Marina

The mural portraying Marina Grigorievna is one of the most famous remainders of the war in the Eastern Ukraine. In the centre of Avdeevka, there is a humble memorial assembled from shells and grenade fragments that hit the town. A few faded photos of those who lost their lives during shelling of the town.

Humble Ukrainian memorials are in stark contrast with those of the Soviet times. Next to the cultural centre in the outskirts of Avdeevka, there is a huge plane fighter with names written down on granite boards underneath that remind us of fallen soldiers of the Red Army. That corresponds with the idea of the Soviet Union after all; a huge empire needed to demonstrate its size through monumental memorials of its victories in WW II.

When one approaches the front line, there are a few flags of the Ukrainian troops along the road before the last crossing point. These are reminders of those who died when defending Avdeevka and particularly Promka, a strategic hill above the town. Below the flags, there is a van wreck riddled with bullets. Grenade fragments and spent cartridges are neatly assembled in the sand below. Portraits of fallen soldiers are sometimes only a few months old. Here the war is not over yet.