But Lyman might be a close second.
This small, almost deserted railroad town was liberated and taken over by Russia; it is now dangerously located near the Donbas war lines. The civilian population there is split between hope and despair.
Now, only peace is important. Peace is what I seek. Just calm. Oleksandr Rogovitz, a 74-year-old retired businessman living alone in the frozen wreckage of a nine-story apartment building on the outskirts of Lyman, replied, “On any terms.”
Oleksandr shared the common perception that Ukraine could recover when we first met him and his eight cats precisely one year ago, just hours after a potent Russian missile had destroyed one side of his building.
“After some reflection, I’ve decided to change my opinion. He stated last week that “too many people are dying,” implying that it was time to exchange territory for peace with Russia.
In Ukraine, this is not a viewpoint that is frequently expressed and may not always be felt. However, it does highlight the effect that seemingly endless months of fighting seem to be having on a worn-out populace.
Oleksandr, looking pale and dirty, trudged away towards a dark stairwell as a few explosions, muted by the forest and a fresh coating of snow, roared over town from the direction of the front lines, still some 15 km (nine miles) to the east.
