The administrator of the modular town on Pulyuya Street, Viktor Habitov, moved to Lviv from Odesa in the first days of the full-scale invasion. Before the war, he was a businessman in the field of trade, and now he helps those who were forced to leave their homes due to Russian aggression.
It was no accident that the 38-year-old man from Odessa got into the project of administration of Lviv modular towns, although at first he did not have this in mind. Having sent his family abroad, he turned to social workers in Lviv for consultation.
“When we got to know Viktor, we realized that this particular person, clear and purposeful, would cope well with the position of administrator in the town,” says the director of the Center for Social Support of Orphans, Children Deprived of Parental Care, and Internally Displaced Persons Volodymyr Golovaty.
At first, Viktor was offered to administer the modular settlement in Stryi Park, later he was invited to the town, which was built on Pulyuya Street in May. It was a completely new experience for the man.
“Before that, I had never worked in the public sector, especially in the social sphere. Therefore, he considered the offer for three weeks and agreed. The new job has changed me. In business, I’m a different person – decisive, emotionless, goal-oriented, but here it’s different – you have to pay attention to people’s emotions and their destinies,” says Viktor Habitov.
271 displaced people live in 80 houses in the town on Pulyuya. Viktor solves not only everyday and technical issues of people – he often has to organize consultations with doctors or psychologists, help with advice, or solve issues with documents.
“People from different worlds and different living conditions came here. For some, this is an increase in the standard of living, for others – a sharp decrease, because some lived in much more comfortable conditions before the war. Different people in the past, but now on equal terms, and in half a year we reached an understanding. One of the reasons for our good communication with the residents of the town is that they treat me not as a manager, but as a relative,” says Viktor Gabitov.
According to him, misunderstandings sometimes arise between the residents of the town, mostly due to children’s conflicts. Sometimes someone does not return something to someone on time. But such issues are resolved without the administrator’s involvement.
Viktor says little about his plans for the future. He says that when the war ends, not everyone will have a place to return to, so life in the town will continue. For now, he and his colleagues are fully committed to work that is more like a ministry.
Viktor moved to Lviv with his wife and children. Currently, he does not plan to return to Odessa.