Avdiivka on the frontline: photo-report

The frontline town of Avdiivka is located 13 kilometers to the north from Donetsk and has a population of about 25,000 inhabitants. There you will find the largest in Europe Avdiivka coke plant, which employs several thousand people. However, because of the war, the city court in Avdiivka has not operated for six years. The city comes up against the systemic problems with drinking water supply. Some houses have been destroyed as they were located close to the front line and the mined field, which is designated by special signs.

Among these houses near the front is a high-rise residential building at 15 Vorobyova Street in Avdiivka. The roof of this house offers a panoramic view of Donetsk and Donetsk airport. And the house itself in the midst of hostilities withstood more than one artillery strike.

The house was put into place shortly before the start of hostilities in December 2013 and a little more than half of the residents moved to it. In the summer of 2014, due to the capture of the city by pro-Russian forces, the city appeared just on the front line. However, several families, servicemen, and volunteers continue to live in the house today. All residents who had to leave their apartments in this building get the “inner-city migrants” status in Avdiivka and rent apartments in safer areas of the city.

The door of the apartment in the house on 15 Vorobyova Street eloquently reminds people of the war. Until 2014, one could see this only in movies. Since the house is actually a military facility, in which some civilians continue to live and, who for different reasons have not left their homes, people place appropriate ads on the doors of their apartments.

However, the house at 15 Vorobyova Street is just an episode in the city’s history related to the recent war. Avdiivka also has a folk historical museum, where you can see various exhibits, including those dedicated to the events of the current war. After all, the city has repeatedly become the hottest spot on the map of Ukraine.

A significant part of the museum’s exposition is occupied by the history of the current war, one of the epicenters of which Avdiivka has been since 2014.

In addition, one of the main monuments in modern Avdiivka is a memorial to the fallen soldiers, where citizens can honour the memory of them. This is a place where city residents meet.

In Avdiivka, except for the flags of the city and Ukraine, one can also find European Union flags.

Despite the consequences of the war, Avdiivka tries to develop. The leadership of the local military-civil administration, representatives of local business, and civil society actively joined the activities of the Frontline Communities Coalition “On the Front Line.” The Coalition working groups meet regularly in the local military-civil administration.

Denis Bigunov, in the framework of the project “On the Front Line”