Northern district of Kharkiv, called “Saltivka” is one of the most damaged neighborhoods of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Once a prosperous and peaceful area, people now call it “the Ghost Town.” Saltivka used to be the largest residential neighborhood in Kharkiv. Around half a million people
lived there before the Russian full-scale invasion against Ukraine! Located on the city’s outskirts, Northern part of Saltivka was built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was this area that took the brunt of the damage when Russians began to attack the city since the district location is near the highway intersection that invaders tried to use to occupy Kharkiv.

Life was on: The residents strolled with their children in the parks, squares, and streets. They played on the athletic fields and in the playgrounds. The shops were always full and crowded. Every corner of the district teemed with life. Today, you’ll rarely see anyone there. The Russian army has turned it into a ghost town.

When you walk around for about 10 minutes in Saltivka, and you’ll get the impression that it was bombarded by all the most destructive weapons that exist in the world. You’ll see completely destroyed private homes, entire apartment complexes crumbled and riddled with through-holes, burnt cars, and large shell holes in the ground that look like a quarry. As you gaze at the demolished apartments, laid bare by the shelling, you can still see the former inhabitants’ possessions—their clothes, furniture, and electronics. Not long ago, they’d scrimped and saved to pay for their homes and for these everyday necessities of life. They were so happy to own them. They’d earned them.

KHARKIV, UKRAINE – JUNE 12: An aerial view of completely destroyed settlements after shellings as Russia – Ukraine war continues, in northern Saltivka-3 neighbourhood, about 40 km from the Russian border in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine on June 12, 2022. Saltivka is a large residential neighbourhood, located in the northeastern region of Kharkiv. (Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, found on CNN)

Then, the Russians came, and these civilians were forced to flee by the hundreds of thousands. They had to leave everything they ever owned behind. And their beloved neighborhood was reduced to rubble and ruins. For a long time, there was no electricity, gas, or water in Saltivka due to the massive damage to infrastructure. Those who remained—the ones who couldn’t escape—went to the well for water, and cooked meals outside on the fire! The area remains wholly disconnected from daily life: the nearest working grocery store is located several miles away, and it is almost impossible to get to the pharmacy or the hospital without a car!

Even those houses that seemed to survive are barely inhabitable—they’ve been wrecked by fire, and their windows were blown out. Still, people return home, some of them to retrieve whatever survived the attacks, and others to live because they have nowhere else to go. Thanks to help from people who care, it becomes possible to fix the windows, repair at least one room to live in, and deliver some food and basic necessities!

Thank you to everyone who is now helping Kharkiv and Ukraine! The people of our country genuinely appreciate your contribution. But, for them, day-to-day existence is still a matter of life and death, and more help is needed. Just imagine how it would feel to come back to your
own home and find that there are only debris and ashes left!