On the occasion of the third anniversary of the liberation of Yahidne in the Chernihiv region from Russian occupation, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the village to support the local residents and their efforts to preserve the memory of what they had to endure.
During the occupation of Yahidne in March 2022, all residents – more than 350 people – were held in the basement of the local school for almost a month. Among the hostages were nearly 80 children, the youngest of whom was only a month and a half old at the time. People were forced to sleep sitting down and were allowed to go outside only once a day.
The President visited the school, where he was shown the renovation project and inspected the progress of the village's reconstruction.
Out of 150 damaged and 16 destroyed houses, 56 have been restored so far. Reconstruction efforts in Yahidne continue, including the repair of roads and sidewalks, as well as the development of the Urban Park sports and cultural center, which will feature a sports field, a children's playground, pedestrian walkways, and green space.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited one of the houses being restored and engaged in conversation with the villagers.
The occupation of Yahidne lasted 27 days, from March 3 to March 30, 2022. Due to the inhumane conditions in the basement, 10 villagers died, and 17 others were killed by the Russian occupiers.
