See Luhansk ... and not to die. Part 1

I have to say that there are no any global assessment of the situation and social and political analysis in this paper. I was only during one day (24 September 2014) in the city and can not describe the whole picture.

So, first things first...

My desire to visit Luhansk gradually transformed into a necessity. Kharkiv is certainly nice and warm city, but there are autumn and winter here, too. I have left Luhansk in the middle of summer right from my summer house. My wardrobe had not be suited to cool autumn conditions, the last two bags of money were buried in the fields of my native land, and the question of warm clothes had been asked point-blank.

I still did not dare to go in person, fazed my more desperate friends to bring my stuff with a convenient opportunity, as a result it was getting cooler outdoors and more uneasy in my mind.

A "kick in the pants" and a blessing for the trip had been received from my heads, exactly from my old school friend Vladislav. Vlad went to the office and said something like: "We'll go to Luhansk next week, get ready". Well, finally, the problem is solved...

Having read in the Internet inconsistent reviews about trips and ungracious mugs in checkpoints I imagined the ride as a scary undertaking. But then the forces of light have launched the long-awaited train "Kiev - Luhansk", the number of idiotic inspections has been reduced to two and we definitely decided to start.

Somehow we managed to buy tickets in the Internet, and now in half past four in the morning having a passport and an empty bag I fell on the top shelf of the varnished car. At about 8 a.m. I awakened by a loud talks at the station Krasny Liman. Most likely, someone was checked in the train, but they had not reached to our compartment.

 
I thought back to sleep, but in the next compartment radio "Bullshitter FM" has been switched on. Some kind of old fogy after watching "Lifenews" and also "Russia 24" with a commanding voice all the way gave us "strategic important" info about the situation in ATO zone. Overwhelmed travel companions pretended to be deaf-mutes, all the time disappeared to the loo and to smoke, but the old man had not stop.

We passed settlements Sentyanovka, Rodakovo, Slavyanoserbsk, Beloye ...

Then, we were passing Yubileynoye. Even from this distance it is clear that the mine has been affected. Slanting rain outdoors, and the wind howls like a jet plane. The trees wind to the ground, and it's cold and uncomfortable. In general, we have got it with the weather. When arriving at the station there was deathly silence in the car.

"What is it? Well, what? "- timid passengers asked each other. Even the old man turned off his fount of eloquence. I go out into the vestibule platform, there is a big guy with a gun that asked to show a passport. Carefully looking residence, he asked to open the bag. And yet! No more "hit lists" with the signature of Satan himself.

 
Ten seconds later I'm running along a platform to the "railway station square" to hail a taxi. And it is not necessary to hail, there is a line of ten cars.

"Man, where are you going?" - "At the roundabout stop on 50 Let Oktyabrya street ". - "Oh, it is 100 hrivnyas". - " How much???" - "One hundred and what's up?"... Holy shit, what's up. Previously, for 100 hrivnyas you could reach up to the town of Alchevsk, and yet they would sing songs to you under the accompaniment of accordion.

Well, we agree for 90, and still to go to Zhukova quarter. I wait for Vlad with his mother, we get into the car and rushing. Vlad immediately pulls out the phone and starts to shoot the empty streets of the city. But, most likely, the cause of rareness of passers-by was a heavy wind.

 
It is a lot of cars, the shuttle buses are full of passengers. We have not seen wide destructions in the city. There are no armored cars and tanks, too. The road near the former building of the State Security Service of Ukraine is clear; the barricades of tires were removed. We go down the route Center of the city - Avangard - Сultural centre of Builders - Aviatsentr and further down Budyonnogo street to Zhukova quarter. Broken glass is here and there, but everything seems intact. We arrive at Zhukova quarter. Vlad with his mother out. We agree to phone and a plan "B" in case of force majeure events.
Then we go to the roundabout, and here it is, my dear entrance. The cat named Ryzhiy, the cat's criminal authority chief of our yard, is on the verge and eating sausages (like this here!). No attention to me. Okay, we'll have a chat later.

 
I approach to the door; the intercom system does not operate (there is no light). Additional bolts and barricades are not detected. A layer of dust in the mailbox, and there are no bills for utility services and booklets from supermarket "Epitsenter". I go up to the 4th floor, entrance is surprisingly clean.
Cats are almost on every floor, who are asleep, someone asks to eat and scratch a neck. Everywhere there are saucers with water and dry food. Cats are for good, I think, and open my flat with heart aflutter. I have to say the smell was not very good. Thanks God, I have turned off the refrigerator before travel to my summer house leaving it empty and open, but 2 months with the windows closed plus the lack of water give not the best perfume.

Text in the figure: ATTENTION! Do not pay for the utility services to Privatbank. This bank does not operate in Luhansk region

Everything is in place, windows are intact, thanks God ...

I thought ficus has dead, but no, my aunt took it to see how it turned out.

I meet the neighbor on the platform. He has not gone anywhere and all the time he lived in the city.

- How are you?
- All is well. No shoots longer, thanks God.
- And what is about electricity and water?
- I go for water to Druzhby quarter; electricity was fed yesterday, and will soon be fed again...
- What's with apartments, have been they ransacked or taken away?
- Oh shit, Kolya, do we need to someone ....

I asked cigarettes and went home.

Okay. Affairs are many, time is short. It is apocalypse outdoors, everything that was not broken by the war the nature decided to break.

 
I find cereals and pasta, coffee, tea, sugar, and still a lot of all that does not spoil quickly in the kitchen larder. I pack everything in a backpack, dress warmly and run to visit the remaining relatives.
I go on foot from the ring at 50 Let Octyabrya street to Solnechniy quarter.

 
At the bus stop to travel to the Luhanskaya village there are a couple of people and buses. One bus was badly parked "sideways" and blocked the road. Here comes "Ikarus" full of dudes in camouflage and with machine guns. It starts to sound horn heart-rendingly. Go further ...

 
Rare sellers in the market, but dense rain. Prices are not so cosmic high, 20 percent more than in Kharkov.

Branches fall from the trees by the wind. There are few cars, a jeep with no number plates passed before me. Camouflage daubed by paint from cans. The turret with a machine gun on the roof! Heavily beaten from all sides, but speeding is not less than 120 km/hour. Screaming music from the cockpit, something oriental.

All my "arts" two months ago are sketched with gray paint. However, as well as the artistry of young rag tags.

I would tell more to those who is out of step.

See Luhansk ... and not to die. Рart 2
 
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