Yesterday after receiving a message from Ukraine, Kharkiv, I realized that the situation is not the same as I have anticipated. The interesting fact is I have never thought about it and believed that this can happen right now after seeing and hearing all the news about Kharkiv. I used to go to a specific groomer with Gigi because they used to handle Gigi with care knowing that she is a super active dog. When the war break out, it was obvious that most of the businesses shut down. Lately, the situation in Kharkiv was not good, the city has to face a lot of explosions, continuous shelling and artillery, and missiles. So, obviously, I thought that not only the city is going through a lot but people are suffering as well.
The news is not fake news, the city and the people are going through a lot but the people of the city decided to live their own life by facing the enemy. They have shown their bravery indeed. They are not afraid of the shelling and artillery anymore (that's what I have heard yesterday). Kharkiv is the second-largest city of Ukraine which is located northeast part of Ukraine and most of the people speak Russian there. Some people from other cities always say that the people from Kharkiv are very rude and belong to the Russian mentality though I don't agree with that. After staying in Kharkiv for 6 years I understood that the people from Kharkiv are very brave and they are proud of holding their culture from generation to generation. They maintain their sovereign culture.
Okay, let's talk about the groomer and grooming center. Yesterday I have received a text from "Doggy Couture" and it was good news for dog owners. They have opened their shop again and this time they changed the location of the shop. The reason is pretty obvious, Kharkiv is a big city and some part of the city is still untouched from the shelling as the city has been defending itself when the war breakout. So, the parts which are near the Russian border are/were mostly affected by huge shelling. Also, those parts which are close to military facilities or cultural structures are also got affected by shelling and explosions.
So, the middle of the city is now a little bit safer than the other parts of the city according to the map though it was not like that when the war broke out on 24th February 2022. People know that anything can happen anytime even any part of the city can be hit by the enemy at any moment but they have decided to move forward in life. It's been over 4 months since the war broke out and I think business owners are not ready to take any further losses. So, restaurants, clubs, and small businesses have started working in Kharkiv periodically.
After observing and hearing about the entire situation of the city, I have decided to post something sweet and inspiring memory of my life in Kharkiv today.
These photos are taken at different times. I used to live in Kharkiv after completing my master's so I was a resident holder in Kharkiv, not a student. During the weekend I used to go to different parts of the city because I loved this city a lot. Kharkiv was never a popular city among tourists because it hardly had tourist spots but to me, it was an ideal city for living. I have explored and discovered a lot of locations in Kharkiv including villages and often used to spend my time outside. My weekend was full of fun and almost every Saturday and Sunday, I went out for lunch or dinner at different restaurants. Those who followed my blogs and videos for 4 years on the blockchain, know-how thoroughly and precisely I tried to represent the city.
I mostly used to explore and love the architecture of the city, old soviet architecture. Sometimes there was touch of modernism but every buildings were mostly 40-80 years old, some were ancient even trees.
Every street of Kharkiv holds the culture and history of the city though now many incredible and important landmark has been destroyed sadly. I remember the walk in the oldest square and in front of the museum. I have spent coldest night outside at Constitution Square. I have seen the amazing night view of the city from the top of the building.
The present scenario of the city has changed, weekends are not like before. Many building destroyed, people hide in the basement when airalert comes, no more foreigners, 85% people had left the city already but now many are returning back to run the businesses and offices. Schools and universities are still closed.
One of my friend from Kharkiv was saying that it's very hard to enter in the city. You have to go through a lot of check points and questionnaires by military if you want to enter in the city. Foreigner students are not allowed to enter, foreign residence holder can enter but they suggest not to stay longer in the city. Life is not like before, everything changed. Buildings are broken, some streets are destroyed and under renovation. But people are still there, going to groceries, markets, doing regular things. People are slowly getting back to their daily activities, that's what I have heard. They are not afraid of shelling or anything anymore.
The city might survive eventually in future but how we don't know yet...
The images were taken before the war broke out in Ukraine.
Thank you so much for reading...
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Priyan...
I am
.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thought easily...
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All images used are captured by the author...