In Koursk, the artists of the municipal circus depict standardization. And the ” victory “after nine months of combat to take over this Russian region partially occupied by Ukrainian forces.
The day after the surprise attack, on August 6, 2024, the imposing circular building had transformed into a help center for families fleeing the border villages. The closed track, the troop and the animals evacuated, the volunteers were activating night and day to distribute, by whole trolleys, bags of rice, water bottles, toothbrushes and children's books. At the entrance, nearly 2,000 refugees came to receive what to survive daily “In a provisional that promises to be very long So was worried Aliona Agarkova, one of the managers of this help center.
Since April, the Russian army has hunted Ukrainian troops, released the 1,400 square kilometers occupied. In the midst of the colored banners and balloons of the circus, Aliona Agarkova, 34, welcomes the crowd of spectators who came with family applaud the return of artists and animals. “With the children, we write to the soldiers. But life resumes. There will soon be a peace agreement ”hopes the one who was promoted to the circus manager.
Standardization remains relative. To accommodate the public again, it was necessary to take safety measures: armored glass with windows, evacuation plan and water reserves. Up to 20 times a day, in the sky of Koursk, the sirens howl, alerting from the arrival of drones or missiles. But no one takes refuge in the shelters. On April 15, the explosion on a residential building, however, killed a resident. The first victim in the city.
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Source: Lemonde