For the first time, Denis Pushilin voiced the idea of preserving the Donbas city districts and settlements destroyed by the russian occupiers “to preserve memory” half a year ago. At that time, he named Avdiivka, Vuhledar, and Bakhmut as candidates for an “open-air museum”.
Will Lyman become a candidate for these “museums”…
Last week, the leader of the “DNR” was cautious: he did not specify which particular settlements were intended for “preservation”. “Like Pavlov’s House in Volgograd, we plan to designate certain parts of settlements where the destruction and other elements will be preserved. Perhaps some small settlements that we will, by commission, decide not to restore but to preserve exactly as they are and turn into a museum as a lesson for future generations”, - he said, leaving room for imagination. “A number of liberated settlements in the DNR may be partially or fully preserved”, - local media echoed his vagueness.
The collaborator Oleg Ponomaryov, whom Denis Pushilin recently appointed acting “head of the administration of the Krasnolymansky municipal district”, very much hopes that the city — currently under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and facing massive assaults from the russian “liberators” — will not become a ghost town “as a lesson for future generations”. In a long interview with the “official” “DNR” website, he explained “what the district administration actually does, despite the fact that it is, de facto, in occupation (under the control of the legitimate government of Ukraine — ‘OstroV’)”. In reality, it turns out that the district “head” barely understands the situation. “The planning of the administration’s activities, which is temporarily located in Yenakiieve, is based on the absence of the administrative territory of the Krasnolymansky municipal district”, - he admits.
Ponomaryov tries to convince readers that all efforts and resources are directed “toward supporting our compatriots and improving their quality of life”. It would seem a noble cause, but numbers are stubborn things. The “head” of the Lyman (before decommunization — Krasny Lyman) district reminds that “before the start of the Special Military Operation, according to the latest census, about 40,000 residents lived in the district. About 22,000 in the city, the rest lived in the villages”. Out of these 40,000 pre-war Lyman residents, he admits, the occupation authorities can help less than a tenth. “As of today, around 3.5 thousand residents have been evacuated from the Krasnolymansky district. These are the numbers we have, since many left independently for other regions of Russia, and contact with many was lost. The figure I mention includes those citizens who contacted or continue to contact the administration for various matters, and we are able to record them”, - the “district head” calculated his remaining dependents.
They haven’t forgotten about the remaining 36.5 thousand district residents, Ponomaryov assures. They write social media posts for them: “We devote a lot of attention to developing our social media. Social networks allow us to showcase positive news, talk about our events, and provide clarifications on the regulatory acts of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Russian Federation”.
He also described the type of assistance his administration provides, so to speak, “on the ground”. “Those who wished to stay in Yenakiieve are provided with humanitarian aid. This includes food, clothing, hygiene kits”, - Ponomaryov said, attributing to himself the achievements of volunteers and charitable foundations.
The actual work of his administration turned out to be quite modest: “For example, in 2025 about 500 people applied for financial assistance for certain categories of individuals in the amount of 5,000 rubles, more than a dozen received a one-time payment for evacuees — 10,000 rubles, and about fifty citizens whose income does not exceed this year’s established threshold receive other state support”. Its main function, however, is dealing with paperwork. “We work on preparing documents and bringing them into compliance with Russian legislation. This includes regulating land relations, creating a registry of municipal property that records real estate objects. A commission has also been established and approved to determine measures of social support for citizens whose housing was lost or damaged as a result of hostilities, as well as for those who lost essential personal property. Regulations have been drafted on housing registration and municipal housing management”, - he says proudly. One of the most important tasks, the district “head” noted, is the procedure “for assigning, changing, or annulling addresses in the State Address Register”.
As for what is happening in the Ukrainian Lyman, which is inaccessible to him, the “district head” has only the vaguest understanding. “So far, we gather information from internet sources or someone we know sends us a video or photo. Under the current circumstances, it’s difficult even to judge what the real situation is. One must understand that active hostilities are ongoing”, - Ponomaryov explained.
At the same time, he remains optimistic and believes that Lyman will not end up on the list of preserved ruins “as a lesson for future generations”. “My fellow townspeople not only want to go home — they want to rebuild the city and return to a normal life”, - he believes in a miracle…
By Yurii Bovkh, OstroV