"They are in no joking mood": 10 tips on how to behave in the occupied Donetsk. Part 2

For many people of Donetsk who left the occupied territory and moved to the "mainland", the question about the specifics of behavior in the capital of Donbas is not actual no more. However, those who want to come for the first time in Donetsk after its occupation, it is necessary to know some nuances that may relate both citizens with a local residence permit, and those who have decided to come there from other regions of the country.

Please follow the link to read the 1st  part of the story

So:

4)  Accommodations.

If you arrive in the city as a guest, then you will faced with "housing problem". And here, perhaps, you will find the only advantage which "republic" generously shares with you. Housing prices in the occupied territory - whether buying or renting - have fallen significantly. Of course, it is better to take care of the apartment in advance, but even if you did not, you can always solve the problem of accommodation directly at the stations, mainly - the coach station "Yuzhny" which is the main transport hub of Donetsk.

If to take the rates in hryvnias (you still have pay in rubles), daily rent of apartments starts from 50 hryvnias on the outskirts of the city. Upon that, referring to sites with such a service, you can easily rent an apartment with the so-called "european-quality repair" in the range from 120 to 220 hryvnias in the heart of Donetsk. It will really be a high quality accommodation with views of the main sites such as a dramatic theatre.

Thus, the 5-7 days of stay in Donetsk will cost 600-800 hryvnias, if you want a luxury level comfort. As to the long-term lease, its price will start from 800 hryvnias per month in the areas remote from the center of the city; further they vary within 1200-1500 hryvnias in the central areas; and from 1800 to 6000 hryvnias if you want to live with a view of the building of the Regional State Administration or river Kalmius in apartments with the so-called "european-quality repair" in the new skyscrapers. I must say that each of these amounts should be multiplied by 3 to receive the correspondent amount before the war. Of course, for special gourmets there is a variant with a few hotels in the city such as "Shakhtar Plaza" where you can stay for 2000 rubles per day and higher.

If to talk briefly about the topic of buying an apartment in Donetsk, its specificity will consist in the fact that transactions with real estate located in "DPR" are considered here as illegal if taxes on them have not been paid to the treasury of "republic" which is why those who still hopes for the return of the Ukrainian power, have to pay twice. As for prices, a good one-roomed flat in the Kalinin district of the city may be purchased within the range of 12-15 thousand dollars that again 2-3 times less than the pre-war level.

5) Language.

For the majority of the people arriving in Donetsk this issue is absent: for 2 years of occupation I only once heard Ukrainian speech in Donetsk. But if you suddenly find yourself a Ukrainian speaking person with a poor knowledge of Russian (say, with obvious accent) you will not have special problems. You will not be killed or beaten for the Ukrainian speech and they will not refuse to answer (although the latter option is still available). In an extreme case, you face a little conversation with the representatives of local government institutions which attention will be drawn to you by a "watchful" people or neighbors and common astonishment of local residents with the question " whence did you come?" With adequate calm reaction on your part there should be no problems.

Please follow the link to read the 3rd  part of the story

Implementation of these simple rules will allow you not only to visit the city, but also leave it safely.
Stas Vasin for "OstroV", Donetsk

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