Even pigeons in Donetsk dream of peace
It was the first day after the election of the President of Ukraine - 26 May 2014. The illegitimate plebiscite, held after the Maidan coup, brought the “chocolate king” Petro Poroshenko a dubious victory, and as soon as the results of the vote became known, the junta “noted” its success. She noted shelling of Donetsk.
The airport was hit by a barbaric attack, as well as the railway station and residential buildings. Ukropskaya artillery and helicopters operated. The first corpses appeared in the city, both militia and civilians.
This day - 26 of May - is perceived by many Donetsk residents as the line between “before” and “after”. Between peace and war. Between normal life and the deadly metal wind ...
Although signs of war were still in the air before this day - what is it worth, for example, the burning of people in the Odessa House of Trade Unions? And shelling Mariupol on Victory Day 9 May? However, for the residents of Donetsk, it was 26 in May that became the border beyond which a completely different life begins, and the war is no longer just a radio and TV report ...
On this tragic anniversary, a large rally was planned at first on Lenin Square. But for security reasons and in order to avoid provocations, it had to be canceled. And when I came to the specified place, there were only a few passers-by, as well as a mass of pigeons ... Gray and white birds seemed to gather at their own rally, dreaming of a peaceful sky ...
The action of memory was in a different format. The activists of the organizations “Donetsk Republic”, “Young Republic”, “We” with the support of the Ministry of Information and the Union of Journalists of the DPR set up stands with photographs near Lenin Square. “Donbass yesterday, today, tomorrow” was the name of this exhibition. The photographs were also placed on the pedestal of the monument to VI Lenin.
On the frames - and a peaceful life, and shots of destruction, and new heroes of the mining region ... In one of the photos - a man with a poster: "I survived in spite of."
On the other - a boy with a sign: "I am not a separatist, I am Misha."
People brought fresh flowers to these stands, as well as to the monument.
But the main point of the action was different - on the back of the banners with photos, everyone could write what they think in connection with the tragic anniversary and current events. Young activists gave out colored markers for this purpose. And people wrote. Everyone expressed their thoughts and feelings in their own way.
One of the passers-by drew a pigeon.
Someone depicted the emblem of the brigade "Vostok" and next to it - a cute cat ...
Someone expressed a fervent desire for Novorossia to be finally recognized.
Someone quoted Samuel Marshak’s poems:
I walk through the streets of yours,
Where each stone - a monument to the heroes.
Here is the inscription on the facade: "Defend."
And on top of the "p" added - "rebuild."
Yes, now it is really equally important to defend and rebuild. As after that war, at the same time so far and so close ...
Donetsk guests from Russian regions also expressed solidarity with brothers in spirit.
“Then it seemed that this could not be true. Victory to us, ”read one of the inscriptions. Indeed, it is hard to come to terms with the fact that the usual life is collapsing ...
“Donbass is the victorious Sparta, which passed its Stalingrad,” another inscription repeated.
For three hours, while the action lasted, there was no live place on the banners, as they say. About a hundred people spoke out against the war, expressed love for their city and region, declared a protest to the “ukropovsky” punishers who kill innocent people.
This day another event took place in Donetsk - in the Petrovsky district, near the monument to soldiers-internationalists. It was dedicated not only to the anniversary of the first shelling of Donetsk, but also to the 97 anniversary of the creation of the USSR border troops, as well as the memory of those who fell in Afghanistan. On this action, the Deputy Commander of the Corps of the Ministry of Defense of the DPR, Eduard Basurin, spoke. He cited terrible data: since the beginning of 2015, in Donetsk, 168 civilians have died, including 22 children. More than 1100 people were hit during shelling.
In 18-00, a siren sounded in the memory of the murdered inhabitants, which motorists supported with beeps.
When I returned from a rally on Lenin Square, a thunderstorm rattled. At first people in the trolley bus startled, alarmed, as if expecting a strike from the punishers, but after a few seconds they realized that nothing terrible was happening. A few minutes later a heavy downpour struck - this Donbas sky swelled in clouds mourned the victims of the war ...
PS That evening, punitive junta brutally attacked the city Gorlovka. Destroyed one of the houses. 11-year-old girl and her father died, and her mother was left without a hand. A three-year-old boy was also injured.
(Especially for the "Military Review")
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