Kramatorsk: The City on the Brink of Danger, Yet People Are Returning!
Imagine this: a city in eastern Ukraine, Kramatorsk, within range of Russian artillery, experienced a massive exodus in the early days of the invasion. But now, three years later, the population is growing! Yes, you read that right — people are returning to a city still on the frontline, where danger is an everyday reality.
Why would anyone do that? Many have realized that life in “safer” areas isn’t nearly as easy as they thought. Socioeconomic hardships, high housing costs, job losses, and nostalgia for home are pulling them back. Vita Brezhneva, for example, fled Kramatorsk seeking safety but returned just six months after Russian rockets struck the railway station, killing 61 people. Her visually impaired mother, a small business, and her apartment were waiting for her. Her dogs, she says, “sniffed” the whole town and seemed to say, ‘We’re back home.’
Kramatorsk is a logistical hub in Donetsk region and, despite constant threats from Russian forces, people are coming back. According to the International Organization for Migration, by October 2023, 4.4 million internally displaced persons had returned to their former homes, including cities on the frontline. Yet, about four million remain displaced across Ukraine.
Andrei Gorlov, a Protestant pastor, left Kramatorsk on the first day of the full-scale invasion but returned because he couldn’t find safety even in Kyiv’s suburbs, where nightly air raid sirens and drone strikes became routine. His church has become a community hub, providing humanitarian aid and mental support.
The mayor of Kramatorsk said that before the war, the city had about 150,000 residents, but by spring 2022, only 50,000 remained. By autumn 2023, the population had increased by 30% thanks to returning displaced people.
The governor of Donetsk region, Vadim Filashkin, warns that the area is one of the most dangerous in Ukraine and tries to dissuade people from returning. Still, people like Vita and Andrei don’t give up. They have evacuation plans but don’t want to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.
This phenomenon of returning to war-affected areas reveals a deep human need for home and normalcy, even when it comes with huge risks. Kramatorsk is not just a frontline city — it’s a symbol of resistance, hope, and love for a place people refuse to abandon, no matter the cost.
So, what about you? Would you return to a city under shelling or stay in a safer but distant place? Share your thoughts — maybe with a bit of humor, because who says war can’t be a topic for serious yet fun conversation?
