The Big Dipper is also called "ladle" in Japan, but in Ukraine it is likened to a cart.
The Milky Way has also been called the "Chumak Road" because of its resemblance in shape to the traces created by merchants called "Chumaks" who once carried salt in Ukraine by dropping salt on the road.

However, in Ukraine, even the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful starry sky is now lost.

We interviewed the thoughts of one planetarium commentator who continues to work to deliver hope to the people of Ukraine through the starry sky.

* This is the content broadcast on "International News 1" on November 11 * The video is
1 minutes and 2023 seconds and cannot be viewed in the data broadcast

Sunset in Kyiv.
You can't enjoy the starry sky anymore like you used to.

Due to the relentless missile and drone attacks, many citizens have a fear and disgust for the sky. There are days when a "curfew" has been issued and you can't walk outside at night.

I don't see the starry sky as much as I used to, I have anxiety and fear about the sky, safety comes first.

It is a Kyiv planetarium that opened 71 years ago.
The starry sky projected on the dome, one of the largest in Europe, has been familiar to citizens for many years.

Oksana Chernusova has been a commentator for more than 20 years.
"Hello, welcome to the planetarium" Even
now, even in wartime, we continue to convey the charm of the starry sky to people.

"This is the constellation Orion in winter, the most beautiful constellation" "
This red star is thousands of times larger than the Sun."

"I saw it for the first time, but it was interesting" "I memorized many constellations"

"There is an unknown world in the sky," the children once said enthusiastically at the
starry sky projected by Ms. Chernusova and others.
It was here that he developed a curiosity about science and space.

However, since Russia's military invasion, there have been almost no schools to visit for classes.
"For safety reasons, school teachers are reluctant to let children outside."

Immediately after the military invasion, we had to close for a while, but three months later, we reopened for business.

"Children need to learn and have fun, and that's why they're doing it," he said, adding that

there has been no damage to the facility so far. However, the number of visitors has decreased significantly, to less than one-third of what it used to be. With a lot of anxiety, I continue to project.

It is a projection device, although it is aging, but it is still in operation while taking good care of it. If the planetarium is destroyed, we will not be able to project the starry sky in Kyiv for decades to come.

In areas where attacks are still ongoing, such as eastern Ukraine, the situation with planetariums is even more serious.

Olena Zemlyachenko, a commentator at the planetarium in Kharkiv. After the military invasion, I have been temporarily evacuated to Japan since last year.
"Look, the glass is broken," he said, adding that planetariums in Ukraine's major cities, Kharkiv and Donetsk,

have been damaged. It is said that it is still neglected and there is no prospect of resumption.

The other commentators have evacuated and I don't know what is going on with the planetarium.
It is a good place for children to get an education, but unfortunately they do not have the opportunity to do so.

Under these circumstances, the Kyiv Planetarium invites evacuees from the east and soldiers who were on the front lines once a week free of charge.

Last year, a former soldier who lost one of his legs during a battle visited with his son.

Very fun, loves the stars.

Even now, soldiers can only look at night vision cameras or look at the sky in the trenches. We should not forget about the war, but we need time for people to be free from tension.

They are parents and children who have fled from areas occupied by Russia.

"I rarely see shooting stars, but I pray that the war will end and peace will come."

As life continues with no exit in sight, Chernusova believes that the planetarium will provide healing and hope to many citizens, including children.

Everyone gets excited and excited when they look at the starry sky, especially when they start moving. I believe that when you look at the stars, you can love your land and feel what the world is all about.
The sky is not a place to look at drones and missiles.

Don't forget your longing for the starry sky. Ms. Chernusova looks forward to the day when she can enjoy the brilliance of the stars without worry.

Kyiv is around 50 degrees north latitude. The fact is that in Ukraine you can see almost the same constellations as in Japan.

It is a planetarium that reflects the starry sky, but it requires funds in the order of <> million Japan yen to install. Since infrastructure and hospitals are prioritized first in reconstruction, Chernusova and others said that if it is destroyed, it will not be possible to project the starry sky for several decades.

That's why he hoped that we would be in a situation where we wouldn't have to worry about that as soon as possible.