Residents of Kamianka, a village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, are slowly returning to their homes after being liberated from Russian forces a year and a half ago. Despite the lack of electricity and the destruction of every house in the village, 39 families have already returned to live in Kamianka. The village council leader, Yevhenii Panasenko, notes that before the war, over a thousand people lived in Kamianka, but most fled during the occupation in 2022.
One of the returning families, Oleksandr Hordiienko and his wife Zhuzha, rebuilt their home in Kamianka over the past year and a half with the help of foundations and volunteers. While many homes still remain uninhabitable, the couple is determined to make their home livable again, with plans to install heating and finish renovations.
Despite the progress, the main obstacle to full recovery in Kamianka is the presence of landmines in the area, preventing the repair of essential infrastructure like power lines. Once the mines are cleared, engineers can work on restoring power to the village for the first time in two years.
In a separate story, in Zaporizhzhia, a local church community is celebrating its first feast after the reconstruction of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church. The church was damaged by a Russian missile strike last year, and parishioners are now raising funds to repair the damaged bell tower. The restoration of this important landmark symbolizes the resilience and determination of the community in the face of adversity.
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