Kharkiv residents go fishing in nearby lake to relieve stress of war

By Davit Kachkachishvili and Burc Eruygur

KHARKIV/ISTANBUL (AA) - Many civilians in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region go fishing at a nearby lake covered in ice to relieve the stress brought by the war with Russia as the conflict nears its 11th month.

People living around Chuhuiv district travel to the village of Nova Hnylytsya and the lake, where they make preparations for fishing despite temperatures dropping to -10C (14F) during the day.

"We experienced great stress during the occupation. Fishing helps me overcome stress," 64-year-old Viktor Sergeyev told Anadolu, noting that he has loved fishing since his childhood.

While trying to fish from the holes he made in the lake, where the ice thickness exceeds 15 centimeters (5.9 inches), Sergeyev said that many people from the surrounding towns come to the lake.

He noted that families are experiencing serious economic difficulties in the region due to the impact of the war and that he took the fish he caught from the lake home.

Fifty-three-year-old Vitaliy Gertsev, who arrived at the lake from the nearby city of Balakliya, noted that life in the region slowly began to return to normal and that employment opportunities have decreased considerably as the infrastructure where he lives has been severely damaged due to the conflict.

Noting that he works at the gas station and goes to the lake to fish on his off days, Gertsev said "this process (fishing) takes us away from stress."​​​​​​​

He added that many people are struggling to survive in the region, which reflects the bitter face of the war, and said that most people fish near their homes to cook for their families.