In January 2015, a modular town for migrants from eastern Ukraine and Crimea was built on the outskirts of Kharkiv, near the airport. It was planned that small housing containers would become temporary shelters for internally displaced families. However, very soon, the fenced settlement turned into a ghetto and became a problem for the municipal authorities. The expiration date of the structures expired in 2017, and only then new residents ceased to settle in the houses. The “old-timers” of modular towns refused to leave their homes.
In 2016, Ukrainian documentary photographer Danilo Pavlov filmed the life of the inhabitants of container towns, listened to their memories of the past and dreams of a future without war.
Temporary housing
In 2016, more than 1 million 700 thousand internally displaced persons were registered in Ukraine — from Donetsk and Luhansk regions and from Crimea. People moved from the occupied territories of the Russian Federation and escaped from the war. The issue of housing for internally displaced families was also tried to be solved with the help of foreign investment. For example, seven modular towns have been built at the expense of the German Society for International Cooperation in Ukraine — in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Over time, temporary housing containers became a permanent home for migrants from the east and Crimea and turned into territories isolated from the outside world.
One of these towns is located on the outskirts of Kharkov. On a small piece of land, which the local authorities have fenced off with a mesh fence complete with guards, there were three common blocks for 150—180 people, 10 four-apartment (the name is conditional) modules, as well as separately refrigerators, laundry, showers and toilets. Of the obvious advantages — free internet and playgrounds. For living in the town, they planned to collect a symbolic $5 monthly. However, predictions for the future are uncertain.
“The towns, which were planned in the early years of the Russian aggression as temporary, have become permanent. Most of the modular houses have become a real home for internally displaced people. Settlement in Kharkiv was one of the most problematic, - says Danylo Pavlov. - The authorities hoped that the modules would help people solve problems with housing for several weeks, until they find a job and can rent their own; that the containers will become a shelter for families from the occupied territories and they will be full to stay away from war and not think about where to stop.”
Modular towns were built, first of all, for vulnerable groups of the population: large families, single mothers or people with disabilities. However, over time, the container houses turned into ghettos, and the settlement of people there became a kind of segregation. The town was constantly visited by the police, and its inhabitants often quarreled among themselves and a little less often with the locals.
“Sometimes I felt Spanish shame for the people of this town. Although such people are not attached to life — not only from Donbas. I have seen complex stories of people all over Ukraine, it does not necessarily depend on their place of residence, - Danylo shares. - If people are united by one problem, one grief, alcoholism and other related problems can occur there. That's what happened in this town.” The photographer adds that the container settlement has helped many families adapt in a new place. “People were looking for jobs, starting to earn something and leaving town. Instead, others did not even plan to do anything and said that no one would expel them from there. Of course, there were also difficult situations — it is not easy for people with disabilities or single mothers who have no one to leave their children with, it is not easy to find a good job,” says Danylo Pavlov.
Permanent residents
For several days, Daniel came and took pictures of the inhabitants of modular towns. People reacted very differently to the camera, someone threatened to break the equipment, others frankly posed, but most were indifferent. Danilov most remembered the inhabitant of the modular town, whom everyone called “Uncle Yuri”. He is a football fan and an ardent fan of Shakhtar, as well as a husband and father. He had to clash on the streets of Kharkiv with several ultras of the local team “Metalist”. Uncle Yura's swollen left ear eloquently testified to the consequences. “In general, he had a rather specific appearance: his whole body in tatoos, without a front tooth. I have a shot where the Shakhtar match is broadcast on TV, Uncle Yura is drinking beer, and behind him is a frightened son. The child seems to have written on his face that dad is drinking again...”, says Danylo.
Probably the only ones who felt comfortable in the modular town all the time were children. They were constantly on the street, where the warm spring reigned, had fun with each other, rode carousels and swings. Children's playgrounds in the town were equipped with an understanding of the situation. Parents could not worry about children's outdoor recreation.
Dmitry had the most “flowers of life” - six (the younger one is three years old, and the older one is sixteen). He was dressed in black sweatpants and a T-shirt with the words “AC/DC”, there were bracelets on his hands, and not all his front teeth were in his mouth. “This man outwardly reminded me of the unchanging leader of the Gaza Sector, Yura Khoy Klinsky. In the end, he was the leader, but not of the group, but of the modular town — Dmitry took on the role of commandant. He had to negotiate with volunteers who help the residents of the town with food, clothes and organize recreation camps for children,” Danylo Pavlov shares his memories.
After the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Danylo Pavlov photographed the modular towns that were built in Kyiv region — in Borodyanka and Irpen. He is convinced that it is not necessary to settle one category of people in a separate house, because, one way or another, this is isolation.
“I don't even know how to solve housing problems for internally displaced people. However, “packing” them into modular towns is also not the best way out. They always turn into separate communities, separated from the rest and undesirable for local residents, - explains Danylo Pavlov. “People who live in containers are constantly in uncertainty.”
Material created with support The Free Word Foundation.
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Katya Moskalyuk
Bildeditor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary Editor: Julia Foutei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
