared — he managed to lower the water level in the yard by 10 centimeters in a day. And it cost him 80 hryvnias every day.

This time the yard is empty. The water seems to be at the same level as in summer. Only now turned into ice.

There are incredible views from many points of the village. The surrounding landscapes overlook the sea, which is frozen despite the laws of nature. But in reality, human grief is hidden behind all this. Flooded gardens where nothing grew this summer. Cellars in which, instead of potatoes and beets, there is now only dirty water. And the walls of houses, where numerous cracks are closed by persistent mold.

Drinking water

In addition to houses collapsing and gardens unsuitable for growing crops, the residents of Demydiv have another problem — no drinking water in the village. Due to flooding, the water in the wells and columns is too high and dirty, unsuitable for drinking. Even for technical purposes, it is too dirty because it does not pass the necessary filtration through different soil layers.

At first, the local government delivered drinking water by car. But in the fall, the car broke down. According to the locals, it was repaired a long time ago, but it no longer brings water. Villagers, most of whom are of a respectable age, now go with carts to the part of the village where there is supposedly clean water and buy it. On days when the whole village is covered with ice, it is especially difficult to reach water points.

While walking through the village, we knock on the doors of already familiar houses. The streets are empty; no lights are on in the windows, and no one opens the door. After some time, we meet Tetyana — we also met her in the summer.

"Melnychenko, our headman, promised that the car would be repaired and driven, but it hasn't been driven for two months. We buy water; sometimes my sister brings it to me. When there is electricity, I have a station, so I pump in the house, but the water is yellow, not suitable for drinking. I walk with a cart or ask someone to bring it. The government tells us to deal with it ourselves," Tetyana says.

The woman asks not to take her picture. Dozens of Ukrainian and foreign journalists have already visited the village. If the locals shared their troubles willingly at first, now they no longer believe that the media would help.

"I have nothing"

"The water was pumped out for a while, then one pump burned down, now there is no electricity, nothing is being pumped out. Water will reach my house soon. Every day it gets worse. You see, there is no road anymore. Water began to come more about a month ago, in November, before that, it had receded a little. But still, you dig with a shovel — and there is water.

We need to drop one and a half meters from the other side of the dam, and our water will go by itself; it will not have to be pumped out. They say that the military does not allow it. Pidkurganny (Dymer village head, — ed.) says that they cannot reach the military," says Tetyana.

A few months ago, the village residents, whose houses and gardens were damaged, were paid 20,000 hryvnias each. For this, 2 million 400 hryvnias were transferred from the regional budget to the Dymer community. The locals are also talking about the intention of one of the French organizations to pay another 7,000 to the locals, but nothing is known for sure about this yet.

"We have nothing — no gardens, no cellars. This year, volunteers brought us potatoes. And what will happen next year — I don't know, we won't be able to plant. Those who have a slightly higher plot have gardens, maybe half of the garden. I have nothing. There are about a hundred houses where there is nothing.

Now there is often no electricity, no water, and no communication. Well, it's good there are dogs; I have ten of them. The trouble is endless. We don't trust anyone. If humanitarian aid is brought, the village head comes with volunteers, saying, you see, I am bringing them to you.

Maybe he doesn't have the authority, I don't know, but when the russians left, we went to see him for three days. He says that the issue is being considered, and we must wait. We started calling the State Emergency Service; they said that there was a headman, so he should submit an application. We pressed him a little, and then he gave the application that we were drowning. But they didn't help immediately; we installed the first pump and bought gasoline. Not immediately, but the village authorities began to give money for gasoline, then they purchased pumps. We need three pumps to work together because two is not enough," Tetyana explains.

Later, our journalists contacted the elder of Demydiv by phone. Oleksandr Melnychenko said that they continue to pump out water even now, despite the ice. But they cannot completely pump it away due to a possible attack from Belarus.

"The water remains because a second attack is possible. This is a situation of strategic importance. The water is pumped out, but there is a set level of this flooding. The situation in the village was more or less under control. It can be said that it has actually been liquidated. Until these blackouts occurred, we installed electric pumps and dealt with this issue continuously.

First, we had diesel pumps, then electric ones. But due to the blackouts, everything has returned a little. About 50% of what we pumped out came back.

On its own, the village council bought two more diesel pumps just in case. People don't have many houses that are flooded. Mainly these are economic structures, cellars, wells," says Oleksandr Melnychenko.

When we ask about compensation to the owners of the damaged property, he says that until the water recedes, it is impossible to conduct an expert damage assessment. Without it, you cannot count on compensation.

"As local self-government bodies, we recorded the very fact of flooding. But while the water is still standing, it is impossible to make a final assessment. When there is no water, the cellars and foundations dry out; then, it is possible to evaluate. We are now continuing to pump out the water. Holes were cut, and hoses were inserted into them, as fishermen do. And that's how it all happens with us," adds Melnychenko

The village council does not forget about drinking water either, the headman says.

"Now we have a question about drinking water. The car really broke down. It drove for 3-4 months, and then the car broke down. But we have a point where you can get water. Where it is not flooded. In the event of a blackout, if there is no centralized water, then there will be water delivery. We have a designated point where drinking water will be delivered. There is a question. But about 250 wells and sanitary cleaning are planned in the community. Everyone is working, but not as fast as we would like," he says.

The headman also emphasizes that the village lacks help from the "higher ranks." People are in trouble, but they have to solve this issue at higher levels. Because while some reconstruction is underway in other villages that were under occupation, Demydiv seems to be stuck at the end of February, when the dam was just blown up, and the water just filled the fields, meadows, and people's yards.