Ukrainian villagers can go home now. Rebuilding is a different matter.
For most people in this farming village, it was more than six months before they could come home, after Ukrainian officials had largely cleared away the mines in early December.
They had to take a bumpy dirt path to get here, because multiple bridges on the former route were damaged by shelling. They brought blankets, coats, tarps, tools, and food because their work would be long and the winter is harsh. They began repairing their homes, often without knowing where to start, and mourning with their neighbors.
The war had taken away what made Partyzanske, Partyzanske. Now, months after the Russian army retreated, the villagers are returning to again make their home a home.
“We are such fools that we will rebuild it,” says village leader Raisha Shulga.
The scenes in Partyzanske are a window into life as
