New York lies just five kilometres away from the front line
The Eastern Ukrainian town of New York was named by Mennonite Germans who bought these lands in the middle of the 19th century. New York lies just five kilometers away from the front line that split the large industrial region of Donetsk following the 2014 conflict.
Renamed Novogrodovka in 1951 by the Soviet authorities, the town’s historic title was only restored in the autumn of 2021 after the young activists successfully lobbied parliament.
Since then, inspired by this achievement, young New Yorkers have organized numerous events and activities, but the war confounds young people’s efforts to revitalize Ukraine’s embattled east and counter Russian propaganda.
Short documentary by Olha Volynska filmed on 22 Feb, two days before the start of the war.
