Pervomaisk-Первомайск
http://littlehirosima.livejournal.com/47145.html
People here! Do not shoot!
January 4th, 2015 at 13:13
- Ira, don’t cry! They don’t shoot, it just seems!
In the kitchen the food is being distributed. People came to the social kitchen with the glass jars in hands.
I come up to the women, canteen workers, giving them the packs with feminine pads. Tears ran down Irina’s friend face.
- Darling, thank you!
- Not at all! ... When did they shot?
- Whacked with GRADs yesterday, I guess.
- And what about the truce?
My chickbones are drawn. Should they again…?
But they are laughing. And the tears again.
- Good haven! They do know they hit us on! Don’t they have mothers and children?
Tears are ready to drop everywhere in Pervomaisk. You need just a little. Almost everybody has their pain and strain. This pain can’t be neither expressed nor explained. The town found itself in the siege in July 22 and up to December 9 it has been living under the constant, everyday fire. It’s the truce now, but the citizens say they hear salvo fires or just shooting all the way. Bombing also happens. They live in horror, fear and death for half a year.
PC283729
- Despite the truce, our grandchildren always sleep dressed. And with the documents.
The friend elbows her.
- Don’t you sleep dressed yourself?
Meanwhile, the queue consists mainly of pensioners. Climbing hard up the stairs they get the food pursuant to passport . Stony eyes, walk and speech.
- Why don’t you leave, it’s so dangerous?
- To leave where? Who needs us? Many people had left in summer. They do return now. Our home is here. We have no other place to go!
Like a big boulder was put and crushed it all.
In summer five thousand citizens left out of 60,000. 15 thousand have returned to the town already, have returned to the town which is under continuous fire.
PC283567
- Thanks God we don’t hunger now. But it’s barely enough.
Holding the door, I find out an old woman.
- It were you who brought us food?
- Yes.
Tears in her eyes.
- My dear, thank you! God exists!
This is the third canteen where everybody cries. Then they kiss our chicks and cry again. And thank you, thank you, thank you. The heart is turned inside out and entrails are hooked and dragged outside. And emptiness turning into infinity inside me.
PC283628
It’s impossible to get to Pervomaisk. The town turns to be located in the horseshoe, surrounded by the AFU and the National Guard all around. One needs to pass many roadblocks on the way from Lugansk side. But one can’t get inside the town if he is not a resident. The passage is closed. Our humanitarian aid was met by Rostislav - tall and handsome militiaman.
- Rostislav, what is your call-sign?
- No call-sign. Just Rostislav. Rostik. I was born here and live here now. I have nothing to fear. My address specified in the social networks is real, so come and talk to me, as I always say.
Rostislav seats us into his car. Just a glance below - the grenade, wound in iPhone wire, like a navel cord.
PC283690
- Real one?
He laughs
- Take it. And look backwards.
I take it with trembling hands. There is something big behind us. Definitely bigger than machinegun. I wish I knew what it was.
- My God, what’s that?
My friend escorting human aid, Ruben:
- RPG-18 (МУХА)
- No, it's an RPG-26. Come on, I’ll show what they did to our town.
PC283836
Rostislav slowly pulls at one cigarette after another. He is younger than me, but I feel like a child near him - his gaze is sharp and clear.
Staring at the window I try to find at least one house undamaged. Just one house with unbroken windows. I can’t.
- We have restored a lot by now. Can you see the roof? - It was put a few days ago. And look here - the windows are restored already. Many things are done. But you see what's going on ... And here - can you see a shell crater? - A family went out to make fire to cook food ... And there, do you see the house? - A man had hardly jumped into the basement - the door is still opened. And human remains are everywhere. All by just the first hit.
A few minutes later the hand was already tired to make photos and to open the window. No energy to go out. Just weakness and frustration. Blind frustration. One can look at the pictures of bombing in magazines and the Internet many times, but nothing helps to realize it when one sees it by his own eyes.
There are no special injections that would help you to keep cool.
PC283797
- Was it purportedly done?
- No, not at all. The shelling was inaccurate after all.
- Do spotters work?
- They did before, but they don’t anymore.
PC283699
- Do they try to hit the militia?
- We caught some of them, you know. There are good guys among them, common people. When they saw they were not fighting against Russian army, but against old people and children, many of them tried to scuttle. They are all zombified to liberate the people from Putin. But in general - they batter the town randomly. Schools, colleges, sports palace - everything and anything. The town is riddled ...
PC283527
Rostik pulls at a cigarette, says with slitted eyes.
- Let’s go to the entrance.
We go up the stairs slowly
- God, what is it with..?
- Every child here can specify by sound what they use - howitzer, GRAD, mortar. These came down from the air, the plane...
PC283768
- Why all that? The children, the old people, what for?
- They all are brainwashed. But normal people also happen. Once they shot the field with shells. It means that they still have something human. They can’t fail to comply the order, and do understand they take away somebody’s life or home by each cluster.
- Would it be better to leave the town for people’s lives? Are the lives of hundreds worthwhile?
Rostislav looks at me icing to the bones
- Some part will be just killed, some part will be jailed. Everybody is "terrorist" here, don’t you know! We won’t abandon the people.
After the recent truce announcement, the people began to bring unexploded munitions to the center of Pervomaisk . Directly to Lenin monument.
The Ukrainian flag trampled in snow and mud is nearby.
PC283409
People come all the time and keep standing. Then go away silent. Cemetery.
- We’ll make a monument of that. Everybody should know.
Two weeks ago the people did not go out at all.
- We came to distribute bread, called. And people shouted from the basement - "drop it here." Were afraid to go out. The people who had the houses undamaged sometimes returned to take some things or to get a wash during the shelling break. Many of them died blanketed with single shell ... And all the people had been hidden to basements and shelters.
He points out to the shells near monument
- These are from GRAD, these are the mortar’s, these are shrapnel... These are air frags...
A pile of rusty pipes. Just dozens of the gullets cut, if you do not take a closer look. And each of them means either death or somebody’s grief.
PC283396
Now there are people in the streets. But in general, the city seems died off. As if you come to Pripyat after the explosion.
Rostik shows me the yards, and I am not able to see anything. Eyesight is dim-out. No people. No houses. The playgrounds banged up. Death.
And the letters on many houses "PEOPLE"
- Rostik, what's this?
- People have written, but if it helped ..
Written by people for whom? for people?
PC283802
The scream from the depth of heart, written with blood. On nearly each house.
The scream written with tears and grief. We are PEOPLE. Do not kill us! PEOPLE
These letters left with me forever. Ingrained deeply like an acid and can’t be burnt out. It keeps facing me.
- Let's go to the bomb shelter. I’ll show you the people who have lost everything, where they live and hide.
PC283650
We go down to the basement, The blankets are hanging everywhere . The stove in the middle. Mattresses, blankets, bales of things, cans with water. People began to bustle. They saw militiaman, surrounded and inundated him immediately with questions. We were joined by Rostik’s friend - Sanya. Call-sign "Speed". Sanya tries to hold the line surrounded by women.
- How many people live here?
Woman looks through me
- During the bombing the basement is full. Now we are living here.
I notice the place separated by hung rags. I move it aside - an old woman looks at me fearfully. Having seen we’ve brought food, her eyes wet immediately.
PC283670
- Are you alone here?
- Children had left, and the house was destroyed by two shells. I live here since then.
- Why do not they take you away?
- I do not know. But I won’t go. My home is here, and I will die here.
And the tears, tears, tears. And torment pain.
PC283664
In such basements they live in communes. They eat and do everything together.
My eyes puffed. Rostik looks at me
- You are not accustomed to it. Never mind. Let's go on.
The conversation is confused, with thousand questions - what, who, why… But just the old woman and "PEOPLE" in my eyes.
- At the beginning, people behaved awfully - grabbed rations and made rows. Tried to snatch anything for themselves. Now everything changed. War has awakened the human in people. Now when we bring food - they pour the oil in cups and call each other. And share it all.
Does it really need to live six months under fire, to just become a human?
DSCN1426
In the roadblock a boy of 18 years mounts guard. We give sweets, and he smiles from ear to ear.
- Have you already set a Christmas tree in your city?
- Yes.
- And we have, too! New Year after all!
We were a few people who brought humanitarian aid from Moscow to Pervomaisk. We collected it with the help of our friends, acquaintances and Internet. We have quite different views. But on the way back there was no one who would not cry. Choking with tears, face away, gulping tears in complete inability against this horror
People here! Do not shoot!
January 4th, 2015 at 13:13
- Ira, don’t cry! They don’t shoot, it just seems!
In the kitchen the food is being distributed. People came to the social kitchen with the glass jars in hands.
I come up to the women, canteen workers, giving them the packs with feminine pads. Tears ran down Irina’s friend face.
- Darling, thank you!
- Not at all! ... When did they shot?
- Whacked with GRADs yesterday, I guess.
- And what about the truce?
My chickbones are drawn. Should they again…?
But they are laughing. And the tears again.
- Good haven! They do know they hit us on! Don’t they have mothers and children?
Tears are ready to drop everywhere in Pervomaisk. You need just a little. Almost everybody has their pain and strain. This pain can’t be neither expressed nor explained. The town found itself in the siege in July 22 and up to December 9 it has been living under the constant, everyday fire. It’s the truce now, but the citizens say they hear salvo fires or just shooting all the way. Bombing also happens. They live in horror, fear and death for half a year.
PC283729
- Despite the truce, our grandchildren always sleep dressed. And with the documents.
The friend elbows her.
- Don’t you sleep dressed yourself?
Meanwhile, the queue consists mainly of pensioners. Climbing hard up the stairs they get the food pursuant to passport . Stony eyes, walk and speech.
- Why don’t you leave, it’s so dangerous?
- To leave where? Who needs us? Many people had left in summer. They do return now. Our home is here. We have no other place to go!
Like a big boulder was put and crushed it all.
In summer five thousand citizens left out of 60,000. 15 thousand have returned to the town already, have returned to the town which is under continuous fire.
PC283567
- Thanks God we don’t hunger now. But it’s barely enough.
Holding the door, I find out an old woman.
- It were you who brought us food?
- Yes.
Tears in her eyes.
- My dear, thank you! God exists!
This is the third canteen where everybody cries. Then they kiss our chicks and cry again. And thank you, thank you, thank you. The heart is turned inside out and entrails are hooked and dragged outside. And emptiness turning into infinity inside me.
PC283628
It’s impossible to get to Pervomaisk. The town turns to be located in the horseshoe, surrounded by the AFU and the National Guard all around. One needs to pass many roadblocks on the way from Lugansk side. But one can’t get inside the town if he is not a resident. The passage is closed. Our humanitarian aid was met by Rostislav - tall and handsome militiaman.
- Rostislav, what is your call-sign?
- No call-sign. Just Rostislav. Rostik. I was born here and live here now. I have nothing to fear. My address specified in the social networks is real, so come and talk to me, as I always say.
Rostislav seats us into his car. Just a glance below - the grenade, wound in iPhone wire, like a navel cord.
PC283690
- Real one?
He laughs
- Take it. And look backwards.
I take it with trembling hands. There is something big behind us. Definitely bigger than machinegun. I wish I knew what it was.
- My God, what’s that?
My friend escorting human aid, Ruben:
- RPG-18 (МУХА)
- No, it's an RPG-26. Come on, I’ll show what they did to our town.
PC283836
Rostislav slowly pulls at one cigarette after another. He is younger than me, but I feel like a child near him - his gaze is sharp and clear.
Staring at the window I try to find at least one house undamaged. Just one house with unbroken windows. I can’t.
- We have restored a lot by now. Can you see the roof? - It was put a few days ago. And look here - the windows are restored already. Many things are done. But you see what's going on ... And here - can you see a shell crater? - A family went out to make fire to cook food ... And there, do you see the house? - A man had hardly jumped into the basement - the door is still opened. And human remains are everywhere. All by just the first hit.
A few minutes later the hand was already tired to make photos and to open the window. No energy to go out. Just weakness and frustration. Blind frustration. One can look at the pictures of bombing in magazines and the Internet many times, but nothing helps to realize it when one sees it by his own eyes.
There are no special injections that would help you to keep cool.
PC283797
- Was it purportedly done?
- No, not at all. The shelling was inaccurate after all.
- Do spotters work?
- They did before, but they don’t anymore.
PC283699
- Do they try to hit the militia?
- We caught some of them, you know. There are good guys among them, common people. When they saw they were not fighting against Russian army, but against old people and children, many of them tried to scuttle. They are all zombified to liberate the people from Putin. But in general - they batter the town randomly. Schools, colleges, sports palace - everything and anything. The town is riddled ...
PC283527
Rostik pulls at a cigarette, says with slitted eyes.
- Let’s go to the entrance.
We go up the stairs slowly
- God, what is it with..?
- Every child here can specify by sound what they use - howitzer, GRAD, mortar. These came down from the air, the plane...
PC283768
- Why all that? The children, the old people, what for?
- They all are brainwashed. But normal people also happen. Once they shot the field with shells. It means that they still have something human. They can’t fail to comply the order, and do understand they take away somebody’s life or home by each cluster.
- Would it be better to leave the town for people’s lives? Are the lives of hundreds worthwhile?
Rostislav looks at me icing to the bones
- Some part will be just killed, some part will be jailed. Everybody is "terrorist" here, don’t you know! We won’t abandon the people.
After the recent truce announcement, the people began to bring unexploded munitions to the center of Pervomaisk . Directly to Lenin monument.
The Ukrainian flag trampled in snow and mud is nearby.
PC283409
People come all the time and keep standing. Then go away silent. Cemetery.
- We’ll make a monument of that. Everybody should know.
Two weeks ago the people did not go out at all.
- We came to distribute bread, called. And people shouted from the basement - "drop it here." Were afraid to go out. The people who had the houses undamaged sometimes returned to take some things or to get a wash during the shelling break. Many of them died blanketed with single shell ... And all the people had been hidden to basements and shelters.
He points out to the shells near monument
- These are from GRAD, these are the mortar’s, these are shrapnel... These are air frags...
A pile of rusty pipes. Just dozens of the gullets cut, if you do not take a closer look. And each of them means either death or somebody’s grief.
PC283396
Now there are people in the streets. But in general, the city seems died off. As if you come to Pripyat after the explosion.
Rostik shows me the yards, and I am not able to see anything. Eyesight is dim-out. No people. No houses. The playgrounds banged up. Death.
And the letters on many houses "PEOPLE"
- Rostik, what's this?
- People have written, but if it helped ..
Written by people for whom? for people?
PC283802
The scream from the depth of heart, written with blood. On nearly each house.
The scream written with tears and grief. We are PEOPLE. Do not kill us! PEOPLE
These letters left with me forever. Ingrained deeply like an acid and can’t be burnt out. It keeps facing me.
- Let's go to the bomb shelter. I’ll show you the people who have lost everything, where they live and hide.
PC283650
We go down to the basement, The blankets are hanging everywhere . The stove in the middle. Mattresses, blankets, bales of things, cans with water. People began to bustle. They saw militiaman, surrounded and inundated him immediately with questions. We were joined by Rostik’s friend - Sanya. Call-sign "Speed". Sanya tries to hold the line surrounded by women.
- How many people live here?
Woman looks through me
- During the bombing the basement is full. Now we are living here.
I notice the place separated by hung rags. I move it aside - an old woman looks at me fearfully. Having seen we’ve brought food, her eyes wet immediately.
PC283670
- Are you alone here?
- Children had left, and the house was destroyed by two shells. I live here since then.
- Why do not they take you away?
- I do not know. But I won’t go. My home is here, and I will die here.
And the tears, tears, tears. And torment pain.
PC283664
In such basements they live in communes. They eat and do everything together.
My eyes puffed. Rostik looks at me
- You are not accustomed to it. Never mind. Let's go on.
The conversation is confused, with thousand questions - what, who, why… But just the old woman and "PEOPLE" in my eyes.
- At the beginning, people behaved awfully - grabbed rations and made rows. Tried to snatch anything for themselves. Now everything changed. War has awakened the human in people. Now when we bring food - they pour the oil in cups and call each other. And share it all.
Does it really need to live six months under fire, to just become a human?
DSCN1426
In the roadblock a boy of 18 years mounts guard. We give sweets, and he smiles from ear to ear.
- Have you already set a Christmas tree in your city?
- Yes.
- And we have, too! New Year after all!
We were a few people who brought humanitarian aid from Moscow to Pervomaisk. We collected it with the help of our friends, acquaintances and Internet. We have quite different views. But on the way back there was no one who would not cry. Choking with tears, face away, gulping tears in complete inability against this horror