After six months of Russian occupation, the inhabitants of Izium regained their freedom. Two 74-year-olds, Lyubov and Lidia, look along the street. Lidia previously worked in a hospital. Her simple commanding posture, hands clasped behind her back, and calm and composed voice, reveal that Lyubov was a teacher. She had formerly taught Ukrainian in one of the local schools. The rays of the setting sun fall on …

  Everyone would like to call and ask how their loved ones are doing. In vain, because usually after a few words the connection cuts out. The Central Square looks like a hurricane has come through. Some buildings have their roofs torn off, and the ground is covered with rubble. It’s a wonder that most of the lampposts have survived unscathed. On the building housing the city council, …

  During the war, the Ukrainian railway has become one of the pillars on which the state rests. It evacuates civilians, transports weapons and brings hope. Only two letters remain from the inscription at the station: “BA”. Beside it there is a haunting hole, probably made by the shock wave. The platforms are empty. There are wagons, probably stuck here for a long time. At least for half …

  The inhabitants of Kherson greet the Ukrainian soldiers who have recaptured the city after more than eight months of Russian occupation. They also tell stories of Russian violence. Our correspondent, Paweł Pieniążek, is one of the first foreign journalists on the spot. Loud music, dancing, shouts of joy mixed with tears. People gathered in the central square of Kherson wave blue and yellow flags, drape themselves in …

  The inhabitants of Kherson do not want to think about the problems they will face. Today they want to enjoy their regained freedom. First, there were problems with electricity in the city–more and more frequently, until there was a complete lack of supply. It was the same with water and communication. Ukrainian telephone networks have not reached here for a long time, and now Russian ones have …

Russian rockets and missiles that destroy civilian and military facilities fall on the country every day. As calculated by the Ukrainian weekly Nowoje Wremia, Russia launched almost a hundred rockets towards Ukraine between June 25-27 alone. The city park seemed quiet on a sunny June afternoon. A few pedestrians—or at least not many of them can be seen in the video recorded by surveillance cameras published by the …

  The Russian attack left traces on the Ukrainian capital and its inhabitants that will not disappear for years. Four months ago, a group of people stood in this courtyard as artillery cannonades were heard from afar. Lyudmila, 45, had not gone to work for a long time, so she did not see this with her own eyes. She worked in a small grocery store where, apart from …

  Risking their lives, teams of medics help wounded civilians and military personnel on the front line. Minutes separated them from the end of the day. 45-year-old Olena and her husband, 44-year-old Artur, were standing in the yard in front of their house. They never went to bed early. She stood close to the garage and he was a little farther away. It is possible that she went …

  The inhabitants of the most damaged housing estate in the city are trying to breathe new life into it. There is still a terrible silence in Northern Saltivka. It is occasionally interrupted by the cooing of pigeons, the rustling of branches, the creaking of doors, or by a passing car crushing glass and rubble; more often the rumble of artillery, less often footsteps or conversation. Among the …

  Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, is under constant threat from the Russian army. This is a story about how its inhabitants are learning to live under these conditions. For Hamlet Zinkovsky, urban space is like a grand studio. You come across his paintings almost everywhere you go. He placed them in inconspicuous places in the past, but now they are found right on the streets. “I want …