Tragedy on the square – 19 August 2023 year

19 August 2024 year in the Chernihiv regional historical museum named after. VV. Tarnovsky, a museum meeting was held on the anniversary of the rocket attack in the center of Chernihiv.

Let's remember 19 August last year. Saturday is sunny, holiday morning, full of aroma of fragrant herbs and ripe apples. Great Christian holiday. Apple Savior. Many of our citizens go to church, which are in the city center, for the holiday service. Many people just walk in the parks of the city.

In one moment everything changes. The day turns black. Black from smoke, black from deaths, deaths of people. On average, Chernihiv Regional Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after. Т. T. Shevchenko was hit by a missile.

Eyewitnesses of the event gathered in the walls of the museum, people who were in the epicenter of the explosion, townspeople, museum staff. A minute of silence was observed in memory of all those who died during the Russian-Ukrainian war and seven civilians, who died as a result of a rocket explosion.

Cluster rocket explosion over the theater, this is direct evidence of that, that the leadership of Russia (with the support of Russian society) due to the defeat of the blitzkrieg, he chose a new way of fighting Ukraine. This is a battle of attrition: missile strikes on critical infrastructure facilities, to plunge the country into darkness; hits on residential buildings, hospitals - in general, for civilian facilities. This is a strategy to intimidate the population, which, according to the enemy's calculations, should contribute to the occupation of our country. There were such blows, and unfortunately will be repeated. This is a war not only with the army, it is a war with the population. In the eyes of Putin and many Russians, Ukraine is an integral part of the former unified state - the USSR; it is a manifestation of Russian chauvinism and delusions about the revival of a restored Soviet state. Ukraine's desire to build its statehood, going your own way is considered in Russia as disobedience for which they must be punished. Hence the combined methods of war. First, direct military intervention, secondly, the fight against the civilian population.

The meeting was attended by Serhiy Moisienko, director of the regional theater. He talked about last year's event as a direct eyewitness of the attack, in addition, in his capacity as a director, he informed those present about that, how the theater team continues its work with the support of caring people, about works on the reconstruction of the theater building.

In the epicenter of the rocket explosion, Arsen Chepurny, a journalist of the online publication "Chas Chernihivskyi" was in the theater at that time. He mentioned the explosion, about the threat of a second strike, about the evacuation of people from the premises. He mentioned the feeling of anxiety for his relatives, who could be near the scene of the tragedy.

At the time of the rocket explosion, the manager of pharmacy No 25 LLC "Medicines of Ukraine" Olena Otryshko. And on the anniversary of the tragedy, Mrs. Olena shared her depressing memories of that day. At the same time, she talked about the restoration of the pharmacy.

The meeting was full of regret and sorrow, at the same time, the indomitability and strength of spirit of our townspeople stood behind the stories. The main thing , what unites people is not only the desire to restore the wounded city, but also to take concrete steps, make your own efforts, without expecting that someone from the outside will do it.

Svitlana Zemlyanska, senior researcher