Berliner Boersenzeitung - In Odessa, Russia's war redistributes the roles

EUR -
AED 4.293926
AFN 80.664061
ALL 97.673606
AMD 448.805894
ANG 2.092137
AOA 1072.008381
ARS 1473.86814
AUD 1.777194
AWG 2.107191
AZN 1.992006
BAM 1.954969
BBD 2.359897
BDT 142.119594
BGN 1.956648
BHD 0.440707
BIF 3438.141097
BMD 1.169038
BND 1.495564
BOB 8.093595
BRL 6.502078
BSD 1.168803
BTN 100.195413
BWP 15.604368
BYN 3.824874
BYR 22913.14706
BZD 2.347702
CAD 1.601524
CDF 3373.844424
CHF 0.930865
CLF 0.029161
CLP 1119.038818
CNY 8.380309
CNH 8.386416
COP 4674.983423
CRC 589.449462
CUC 1.169038
CUP 30.97951
CVE 110.795635
CZK 24.665189
DJF 207.761914
DKK 7.461795
DOP 70.497539
DZD 151.705573
EGP 57.855667
ERN 17.535572
ETB 160.045846
FJD 2.621276
FKP 0.861628
GBP 0.866082
GEL 3.16855
GGP 0.861628
GHS 12.162504
GIP 0.861628
GMD 83.590727
GNF 10119.194341
GTQ 8.978184
GYD 244.526067
HKD 9.176307
HNL 30.804608
HRK 7.533988
HTG 153.404797
HUF 399.5543
IDR 18972.787189
ILS 3.894218
IMP 0.861628
INR 100.328609
IQD 1531.439931
IRR 49231.122092
ISK 142.400984
JEP 0.861628
JMD 186.90056
JOD 0.828894
JPY 172.334969
KES 151.39488
KGS 102.232832
KHR 4700.702671
KMF 492.340851
KPW 1052.173978
KRW 1612.291055
KWD 0.357481
KYD 0.973978
KZT 610.670442
LAK 25169.39103
LBP 104721.265739
LKR 351.480608
LRD 234.977068
LSL 20.949609
LTL 3.451866
LVL 0.70714
LYD 6.307006
MAD 10.52427
MDL 19.78759
MGA 5178.839256
MKD 61.56729
MMK 2453.70284
MNT 4194.046924
MOP 9.450302
MRU 46.415189
MUR 53.168296
MVR 18.007558
MWK 2030.039055
MXN 21.79146
MYR 4.971339
MZN 74.772119
NAD 20.949604
NGN 1786.89858
NIO 42.962591
NOK 11.839321
NPR 160.312861
NZD 1.945479
OMR 0.449493
PAB 1.168808
PEN 4.145998
PGK 4.822327
PHP 66.037214
PKR 332.445259
PLN 4.266015
PYG 9058.149949
QAR 4.256005
RON 5.081579
RSD 117.102724
RUB 91.189371
RWF 1676.400657
SAR 4.384424
SBD 9.733981
SCR 16.480784
SDG 702.011685
SEK 11.176827
SGD 1.496958
SHP 0.91868
SLE 26.307644
SLL 24514.149043
SOS 668.109564
SRD 43.49699
STD 24196.728708
SVC 10.226653
SYP 15199.779355
SZL 20.949595
THB 37.935718
TJS 11.296147
TMT 4.103324
TND 3.393762
TOP 2.738009
TRY 46.955356
TTD 7.940625
TWD 34.1849
TZS 3039.499492
UAH 48.831645
UGX 4189.219426
USD 1.169038
UYU 47.259913
UZS 14794.17774
VES 133.584256
VND 30528.845862
VUV 140.012408
WST 3.21431
XAF 655.672706
XAG 0.030416
XAU 0.000348
XCD 3.159384
XDR 0.812965
XOF 655.250067
XPF 119.331742
YER 282.732293
ZAR 20.963079
ZMK 10522.750076
ZMW 27.056616
ZWL 376.429796
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

In Odessa, Russia's war redistributes the roles
In Odessa, Russia's war redistributes the roles

In Odessa, Russia's war redistributes the roles

Andriy Kharlamov, a baritone at Odessa's famed opera house, fills sandbags and is learning how to handle weapons, while Inga Kordynovska, a lawyer, supervises the distribution of aid to thousands of people in a converted food court.

Text size:

They are just two examples of how Russia's war in Ukraine is upending lives and forcing people and places to take on dramatically different tasks and roles.

One month into the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Moscow's forces are struggling to reach the strategic port city of Odessa, known as Ukraine's "Pearl of the Black Sea", where residents are busy preparing for a possible attack by naval forces.

Near the historical heart of the city, an old theatre recently transformed into a trendy food court has now been turned into a humanitarian relief centre.

But it rediscovers some of its original past when Kharlamov and another colleague from the opera house belt out traditional Ukrainian songs under the vaulted ceiling to entertain the volunteers -- mostly young women sporting orange high-visibility vests.

And when the two singers intone the Ukrainian national anthem, one with his fist on his chest, the eyes of one volunteer mist up.

She hurries to a corner to hide her tears, near a photo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

- Bringing joy -

Next to it, one of his recent declarations is written on marker on bit of cardboard: "The nation is not for sale."

"We bring them as much joy as we can," says Kharlamov, 33.

"These people are working hard, with patriotism and self-sacrifice, but they are hurting, so we've come to cheer them up for a few minutes," the singer adds.

Kharlamov had a promising career and was gaining international recognition after winning first prize in the song category at the 2019 Antonin Dvorak international singing competition.

But for many Ukrainians behind the front lines, Kharlamov's life has been turned upside down since the Russian launched their invasion on February 24.

Most men have been conscripted, and many women have volunteered for the Territorial Defence Forces.

"I've taken an initial military training course, as well as one on first aid," says Kharlamov.

He said he is ready for battle, but hopes it will not come to that.

- 'Stop this war' -

Many others volunteer to help the effort in one way or another, like at the humanitarian relief centre.

All day, the sound of packing tape being ripped from rolls echoes through the hall as volunteers pack the boxes with food, personal hygiene products, medicine, and even underclothes for distribution to troops, in particular the Territorial Defence Forces, but also to refugees from other parts of the country and the elderly.

Kordynovska, the 30-year-old lawyer who launched the project, said "we prepare food, give it to the restaurants to cook, and together we feed nearly 5,000 people a day."

The centre also provides packages comprising items such as tinned food, bread, chocolate and cookies, for another 500 to 600 people every day.

About 300 volunteers keep the centre running.

"It's totally different people from everywhere, from different social classes, of different ages, with different mindsets," said Kordynovska.

"They just have only one goal: We want to stop this war, we want to save our houses and our lives, and protect all that we love here until we win."

(A.Lehmann--BBZ)