Ukrainian Kharkiv, despite the constant threat of shelling and the tension of the situation, continues to live its life and enjoys life in the early summer. This became the subject of observations by a team of reporters from The Washington Post who visited the city over the weekend.
WP reporters saw a wedding against the background of shelled buildings, a graduation in a bomb shelter and other "surrealism" in Kharkiv.
The search for joy, residents say, is Russia's own form of resistance. A team of reporters from The Washington Post observed how the city and its residents perceive life.
Some of the heroes of the report ended up on the front page of the publication. These are newlyweds Serhii and Karima Kovalenka, who celebrated their wedding. Serhiy is a contract employee who received 10 days of vacation. Due to constant shelling, about 20 relatives and friends refused to attend the ceremony.
WP reporters also saw: a rehearsal of a play by the Kharkiv Opera House, a graduation party in a bomb shelter for high school students, a performance by a local street band, an open zoo, sports entertainment and, finally, crowded beaches, cafes and bars. All this is against the background of mutilated houses and the daily work of rescuers who pull out dead bodies from the rubble.
At the end of the article, The Washington Post summarized:
Life in Kharkiv is abnormal. This is some kind of surrealism.
