FreeСХІД.ua#18 Exotic diners of Donetsk, trash monsters and “Donbas” at Cannes
#FreeNUMBER
700 schools! That is the number of educational institutions damaged by the Donbas conflict, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Another impressive number stated by the fund is 200 000 schoolchildren. That is how many boys and girls regularly go to school on the background of ongoing fighting. These kids are at constant risk of accidental contact with explosive ordnance. And, finally, 8 000 of working schools and kindergartens are located in close proximity from military facilities.
#FreeINFOGRAPHICS
Community workers from "Donbas SOS" explained what underpaid pension is, and if it is real to retrieve the full payment, as well as how to get other types of state financial assistance like, for example, burial allowance.
#FreeDONETSK
4 years of occupation have considerably changed “culinary routs” of Donetsk residents. Closed McDonalds international fast-food restaurant chain was replaced by fast-food “DonMac”. It is located at illegally seized premises of the former restaurant, and offers clone of McDonald’s menu and package design with inscriptions in Russian.
New Soviet- and separatist-style dining establishments opened in town: café “Koba” (nickname of Josef Stalin) with Stalin’s portrait as a centerpiece, restaurant “Separ” (short and, oddly, derogative of “separatist”) in the center of Donetsk – on Pushkin boulevard; and restaurant “Rasseia” (form of the word “Russia”) that operates on the premises of former restaurant “Africa” on the Kalmius river bank.
Our Donetsk correspondent made a tour of most famous cafes and restaurants of the uncontrolled city, and this is his special report made exclusively for #FreeСХІД.ua
1. There are 3 clones of McDonald’s in Donetsk today. All of them run by different owners. “DonMac” establishments at Lenin Square and at Kryty rynok (Indoor market) serve beer and chips. While the restaurant at the South bus station made no such additions to its menu. Tee choice also differs, but burgers and french-fries taste the same in all the three “DonMacs”.
2. “Separ” restaurant opened in 2017. Its logo is a Cheburashka (an iconic Russian classic cartoon character – ed.) wearing a camouflage. The windows are covered with camouflage net, inside – sand bags, and a rocket launcher, mirrors are decorated with scopes. The menu this fine dining establishment offers “soldier’s cellar”, “general’s appetizer”, “mum Nadia’s special herring”, “private’s beer snack”, “pin to a grenade”, “ cadet borsch”, “army stew”, and unexpectedly homey “Mom’s cabbage rolls”.
3. According to comments in social media and on the diner’s own web-site this is “a restaurant where all the best traditions of Russian folks are observed”. The walls are decorated with pictures of bears; other decor items include balalaikas and samovars. Vodka “Putinka” is on the menu. The restaurant “Rasseia” has it all. Unfortunately, it never managed to win the hearts of Donetsk residents, and closed recently.
4. “Koba” café featuring a portrait of Stalin opened in 2016 on the premises of Donetsk South bus station. As is well known, Stalin started using alias “Koba” after reading novel “Patricide” by Alexander Kazbegi. The interior of the restaurant is in-sync with the times of Stalin’s rule: clocks, gramophone, cigarette cases, Lenin and Stalin portraits. On top of that, owners hang around miner’s caps and lamps - probably to remind visitors of mining past of the region.
5. Up until the beginning of 2017 “Lvivska maistenia shokoladu” (Lviv Chocolate Shop – ed.) operated in the very center of Donetsk. The fact that it managed to stay open for such long time is especially odd regarding the so-called “DNR’s” militant leaders steady aversion to everything Ukrainian. Anyway, in December it was replaced by “Caramelle” café. The interior design is unchanged, as well as sales equipment, furniture, etc. Even specialty of “Caramelle” café is copied from Lviv Chocolate Shop– they still sell handmade chocolate.
6. “Claude Monet” restaurant, located in the central part of Donetsk on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho street, seems to be a copy of an establishment featured in Russian sitcom “Kitchen” – both the façade and interior design are similar to those in the show. However, things seem to be a little tough for the restaurant – in February 2018 it was put up for sale for $80 000.
7. In 2016 “Kotofeinia” coffee house opened in Donetsk. Tough the name references cats, there are no kitties in the coffee house. However, stuffed animals are used as part of the design, and, according to servers, patrons are welcome to bring along their own pets.
A few more facts: a pizza place “Sini Los” (Blue Moose – ed.) opened on the premises of former fashion boutique “Chetyre sesona” (Four Seasons – ed.) at Artema street. The name sounds puzzling to local ear, as in common language it might mean a “drunken moron”. Beer brewery “Beerstown” opened in Proletarski district. There are also few cafés “Vatrushka” that sell fresh pastries.
#FreeNEWS
Police is changing its format for operating checkpoints. The number of stationary checkpoints will be reduced, instead mobile police checkpoints will work on the territory of Joined Forces Operation (JFO). According to the Head of National Police of Ukraine, Serhii Kiazev, the police: “will shift from full security checks of all cargo, to focus on prohibited items transportation”.
Construction works started at Stanytsia Luhanska only checkpoint on the way to uncontrolled territories. The checkpoint is planned to get emergency room, heating zone, playground, and sanitation zone with shower cabins and bathroom, as well as recreation zone and bunkers. More importantly, though, that the number of border police operating at checkpoint will be increased. The renovation completion is due this June.
There might be waiting lines for those who try to obtain permits for Donbas JFO zone entry. This statement was made by Deputy Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs Georgi Tuka. The reason behind the expected delays in permit issuance is subdivision of JFO territory into three zones with different access level: “red”, “yellow” and “green”.
#FreeCHANGE
Those who have ever been to Druzhkivka (Donetsk region) hardly think of it as tourist destination point, but rather a typical industrial town Donbas.
However, a journalist form Kyiv Hryhorii Pyrlyk saw the unexpected side of this town! He wrote an article «Why should a tourist visit Druzhkivka».
So, what is going on in Druzhkivka?
Serhiy Pronkin, who was a coordinator for Donetsk fan-embassy during Euro-2012, created an organization called “New Druzhkivka” and is now running tours of his native town. If you would like to touch a tree that is over 200 million years old, visit a place, where Soviet authorities tried dissidents (such as a member of Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union Oleksa Tykhyi), or look at the sky from the depth of a clay quarry – you should come to Druzhkivka.
Two youth centers opened in Druzhkivka. One of them - Lesya Hub - is located in the City Library and has a board game club. The other - Art Hub - specializes in movie screenings, concerts and other events. There is also an Ice Arena in Druzhkivka were visitors can skate.
What can you bring home from Druzhkivka? You should definitely treat your family to halva sweets made at local plant in Oleksiivo-Druzhkivka village. Author also recommends visiting art-shop “Prianvill” at Kosmonavtiv Street where they make variety of colorful gingerbread. By the way, the shop was open by IDPs from Donetsk.
#FreeQUOTE
Female IDPs are more often discriminated against, and are more economically vulnerable than male IDPs. According to study by Ombudsmen Office only 35.9% of interviewed women reported they had jobs, compared to 46.1% men. Women are refused formal employment more often than men (13.3 to 9.4%). Female IDPs more often suffer from a lack of financial sources, than male IDPs. Accordingly, they have to be thriftier.
An expert of “Female Perspective” Center Martha Chumalo explains:
“This burden places a woman on the verge of mere subsistence, as she is struggling to feed not just herself, but also her kids. She also has problems with formal and informal employment. Which often makes it impossible for her to become a part of a program for IDP reintegration, because she is struggling to satisfy the most basic needs – something to eat and a place to sleep”.
#FreeINNITIATIVE
Siverodonetsk “Eco-school” organized an unusual eco-picnic. The picnic participants – local youth – collected over 50 begs of trash, sorted it out and got it taken out to trash site. And then they played sport games, grilled some food and made… trash monsters!
#FreePEOPLE
lla PANASIUK, Viktoria PROTSENKO – Snizhne-Donetsk- Kramatorsk
Student resettlers from Snizhne and Donetsk Illa Panasiuk and Viktoria Protsenko moved to Kramatorsk from their occupied cities a year ago. Here they won a grant and opened two fast-food trucks.
They named their restaurants on wheels “Kolibri”, as a hummingbird. This particular type of bird associates with movement, and the clients of aspiring entrepreneurs are all busy people who need to be serviced fast.
Kateryna LISOVA, Alchevsk – Tukhlia village (Lviv Region)
Kateryna Lisova is a famous pensioner from Alchevsk. Before occupation she used to rent abandoned farms and warehouses in mining towns and turne them into production sites. She grew mushrooms and all kinds of greenery: arugula, dill, parsley, mint. According to Kateryna, supermarket chain “Amstor” used to buy out all of her produce before it even grew to maturity. For her entrepreneurial success the women received presidential award in 2010.
Today, she uses the same principal to open production in Tukhlia village. Kateryna joined effort with a local resident Kateryna Ilkiv. The two women opened a goat farm “Two Katerynas”. Additionally, together with other representatives of local tourist cluster they rented an old facility - 3.5 thousand square meters (0.8 acres) of abandoned milk production site. Here they plan to create a point of tourist attraction, for those who pass Tukhlia village on their way to Slavske resort.
#FreeANNOUNCEMENT
World premiere of the movie “Donbas” by Ukrainian film director Serhiy Loznytsia will take place on May 8 to 19 at the Cannes Film Festival.
Scene from the movie “Donbas” by Serhiy Loznytsia
The film script is based on documentary evidence, and is about people who are forced to adjust to new conditions as public authority, family ties and professional connections are all being destroyed, and basic concepts are being displaced. This premiere is truly international as the movie was made by joint effort of 5 countries: Germany, Ukraine, Holland, France and Romania.
"It is extremely important to me to draw attention of artists and politicians to the issue of Donbas. From what I can tell, it is the major problem of our times. It is not just about one region, country or political system, but about all of the humanity and civilization in general. About each and every one of us – today ", - said the director.
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