Leaving the cities for the countryside.

It is a timeless reaction of city dwellers to wars, which is once again verified in Ukraine.

Two weeks after the start of the Russian invasion, more than two million Ukrainian refugees have fled to the European Union and Moldova.

Inside the country, many displaced persons, the number of which is impossible to determine with precision, have taken shelter in rural areas, with relatives or in a second home.

"It's much easier to survive outside the cities. I feel safer in an isolated area, I don't see why soldiers would come and waste ammunition and time to come here", confides to France 24 Anna Martsinkiv, a sociologist who lives in a small house outside Obukhiv, about 40 kilometers south of Kiev.

The Russian invasion reminded him of the old stories of his grandparents, dating back to World War II.

The resistants in his family were then hunted down by both the Nazis and the Soviets... Being able to retreat to the countryside to keep a low profile was essential to their survival.

A house in the countryside near Obukhiv, about forty kilometers south of Kiev.

© Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Almost 80 years later, Anna Martsinkiv has not forgotten their lesson.

Her husband, who is involved in Territorial Defence, requested a firearm.

But when she's home alone, her personal sense of security comes more from the presence of her three dogs.

"Another advantage of the campaign is to be able to have dogs. They are like my own army, they signal any intrusion and can deter ill-intentioned people", explains the sociologist.

"Besides, they bring positive energy, they are companions who give you unconditional love...It's important to keep your spirits up."

Anna Martsinkiv feels much safer in the countryside than in town, thanks in particular to the presence of her dogs.

© Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Refuel elsewhere than at the supermarket

A chorus of barking outside signals the arrival of someone in the garden.

It is the neighbor, Svetlana Kratchinko, who brings some fresh eggs of the day.

A consequent advantage of retreating to the countryside is to secure access to food supplies outside the usual circuit.

It is now impossible to find pasta, rice or preserves in some supermarkets.

© Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Most local fresh produce markets are now closed and supermarkets are experiencing stock-outs of several essential products.

A visit to the Obukhiv hypermarket, located about ten minutes away, reveals surreal scenes.

The shelves of preserves, pasta, rice have been robbed.

Ditto for the fruits and vegetables most used in Ukrainian recipes... Impossible, for example, to find the slightest onion or a simple carrot.

The fresh fruit and vegetable section in a supermarket in Oboukhiv, March 6, 2022. © Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Strangely, the shelves of sweets are overflowing to the brim.

Some exotic fruits – pineapple, mango, passion fruit – are still available.

On the fourteenth day of the war, the bread supply was still operating in degraded mode.

Chocolate eggs, chocolate bars and various sweets remain available in large quantities.

© Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Svetlana Kratchinko didn't wait for the supply to break to start baking her own bread.

"We decided to bake bread on the third day of the invasion, after looking at recipes on the Internet," said France 24, this cleaning lady who made regular trips to Kiev for her work before the war.

"I had noticed that people were starting to leave Kyiv two weeks before the Russian attack. We already had quite a lot of food at home, so my priority was to buy heart medication for my husband. Now we stay here, we don't want to go too far from home," adds the woman in her fifties.

A vegetable garden, preserves and a well

The house she has lived near Obukhiv for 30 years houses stocks that would make many survivalists envious.

Apart from the hens, which provide her with fresh eggs and therefore plenty of protein, she has a vegetable garden which allows her to harvest potatoes, cabbage, onions and other vegetables that are very popular in Ukrainian cuisine. .

Jars and homemade preserves in the cellar of a resident of Obukhiv.

© Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Inherited from the Soviet period, the inhabitants of rural areas have kept the habit of stocking up on large reserves of vegetables in brine.

"We stocked up on everything in advance in 3-litre jars. We also have supplies of macaroni, rice, lentils and buckwheat. I have a 50-kilo bag of flour... I don't know how long it will last, we'll see," says Svetlana Kratchinko with a smile.

Its land also has a well.

But the electric pump that raises the water, one of its rare concessions to modernity, would no longer work in the event of a power cut... And generators are not widespread in Ukrainian rural areas.

Sergei draws water from the well located on his property, near Obukhiv, March 7, 2022. © Mehdi Chebil, France 24

Sergei, an ex-soldier who lives 200 meters away, will not have this problem.

Its old-fashioned well is perfectly functional and it therefore has a guaranteed water supply.

He moved here six months ago, having acquired a house and a large vegetable garden, to live there with his elderly mother and her twelve dogs.

"It's important for me because with the war, water could be more and more expensive," says Sergei, who is not afraid of running out of food here.

"If I had stayed in town, we would have been forced to hide in cellars or shelters. Here in the countryside, we are still much freer."

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