The peaceful life in the attacked country
Created: 2022-03-22Updated: 2022-03-22 8:42 PM
A kissing couple sits on a bench in downtown Lviv.
© Bernat Armangue/AP/dpa
Images from the bombed Mariupol go around the world.
Many cities in Ukraine are scarred by war.
But not everyone fights.
How do people in the west of the country experience the war?
Lviv - The war is far away on this spring day in south-western Ukraine, in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.
Cyclists in sporty clothes pedal around the spa town of Schidnytsia, which is known for its mineral water.
Joggers are also out and about.
Standing in front of souvenir stalls are families who would have been normal tourists in another time, but are now refugees.
Despite the influx of refugees and the horrifying images from the embattled cities in the north and east, much of Ukraine has so far been untouched by the war.
Only one poster reminds of the war here: "Russian warship, piss off".
At the Smilnyzja border crossing near the city of Lviv (formerly: Lemberg), only a few travelers from Poland want to enter the Ukraine.
The waiting time is less than an hour.
The officials content themselves with a quick check of the passport and a quick look in the trunk.
Not even a question about corona vaccinations or tests, although signs on the building indicate this.
On the other side, aid workers are waiting for refugees.
Fuel at the gas stations is scarce
After entering the country, you immediately notice that the gas stations have run out of fuel.
Many only have diesel - if at all.
At another gas station on a major European road towards the Carpathians, people are queuing for LPG.
Premium petrol with 95 octane is rationed at 20 liters per car.
Only normal petrol, which is now unusual in Germany, can flow into the tank indefinitely.
However, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal has promised his compatriots that the situation will improve.
When the war started almost a month ago now, the fuel fell away from neighboring Belarus, Russia's ally.
New supply chains from the EU are now being set up.
"According to the new rules, the first 1,000 tons of fuel have already arrived," said the head of government a few days ago.
The Ministry of the Interior wants to improve the supply situation.
After the initial war shock, vigilante and police checkpoints were set up all over the country.
As a result, however, delivery traffic came to a standstill.
"We just managed to reduce the number of checkpoints to 1,500, eliminating a large number of unnecessary checkpoints that only complicate movement and take time," Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyj said.
And indeed, many checkpoints here are deserted.
In the small town of Boryslaw there is a lot of activity when the weather is sunny.
Cars and minibuses crowd the main street.
Traders offer fruit and vegetables.
There is no shortage of food.
The exchange offices are open.
Due to the restrictions imposed by the National Bank, they offer 36 hryvnia, the national currency, for one euro - 14 percent more than before the war.
Concern about the grain harvest in the country
When driving through the country, the preparatory work for sowing is noticeable.
Fields are freshly plowed.
Part is already sown, by hand.
There is great concern that the grain harvest in Ukraine could be poor or fail entirely because of the war.
Then starvation threatens not only Ukraine, but also other countries.
Much of the grain from what used to be the “granary of the Soviet Union” is exported.
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It is also striking how full the playgrounds are in the foothills of the Carpathians.
For the students who fled the war, face-to-face teaching is out of the question.
Immediately after the start of the war, at least two weeks' vacation was ordered nationwide.
Depending on the local security situation, normal classes began last week.
Several TV stations also broadcast distance learning, such as during the Corona quarantine.
Standard program on television
Otherwise, since the first days of the war, a standard program has been running around the clock on television, which is also taken over by some radio stations.
Only a few special interest channels bring films or children's programs.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has also ordered that the last news channels switch to the standard program.
The goal: to deprive the nationalist opposition around ex-President Petro Poroshenko and his TV news channels of the last opportunity to criticize the government's course.
The consequences of the war can also be seen in a Carpathian town, where many refugees seek protection from Russian troops.
In a supermarket there are now first gaps on the shelves.
In particular, tea bags and preserves are only available to a limited extent.
There are also problems with buckwheat and cereals.
Elsewhere, the smell of fresh bread lures.
The shelves are filled with several varieties.
Vegetables such as cabbage, beetroot, carrots, onions and garlic are available, but eggs, cheese and meat are also available.
The bank card works at the checkout.
Only the sale of alcohol is forbidden almost everywhere.
The restaurants are perhaps still full because they still serve drinks there.
Groups of men order beer and herbal schnapps.
However, the last round is already at 9:00 p.m.
With the beginning of the curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., nobody is allowed to be on the street.
dpa