On the border of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions lies the village of Bezymenne. Today its name sounds especially symbolic, because the war has turned it into a true ghost village. Destroyed houses, abandoned equipment — there is not a single intact building or a single living soul left here.
Before the full-scale invasion, 56 people lived in Bezymenne. In March 2022 the village was occupied by Russian forces. Over eight months the settlement was practically completely destroyed.
Locals recall the occupation as a nightmare: there were no food supplies, electricity and water disappeared immediately, and the Russians took residents’ poultry, food, clothing and even straw to set up trenches.
When in September 2022 a sabotage group of Ukrainian soldiers entered the village, they were convinced that there were no civilians left there. However, about 20 people stayed in Bezymenne until the end.
At that time, in September 2022, all civilians were evacuated from the village. At that moment some houses were still intact.
Local residents who returned home after the de-occupation saw only ruins: 78 residential houses were completely destroyed by hostilities. The village has no utilities, water supply or roads at all.
When retreating, Russian troops also heavily mined the settlement. Today Bezymenne is considered one of the most contaminated settlements in Mykolaiv region with explosive ordnance. Due to the mine danger, local farmers cannot cultivate their fields.
Residents of Bezymenne are trying to start a new life in the neighboring village of Tamaryne, in Snihurivka, Mykolaiv and abroad. Some of them have already received housing certificates for housing destroyed by the occupiers.
Most likely, Bezymenne will never be revived. Just demining the territory will take years, and the nearest settlement from which power lines could be extended is located 18 kilometers away. Restoring the destroyed infrastructure and housing stock will require very large resources.
Today Bezymenne remains a silent testimony to the ruin and devastation that war can leave behind.
