Exclusive interview by Christopher Ford of Ukraine Solidarity Campaign with Maksym Romanenko, a doctor and editor of the Ukrainian democratic socialist organization Social Movement.

Fires in Kharkiv following a Russian attack

An interview with Maksym Romanenko, a native of Kharkiv, a doctor, Ukrainian socialist, and editor of the Ukrainian democratic socialist organization Social Movement.

The city of Kharkiv is located 30 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border. The city was one of the first to be attacked by the Russian army’s mechanized brigades on February 24, 2022. Honor and praise to the defense and security forces, the city was able to resist the invader and remain Ukrainian, but the battle for Kharkiv region has not stopped to this day.

Prior to the full-scale invasion, Kharkiv was a densely populated city with almost 1.5 million inhabitants and a developed agglomeration. The city is an industrial center of eastern Ukraine, a city of universities, a scientific center of the Left Bank, and has a full set of Council of Europe awards: Diploma, Honorary Flag, Table of Europe, and the Prize of Europe.

Today, the city is under almost daily attacks by the Russian army, which destroys Kharkiv’s jobs and critical infrastructure, forces children to study in underground shelters and the subway, and constantly threatens them with death.

Currently, the city has introduced power outage schedules of 6-8 hours, but sometimes there are also emergency power outages, which prevents people from planning the simplest household tasks, such as cleaning the apartment, doing laundry, and cooking (if there is no gas stove).

Kharkiv survived the initial Russian invasion, but has continued to be a target, what is daily life like in Kharkiv?

The war has left a strong stamp on all areas of public life in Kharkiv, from the introduction of a curfew (from 23:00 to 5:00, when you cannot move around the city without a special pass) to completely free public transportation.

But life itself goes on as it always has. Children are born in the city, businesses operate, people visit various public places: bars, exhibitions, museums, sometimes forgetting that Russian troops are 30 kilometers away.

Has there been a growth and role of civil society and grass roots initiatives in the survival of Kharkiv?

If we take the growth of grassroots initiatives as a manifestation of civil society, then yes, this role has increased. Thanks to many international, in particular, European grant programs, media attention among both Ukrainian and international media, many cultural initiatives are emerging that develop the hidden potential of Kharkiv residents.

New artists, poets, painters, and musicians are emerging in the city. The attention of ordinary citizens to the political life of the city has increased significantly, and the anti-corruption struggle has grown. Many people, including people with disabilities, women, and young people, are helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine by creating creative posts to raise funds for the army, becoming visible throughout the Ukrainian media.


Has there been any role of trade unions or workers organisation in maintaining life of the city?

Unfortunately, I am not aware of any really influential impact of trade unions on the work of any enterprises, but almost all trade unions help the army, first of all by collecting necessary ammunition for their comrades who serve in the Armed Forces.

«The Social Movement» supports Trolleybus Depot #2, supporting them in their time of need and sharing with the world their problems in the workplace that they face every day.


Has education, schools, colleges and universities continued?  How has this been organised in the face of the attacks?

Since the introduction of quarantine measures against covid infection in March-April 2020, almost all educational activities have been switched to distance learning. Nothing has changed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian army. Thousands of children are forced to receive their education online: elementary, middle, and high school students, vocational and higher education students.

Recently, there have been changes in this regard in Kharkiv: a metro school has been operating in the city for several months and an underground school has just been opened that can accommodate up to 1000 students. The mayor of Kharkiv promises to create such safe schools in every district of the city.

What has been the impact of war on the economic life of Kharkiv, of workers conditions? 

In the most terrible way. Many families in the Khakiv region and the city itself lost their homes and were forced to move to relatives or municipal dormitories, other regions of the country, or emigrate abroad.

Due to the constant bombardment with ballistic missiles, high-explosive bombs, and drones, the city’s critical infrastructure has suffered enormous damage, which directly affects the number of jobs and working conditions. Many employers do not respect the labor code and the right of workers to take shelter in the face of the air threat that is heard almost daily in Kharkiv. There is a big ethical and moral problem.

For example, what about healthcare workers who work with people with limited mobility who cannot move to a safe place even if they want to? If doctors, nurses, and paramedics have to transport people to shelters every time, there will be no time for treatment. And as you know, the Russian army sneezed at the conventions and can strike at hospitals at any time.

Can you tell us about the role of public sector, medical and rescue workers in Kharkiv – there seems to be particularly savage practice by the Russians to target rescue workers with double strikes?

Indeed, a large proportion of all arrivals (bomb drops) are on public infrastructure buildings, such as schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, and educational institutions. Unfortunately, shelling of the same place to kill rescuers and medics is a routine occurrence.

Rescuers, doctors, educators, and critical infrastructure workers in Kharkiv are truly heroes. They literally put their own safety on the line and do their job every day for the sake of the city and all its citizens.



Vladimir Solovyov, the Kremlin’s chief propogandist said that ‘Kharkiv should be wiped from the face of the earth’, what is the reaction amongst people to hearing such statements?

I myself do not follow the Kremlin’s media narratives and what they say, but what is happening to the city because of the shelling can really lead to the destruction of the city.

Some areas have not been heavily damaged, but the municipal buildings, factories, shops, schools, etc. are constantly being destroyed. This leads to the fact that people cannot live in such conditions and the infrastructure necessary for life will simply stop functioning. The logic of such massive shelling cannot be understood at all if the Russian media consider Kharkiv to be an allegedly Russian city.

The vast majority of citizens hate Russia because it kills their families, destroys their jobs, and their plans for the future. Russia can only dream of a Russian Kharkiv, just like its “imperial greatness.” Therefore, if they try to attack Kharkiv, my opinion is that Kharkiv will never fall under Russian occupation. Only destroyed and without a population.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has become the first senior official to confirm Russia’s intention to seize the city of Kharkiv amid fears that the occupiers will resume their offensive on the city.

There is speculation of  Russian offensive what is feeling amongst the population, is there mobilisation to prepare for this possibility?

People are actively following what is happening in the media space and feeling everything for themselves. Some are panicking and leaving Kharkiv. I know some families who are expecting a child due to pregnancy or whose work requires a stable Internet connection – they left the city for other regions of Ukraine.

Most of them are holding on tight and trust the work of the Armed Forces. Kilometer-long trenches and bunkers are being built around the city, and mini-fields are being prepared. People see that the army is here, that no one has abandoned Kharkiv.

But what is really lacking is air defense equipment. It so happens that Kharkiv has a bad neighbor and Russia is able to bomb us with various types of weapons for which the Ukrainian Armed Forces simply do not have enough shells and simply because of the speed of the bombs and the short distance makes it impossible to shoot down everything that comes at us. That is why we lack air defense and radar systems the most. With the new air defense supplies, Kharkiv can become one of the most protected cities on the frontline. 

Kharkiv is associated with some of the most important figures of Ukrainian history, yet there was russification in the city also, has there been a change a noticeable change in the perception of Kharkiv’s Ukrainian heritage?

In my opinion, there was no specific Russification in the Kharkiv region that did not occur in other Ukrainian cities of the Ukrainian SSR. Because the city was a scientific, industrial, and commercial center, a large proportion of Ukrainians spoke Russian in the twentieth century. But Kharkiv has always been a city where many peoples lived together, including Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Armenians, Belarusians, and Roma. Since 2014, there have been initiatives from the population itself to strengthen Ukrainianization. Ukrainianization became even more pronounced after the full-scale invasion. In my personal opinion, until 2022, about one in ten people in Kharkiv spoke Ukrainian in everyday life, and now it is one in four.

Euromaidan protest in Kharkiv, 1 December 2013.



What impact has the war since 2014 had on the previous influence of the Stalinist parties in the city?

I am not aware of any Stalinist parties or organizations in the Kharkiv region. Any “leftists” who could somehow defend or justify Russia’s attack on Ukraine since 2014 have either ceased to exist or moved to Russia.

The first Ukrainian political party  – the Revolutionary Ukrainian Party – was founded in Kharkiv, is there a Ukrainian left today in the city?

In the 2010s, there were such initiatives in Kharkiv as the Weyerhaeuser Strasse Function, the Anarchist Squat (a dormitory in a communal building where anarchists and their friends lived), and other small left-wing groups. As of April 2024, there are almost no living representatives of the Social Movement. Many have left for other cities in Ukraine. There are also very few leftists in Kharkiv that I know of. Unfortunately, we have a very strong negative label that if a person is called a socialist or leftist, he or she is immediately pro-Russian. In recent years, there have been some changes in this image, and more and more people are calling themselves anti-authoritarians, activists, democrats, anarchists, and even socialists. The fashion for right-wing ideas is slowly decreasing due to the anti-social and anti-worker governmental implementations. Therefore, I hope that the reconstruction of Kharkiv will be based on the support of workers, their safety, focusing on the environmental friendliness of all architectural projects, and on transparent and fair principles on the part of the city administration.

Are there any things that bring you hope in these dangerous times?

It’s the lives of my family, my friends, my colleagues. I find pride in being in my city right now, working for people. Yes, an emergency power outage or Internet blackout upsets you, ruins your plans, and interferes with your work, but moments of something interesting and good are felt more strongly than in peaceful times. Perhaps it shouldn’t be this way, but it is what it is. And with the development of grassroots music and film culture, I have a place to spend my weekends, thanks to the Armed Forces and Air Defense.

What can the western Labour Movement do to help you in the current situation?

Support those people who joined the army to defend their homes and loved ones. It is the transfer of air defense systems to Ukraine that can save the lives of Kharkiv residents and make them feel a little safer. For those organizations that do not want to provide militarized assistance on principle, you can help critical infrastructure workers: doctors, electricians, factory workers, and public transport workers.