Kharkiv is a hero city. From the first moments of the Russian army’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kharkiv residents stuck together and summoned up all their strength to defend the city. First of all, Kharkiv is about people who are fighting, working, and not losing hope.

For three years now, the city has been living in conditions of war, constant shelling, destruction, and blackouts. Almost 30% of the housing stock is damaged. However, transportation, pharmacies, supermarkets, farmer markets, and some businesses are operating. Despite the problems with water and electricity supply, garbage is being removed; the city is being landscaped and cleaned up.

The challenges faced by Kharkiv residents, the Oblast and City Administrations, law enforcement agencies, rescuers, firefighters, and volunteers from the first days of the war are recalled by the direct participants in the events—the protagonists of this book.