Along one side of the smooth asphalt road are apartment buildings; along the other side are detached houses and private gardens. They have one thing in common – both sides will soon be demolished.
Welcome to the district of Lypky in Irpin, Kyiv Region. Here the charred remains of houses are damaged to such an extent that restoration is impossible.
Upon visiting one of those apartment buildings, my friend Sasha and I can hear the sound of drilling. On the ground floor, which suffered the least, the washing machine miraculously survived so the owners are trying to disconnect it for use somewhere else – wherever that may be.
On the upper floors it’s harder to find anything that remains intact. On the fourth floor, the internal door to one apartment has been blown right through. Clothes and remains of broken furniture are scattered across the floor, while the collapsed external walls flood the apartment with the harsh daylight.
It’s hard imagining life in these homes just a few months ago, with families and children cooking delicious food, gathering around the table, watching TV and laughing on the balcony. Now there’s a cold eerie breeze from where the windows once provided protection, while remains of crockery are strewn across broken concrete floors and beds are now just iron bars. It’s not fair. But this is our reality.
Standing in front of the remains of the balcony in the fourth month of the war, I still can’t picture how this whole area – once full of life – has now been wiped off the face of the earth. Where Google maps had marked houses, kindergartens, hairdressers, coffee shops and bank branches, today they are merely haunting memories.
From Feb. 27 the Russian military occupied 30 percent of Irpin. They opened fire using every possible weapon, from machine guns to artillery and rockets, which slammed into people’s homes and destroyed people’s lives and futures.
According to Irpin’s Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn, more than 50 percent of buildings in the city were destroyed. Experts are currently evaluating their status for repair or demolition, but about 40 apartment buildings are to be demolished today and 2,000 private estates have been completely or partially damaged. It will take about a year and a half to fully demolish and rebuild homes across the city.
What’s happened to the people of Irpin?
Before the war, Irpin’s population numbered around 100,000. During the Russian offensive in the city, Ukrainian troops managed to evacuate 95 percent of the population.
Currently, according to local authorities, 40 percent have returned. Gas, electricity and water supplies have been restored in almost the entire city except for the most difficult areas. Shops, restaurants and other service facilities are coming back to life. The whole territory has now been de-mined. Roads are being repaired and, most importantly, the city is already working on finding replacement housing for those who need it.
According to Markushyn, there is already a 50,000-square-meter plot reserved for the construction of five-storey buildings and experts are currently developing a detailed plan for those who lost their homes. It’s being designed to accommodate about 1,000 families (based on three people per household). In addition, state funds are also being reserved to allocate apartments in existing buildings.
These programs apply to those residents of Irpin who have lost their homes completely. As for those whose homes were damaged, but are subject to restoration, the state will help them financially. Currently, a modular town is being built for these families where the state will provide a range of amenities for the residents.
Today, volunteers hand out food and clothing to anyone who needs it. In addition, the residents of Irpin, as well as other destroyed Ukrainian cities, are being helped and supported by people across Ukraine, Europe and the whole world. For that we will always be grateful. And we will always remember and believe in a happy ending. Because even after a storm, the sun eventually shines.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and not those of the Kyiv Post.
