New Delhi:
Most business owners have closed their shops and fled Ukraine’s Mikolaiv, but florist Angela Kalisnik continues to sell tulips and roses just a short drive from the front line.
“We didn’t know war was coming,” said the 25-year-old.
“Flowers continue to bloom in our area and we don’t want to throw them away.”
Snow fell on the wide streets of the deserted city, and only a few ventured out into the bitter cold.
Outside the city, soldiers are fighting against the invading Russian forces.
But inside Kalisnik’s shop, bouquets of multicolored flowers line the walls.
And against all odds, there were customers.
A man walked out the door with a large bouquet of flowers for his mother’s birthday.
A few days ago, a passerby stopped by to buy a bundle for a woman who had found and returned his lost wallet.
And many soldiers flocked to buy flowers for their girlfriends for Women’s Day on Tuesday, she said.
Kalisnik said she closed her store a week after Russia invaded her country on February 24, but later decided to reopen.
“War is war, but people go on living, to celebrate birthdays,” she said.
“We need to cheer people up and keep the economy going.”
A short walk away, dozens of people were lined up to enter the ATM. Some have waited more than two hours.
Vitaly was annoyed.
“I don’t understand, two days ago everything was fine,” he said, without giving his second name.
“But now we can only withdraw 400 hryvnia ($13) at a time”, so have to withdraw several times in a row.
No flowers for Russia
For several days, the Russians bombarded Mykolaiv, located on the road leading to the strategic port city of Odessa, about 130 km (80 mi) off the Black Sea coast.
However, regional governor Vitaly Kim said that the Ukrainians had repelled the Russians at their border and that “the battle is being decided”.
At a news conference Friday in front of the city’s town hall, the young politician assured attendees that the Russians had been pushed 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) outside the city.
“They thought we would greet them with flowers, they didn’t expect such resistance,” said Kim, who admits he “knew nothing about the war 15 days ago”.
Thousands of civilians have fled Mikolaiv in recent days, towards Odessa, which has hitherto been untouched.
The mass exodus left the city almost empty.
Most stores are closed and supermarkets that are still open are starting to run out of pasta, rice and canned food.
Army chaplain Valentin prayed the nightmare would soon pass.
“War is approaching but God willing, it will end soon,” said the man in his 50s.
In the street, an elderly woman named Valentina was on her way home with her daughter-in-law Maria.
They live together now after the men in the family go to war. They know that if bombs start to fall, they should hide behind a solid wall or dive into the bathtub.
“We will win this war, God help us,” Valentina said.
