There are memories that need no lengthy explanation. All it takes is to mention a street, and whoever is standing next to you already knows where your thoughts have taken you. When Bakhmut residents get together, they can talk about home and know they’ll be understood. Especially in September, when you long so much to be right there, in your native Bakhmut.
On September 17, the people of Bakhmut celebrated Bakhmut’s 455th anniversary together with the Kremenchuk community. The event took place at the Kremenchuk City Palace of Culture as part of the national project “Side by Side: United Communities.”
It is symbolic that these cities are the same age: both trace their history back to 1571. For over four and a half centuries, each has written its own story. Now they also share common chapters—encounters, support, and gatherings that bring people closer together. This day became one of them.
Serhiy Rodin, Deputy Mayor of Bakhmut, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. Ruslan Protsenko, Deputy Mayor of Kremenchuk, and Hennadiy Ivanyan, a member of the Kremenchuk City Council, also congratulated the residents of Bakhmut on their city’s anniversary.
Artists from both communities performed on the same stage. Yulia Idzhilova, Anna Golubtsova, and the “Rhapsody” ensemble of folk and contemporary songs performed. The audience gave the performers a warm welcome and rewarded them with generous applause.
Outside the concert hall, there were plenty of reasons to linger: to chat, take photos, and get involved in creative activities. Artisans from the Bakhmut People’s House and educators had prepared workshops for children and adults. As a memento of the gathering, attendees could receive a quick-print newspaper featuring their own photos. Later, people will flip through its pages, recognize the faces, and recall how they were together on that September day.
And a special heart—the heart of Bakhmut—is traveling from city to city. It is gradually filling up with new little roses made of tinsel wire, preserving a piece of every event.
Students at Kremenchuk Gymnasium No. 1 created greeting cards for the guests. The children’s drawings and wishes express their faith in peace and the return of Bakhmut’s residents home. It was especially touching to see the care with which the children treated the city, which is so dear to their guests.
The Bakhmut community thanks the Kremenchuk community for its hospitality and respect for our history. Bakhmut’s 455th anniversary became a shared event, to which so many friends contributed through their hard work, creativity, and attention.
Based on materials from the Bakhmut City Council