On the Day of Bakhmut, its residents planted roses in Lviv in memory of their home
Today, on 13 September, residents of Bakhmut who moved to Lviv planted rose bushes in the park opposite St George’s Cathedral. The Alley of Friendly Unity was opened on the occasion of the 453rd anniversary of Bakhmut and will remind the displaced people of their home.
“When I came to Lviv, I liked everything here, but I missed the flowers. At least a small flowerbed of roses,” recalls Tetiana Kulish, head of the Life is Now NGO, which helps IDPs from Bakhmut. – “Bakhmut is a city of roses, and before the war we had a large alley. In 2015, we even set a record for Ukraine – we planted a record number of rose bushes in one flower bed. Because of the war, this alley was destroyed, but our guys, the military who defended the fortress city, managed to save a few bushes and transported them to Kyiv, then sent them to a nursery in Vinnytsia. And this year, we decided to make such miniatures in memory of our Bakhmut in the cities of Ukraine where we have our branches.”
About 40 rose bushes were donated to Lviv by the Bakhmut City Military Administration. In addition to the park near St George’s Cathedral, they are also planned to be planted in Sykhiv.
“The place for the Alley of Friendly Unity was not chosen by chance. After all, roses need a lot of warmth and light. “The park near St George’s Church is a very favourable place for roses because it is very sunny and cosy,” says Oksana Lutsko, Deputy Head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources at Lviv City Council. – “In general, this is a good location for recreation for Lviv residents and internally displaced persons. Now the people of Bakhmut will have a place in Lviv that will remind them of their home.”
As of today, 31 residents of Bakhmut live in Lviv.
“This is a sign of gratitude from the people of Bakhmut for Lviv’s hosting them. A sign of unity between the two cities. Because whether we like it or not, Lviv has become a second home, a refuge for all those affected by the war,” – said Volodymyr Holovaty, director of the city’s IDP support centre.
Also, tomorrow, 14 September, at 13.00, as part of the celebration of the 453rd anniversary of Bakhmut, residents of Bakhmut will present a painting called “The Heart of Bakhmut” in the modular town on Sykhiv, at 72a Chervona Kalyna Avenue, using the keys to their now-vanished apartments.