Three months after liberation: how Lyman in Donetsk region lives amid hostilities
Lyman. Since May 2022, the city had been under russia's occupation, but the Ukrainian army managed to liberate it in October. Since then, the city has been under constant shelling by the russian occupiers.
In the part of the city that suffered the most from the russian shelling, everything screams about it.
Ruined high-rise buildings with almost no residents left. Smashed ground. Closed windows.
Some still live in their apartments, heating their homes with electric heaters and with the help of stoves. But most of them live in basements, where they have equipped rooms and made stoves.
Among them are Liuba and Vova. Despite his age and leg disease, Vova made money on firewood neatly laid out in the yard.
Liuba, his wife, and her neighbor tidy up the room where they all live.
Despite everything, it's cozy here. There is a stove, beds, and blankets on the floor. And everything is also spotless. There is a decorated Christmas tree on the table. Also, they have incredibly delicious hot pies. It is simply impossible to refuse such a treat.
Yurii also now lives in the basement. We meet him on the way to a nearby church where a man carries water.
Yurii is a sexton and the only caretaker of the church, which was also hit by russian shells. It is cold inside, the temperature here is only +8, but the stove heats the water well. Having heated it, Yurii will take it back to the basement, where his neighbor will wash things.
Our visit to the city is short, but you can get an idea of life here — there is electricity, several shops are open, and you can get a pension at an ATM. Volunteers often help with food and clothing. But the latter, despite all efforts, is still not enough, especially warm winter things. There are a lot of destroyed private houses in the city. Almost all high-rise buildings also have traces of strikes from the occupiers.
But the city is alive. Lyman is standing. And we will continue to hold on.
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