Modern Problems of Izium: What Are They?

Unfortunately, every city has its own external and internal problems, and the city of Izium is no exception. 

Firstly, the city is located very close to the front line, which means the fighting here is hotter than in other cities. Izium continues to be shelled by enemy Shaheds, drones, UAVs, and guided bombs. 

Here is how local resident Liliya Khanina characterizes the current situation. She recently left the city with her daughter Eva, who is now nine years old and attends the third grade.

"We go to art classes, and we also attend 'Peaceful Sky' (a charity fund) for activities so she can socialize with her peers, with other kids, because online learning is just that—it’s not the same. Here they have painting, design, as well as mathematics, English, and Ukrainian language. The front is getting closer. It wasn't as loud before. Or maybe before, there just weren't any planes flying, only drones," Khanina shared.

Izium has been destroyed by more than 20%. The occupiers devastated everything: residential buildings, shops, post offices, schools, and even bombarded the Siversky Donets River. Since then, there have been frightening legends about this river, suggesting it may be mined (which could be true), and another legend claims that corpses float there and swimming is now prohibited. It has also become dangerous in the forests because they are mined. There have been countless cases where people went mushroom or berry picking and ended up stepping on a mine.

The second problem is the lack of job opportunities in the city. All existing vacancies are filled, and there are no more places to work. As a result, people are leaving the city in search of a better life. Another reason for the lack of jobs in Izium is the war, as the infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving almost no job openings. There are also no schools for children to attend, so they either study online or have moved abroad.

An example of this can be seen in the story of one of our relatives. She lived in Izium with her family her entire life; she had everything here: a home, a job, a life. But then the occupiers came and destroyed everything, forcing them to evacuate the city. They left for Belgium, where they now struggle because rent is expensive, and everything else is costly as well. They've barely found work, and the language barrier is a huge challenge. In Belgium, the language is Dutch, which is very complex, and our relatives are having a hard time with it. Yet they are forced to stay there because it is not safe in Izium.

The third problem is that the city is not experiencing any revival; it has stopped in time: it remains as it was left by the occupiers. There are even buildings that are covered in green moss, and the bridge over the Siversky Donets River has not been restored. To get to the center of the city, one must cross a pontoon wooden bridge made of logs that wobble. It is quite terrifying because just imagine: the bridge shakes, the bus rattles, the river below is splashing, and all this is at a height (the bridge is over the river)! It is a real nightmare! And how scary it is for people to walk across this bridge; it’s horrifying to even imagine! The logs are held together by sheer good faith while the bus struggles over them. 

Additionally, the buses are very old; they are cold in winter and extremely hot in summer, and they jolt violently on the bad roads of Izium, which are full of potholes and bumps, etc.

There are many more problems in Izium, but they can be solved if only the war would end!