“No one bothers us here”. How IDPs live in the first modular town in Rivne region
Last February, the first modular town for internally displaced persons in the Rivne region was opened in Radyvyliv.
Currently, 37 people live in 12 houses. Some of them moved in this year in April, others have been living here since February 2023, when the town first welcomed its residents. People from the Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions have found shelter here.
On the small plots of land between the houses, people have started vegetable gardens, as Olena, 56, says. Some people have sunflowers blooming, others have planted cucumbers or basil, and everyone wants to create a cozy ambience.
Olena said that she had moved twice during the ten years of war. In 2014, she left her native Donetsk, where she held a senior position in the city council, and moved to Kyiv with her family.
“At that time, people from Donetsk were not very welcomed in Kyiv. We couldn't get a job or rent an accommodation. What kind of registration do you have? Donetsk? Then the answer is no. It was very difficult. But we eventually integrated into the community of Kyiv and were officially employed. My daughter graduated from college, then went to university, and we rented an apartment,” the woman says.
With the outbreak of full-scale war, Olena's family moved for the second time, this time to the Rivne region. Here they were taken in by locals with whom they lived for a year and a half. When a house in the modular town became available, they moved here. She admits that they feel good here, they have basic comfort.
“Still, there was a problem, because the houses are metal, and when the heat is 30 degrees, it was 39 inside. And when you cook, the air heats up even more. We started installing air conditioners: some for our own money, some with help. What can you do? Life goes on. Many of us have nowhere to go,” the woman said.
Anna, an IDP from Kherson, agreed with this. She added that families here have separate kitchens and bathrooms in their houses, which is not the case in some modular towns in other regions.
Prior to moving to Radyvyliv, Anna and her family lived in the Lviv region, preceded by several attempts to leave the then-occupied Kherson.
“The space may be small, but no one bothers us here. We struggled so much with moving, looking for something new and suitable. We can stay here indefinitely,” said the Kherson woman.
She says that although Kherson is now liberated, it is still dangerous to return. In addition, she has a child with ASD, who is stressed in such conditions. Moreover, her daughter was able to adapt in Radyvyliv.
“The advantages outweigh the disadvantages. My ceiling is sagging, but the people who installed the houses are supposed to come, so we are waiting. Compared to other modular towns, we have good, clean air,” Anna said.
Finally, Olena said that they had been approached by philanthropists who had set up a playground and installed exercise equipment. Local residents also use them.
This material was created with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.
- Share: