2022 Lutsk Ukraine in Wartime

Photos by Volodymyr Khomik.  March and June 2022.

Lutsk, a three hour bus ride to the Polish border, appears untouched by the war that is raging in the east.  A pleasant woman merchant sells socks that are scattered on a luggage rack.  The market is filled with produce from the Carpathia to the south and merchants wait for customers.   The woman shopping in the market with her ubiquitous white plastic bag looks similar to someone I might see in Seattle in the summertime.

Underneath a peace, lies the beast of fear.  Metal barrigades that line some of the streets are in wait for the enemy.  People stand in line to pray to their saints for protection.  It is what is hidden that is the most revealing.  The prices of the nice red tomatos are high, the streets are empty, and that pain you feel in the pit of your stomach terrified by the invading Russians. Will the government be able to still send you your pension next month?  Will you have enough food for the rest of the week? Should you escape across the border to Poland or stay hunkered down in the safety of your claustrophobic 500 sq ft apartment?

Photo: mbfitzmahan. Bazaar, Lutsk, Ukraine. 1997.

1997 September. Lutsk Ukraine. Don’s Journal of Lutsk.

In a brick and mortar store, products are displayed behind a counter where you can see but cannot touch the merchandise.  You must ask for everything from a clerk, who will hand it to you for inspection or purchase.  In many cases an item on the shelf is the only one they have. When you buy it, there is no more "in stock."

Although there are a few inside ‘grocery stores,’ most people shop at the neighborhood "bazaar." This is equivalent to summer farmer markets, only on a much smaller scale and operated year round.  Some vendors may have a wide variety of sodas, juices, candy, magazines, etc. while another may have only a small paper bag of mushrooms.  At present, there is lots of produce in good condition.  We wonder what things will be like in December.

At the market we buy some bread, onions, garlic, milk, salt, pepper, and margarine. These, combined with the farm fresh potatoes we received from Volodymyr will make a fine potato soup. With that we head home.  The soup is great. We sit in our little kitchen, eat our dinner and discuss our first day in Lutsk.