It’s very simple to see life of frontline town: going by bus from Slavyansk to Krasnoarmeisk takes nearly 3 hours (cost of a ticket — 75 UAH) next route is from commuter bus station to Avdeevka a little bit more than an hour (cost of a ticket — 35 UAH)… 6 kilometers on the South direction and here is the demarcation line of occupied Donetsk. First impression after last visiting 1.5 year ago is the absence of people. 

I came on August 31, went out on the bus stop “Ulybka” (smile) near market “Khimik” (Chemist), there was very active life earlier. People called this district, built up with high-rise buildings “Khimik”, because pipes of the huge Coke plant smoke not so far. A few pedestrians. All supermarkets and banks are closed. The filial of “Oschadbank” takes only utility payments. Only several small shops work, maybe their owners are optimists.

A significant part of dwellers left the town, because of permanent shellings. Only those who have nowhere to go, resigned to fate or philosophically related to life stayed.

I’m asking aborigen, staying on one of absolutely broken balcons of 5-floor house: “How are you living?” — “So, we live!” — he answers. In spite of horror of happening, man found courage

Town didn’t have any multi-storey building, unaffected by shots. The same situation is in the cottage districts. Communication are damaging and repairing all the time. It’s hurt for me as railwayman to look on broken supports of contact network and a complete cessation of rail traffic. Electric trains to Krasnoarmeisk go from Ocheretino, which has exploded bridge before entering to the town.

I’m beginning to think that everything is fairly in this world. People call to themselves “Russian world”, they saw it in all the glory and have the responsibility for happened. Alike mentality, psychology, traditions and customs. This people still identified themselves with the country that doesn’t exist anymore. Insight can come earlier or late to them. War will over, when last soldier of Putin’s Russia leave the limits of Donbas and border will be closed.

There is not no a lot of military in the town. In general they are on block-posts oon enter-exit to the town. Others are on the positions and this advance. I was lucky, because all days of being there till September 2 were without shellings. I wish to inhabitants of Avdeevka long good luck and absolute peace.

The thunder in the sky sounded at night on September 2 and fertile moisture spilled on the suffering ground as a symbol of purification. I was leaving with passing “Lada Kalina” to Konstantinovka under the accompaniment of the rain on the price of bus ticket — 50 UAH. We were going on unknown miserable roads where we didn’t meet any transport. There were no fear or stress in the space, only frighten emptiness. We didn’t meet anybody on our way, only Ukrainian soldiers on block-posts.

Here is the strange irrational landscape around. When we appeared on the highway and passed by “Veterok” (Windy), noisy cafe of track not so long ago, my heart ached and undivided. One of its parts was worrying about such part of Ukraine, which I wanted to leave as soon as possible and other part was joying for those part of Ukraine where happens deliverance from Soviet past.

We’re still one  country and it’s only question of time, when two half become organic whole.

02.09.2015

Victor Zaitsev for Informator.lg.ua