Ukrainian Villagers Return To The Town 'Where God Was Born' To Find Widespread Destruction

The destruction of the village of Bohorodychne is seen in an aerial view on December 20.

Located nearly 120 kilometers northwest of the city of Donetsk on the right bank of the Siverskiy Donets River, the village was fiercely contested by Russian and Ukrainian forces.

 

A dog stands in front of a destroyed house.

When Russian troops seized Bohorodychne, many of the pro-Moscow residents moved to Russia. Following its liberation in September, Ukrainian authorities advised the remaining inhabitants to leave, citing the safety concerns.

Some villagers are now returning in hopes of rebuilding their shattered lives, despite government warnings to evacuate.

 

Residents return to their damaged home.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that, as of December 5, there were 5.9 million internally displaced persons still living inside Ukraine, a drop of 626,000 since October 26.

The shattered landscape of Bohorodychne as seen from the village school.

 

The interior of the local school.

 

Yuriy Ponomarienko, 54, a resident of Bohorodychne, looks at a destroyed Russian tank, a remnant of the fighting that shattered the community.

The remains of the Orthodox church in Bohorodychne.

The postwar reconstruction of Ukraine will cost $525 billion to $630 billion, according to World Bank Vice President Anna Bjerde in an interview with the Austrian newspaper, Die Presse.