Anna Kovaleva came to Rossiyskaya Gazeta relatively recently. But she has already established herself as an experienced journalist broadcasting from hot spots. Volunteers to front-line hospitals. Winner of the Golden Pen award of the Union of Journalists of Russia.
Yuri Snegirev – a real journalistic wolf. Passed 14 hot spots. He was awarded the Order of Courage during his lifetime, which is rare for journalists. About Anya he says: “You can go on reconnaissance missions with her.”
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…Lugansk, compared to Donetsk, is a resort city. At the beginning of the year, the front line ran just eight kilometers from the center of the DPR capital. Therefore, there were constant attacks not only from American HIMARS missiles, but also from conventional artillery. Not all the missiles were shot down… The Kyiv region is literally plowed with mines. How people survived, we cannot understand…
Avdeevka was liberated in February. The line of combat contact has been pushed back 32 km. The number of “arrivals” has decreased significantly. But the city is thirsty. The Seversky Donets – Donbass channel is still under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And this artery supplied drinking water to the entire Donbass agglomeration. New artesian wells were drilled and a water pipeline was installed from the Don River. But this solves the problem only half…
However, life goes on. The circus has started. Corporate parties are in full swing in cafes and restaurants. And although it was decided not to install the main Christmas tree of the republic, the city glows with New Year’s lights.
Our small team makes videos for you about the daily life of a front-line city. We have already attended a performance at the Donbass Opera. We had a pre-New Year interview with the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin. And now new perspectives of Donetsk.
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On the most ordinary street, in the most ordinary house, disadvantaged people are given warmth and hope. The “Regional Development Center” collects from caring citizens everything that people fleeing the war will need. There are winter clothes, bed linen, and food packages. Special kits for newborns. And, of course, New Year’s gifts for the kids.
Roman Laksin heads the distribution department. He is our guide in this world of hope. In front of us is a whole mountain of satin bags with tags. On the tag is the name, surname, size. These are sets of winter clothes for refugees from the territories occupied by Ukraine. There is a notice on the door: “Items for the “Good Shelf” are temporarily not accepted due to the shelf being full.” People want to share things, but the space doesn’t allow it. There are shoes, woolen items, and outerwear. One elderly woman was picking up her things. And in the morning there was a “whirlpool” of things and people.
The food package includes cereals, pasta, canned food, sunflower oil, sugar and tea. With some skill, you can set a camp New Year’s table. The only thing missing for Mimosa salad is mayonnaise and eggs. According to UN standards, these are perishable products. Should not be included in rations.
Two elderly women from the liberated city of Ukrainsk received rations and clothes. After the temporary placement, they rent a one-room apartment and the eight of them live there. In cramped conditions, but warm. And under the tutelage of the Center for Regional Development.
Volunteers not only supply goods and food to internally displaced people. They are also renovating schools and child development rooms in new regions using voluntary donations.
In the very center, in a specially equipped children’s leisure room, young volunteers demonstrated physical experiments with the release of carbon dioxide to the children. And then we smoothly switched to blasting safety techniques. Children are given colorful booklets about what they should never do if they find a “petal” or fragments of HIMARS.
But there is no need to tell the cadets in Donetsk about explosive “petals”. This is taught here from first to eleventh grades. The Cadet Corps named after Alexander Zakharchenko is located in the former school No. 4, where the hero of Donbass studied. At the big break, a formation was ordered. The cadets – both boys and girls – lined up in ranks without fuss. The general and journalists came to them.
The general is Advisor to the head of the DPR Yan Gagin. And journalists, as you understand, are us. Yan Dmitrievich brought New Year’s gifts from all over the world. That is, from friendly and completely unfriendly countries. With the help of Rossotrudnichestvo, a collection of New Year’s gifts for Donbass children was announced. Concerned citizens of Poland risked not only being subject to obstruction, but also losing their freedom. There are stickers on the boxes: China, Chile, Hungary, Mexico, Cuba. Sweets inside. And in each bag there is a New Year’s card with wishes of goodness and peace. Postcards, unfortunately, are anonymous. After all, if the number does not go through, the sender may be imprisoned in some countries.
The mother of a graduate with the call sign “Skif” who died at the front is knitting wonderful woolen socks. And the corps decided to give this warm gift to the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, with all his heart for the New Year. The priceless package was handed over to Yan Gagin in a solemn ceremony. The head himself was in Moscow at the State Council. State affairs.
Gagin gave the general’s word to hand over the woolen socks to the first person in the DPR. The general kept his word. Pushilin has already tried on a spiritual new thing.
We went into the cadets’ classroom. They jumped up from their desks and a friendly “I wish you good health!” rang out. Beautiful girls with pigtails (the regulations still allow), strong boys. This is the future of Donbass, the future of Russia. They all dream of serving their Motherland. Most, of course, are in the military field. But there are those who will go into military medicine (mostly girls), there are also future military musicians, lawyers and even police officers. The uniform is given here after the fifth grade. And only if he earned it with high grades in all subjects, and especially in physical education. “Squishies” are not kept here. The competition for admission is almost the same as at MGIMO. The future of Donbass is in good hands, we are convinced of this.
PS At the Council of the Cadet Corps, a difficult but correct decision was made – to send boxes of sweets to temporary accommodation centers for refugees. This is more important to disadvantaged peers. This is patriotism.
Source: rg.ru
