Life is going. Even in times of war. Olya, a young woman of 22 years old. Pregnant with twins, she left the city of Zaporizhia this week, in the southeast of the country, home to the country’s largest nuclear power plant, which was seized by the Russians on Friday morning. This mother-to-be was fleeing shelling that was approaching her home.
Take cover, reluctantly
She reluctantly came to take refuge with her mother and younger brother in Lvov, leaving her father and husband behind: “My husband took up arms to defend our city. My father works in a hospital where he treats the wounded. I am very proud of their commitment,” she explains, admitting that she is still “very afraid for them.”
“The only reason I left is because I am pregnant. I will give birth soon. I really couldn’t give birth there, it was too dangerous. Maternity hospitals and hospitals are under the guns of the Russian army. give birth here and then I intend to return home to join my husband and my father,” she said.
A city that is being militarized
Lviv has become a haven for many Ukrainians fleeing areas where the fighting is raging. The city is not yet affected by the clashes, but it is becoming more and more militarized. Checkpoints have been set up at all entrances to the city, and armed men are patrolling the city.
Lviv is ready in case of a Russian attack. The authorities began to protect the heritage of the city. The statues were wrapped in layers of plastic. Workers were also seen erecting wooden palisades to the windows of Lviv’s Catholic Cathedral, a 14th-century basilica in the Old Town. Initiatives that say a lot about the state of mind of the residents.
“Here we just protect what we have,” explains Alexander, who works in a cafe right across from this cathedral. “We shelter people, statues, museums. We are doing everything we can to protect everyone, including our heritage.”
A city of culture that defends itself
Lviv is a city of art and history. Rococo cathedral, Parisian-style opera, Renaissance facades: this city has been the cultural center of Ukraine since the 14th century. “I am really very worried that all this can disappear,” Alexander continues.
“If the city is bombed, it will also be a disaster for the entire cultural world. This is our heritage: this is our soul, this is our culture. To destroy it means to erase several thousand years of history. think about it.”
In the face of war, these defenses may seem symbolic. No one knows if they will protect the heritage of the city in the event of a bombing. But Ukrainians see massive destruction every day in some of their cities. Thus, they are trying to protect their history as best they can in the face of the Russian threat.