Mitryasova, O. CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY: Monograph. Mykolaiv: PMBSNU, 2026, 124 p.

CHRONICLES OF THIRST: DOCUMENTING MYKOLAIV'S WATER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN A WAR-AFFECTED CITY volunteers, utility workers, soldiers, and ordinary citizens with eggplants in their hands — who, with their daily work, put their backs to the heavy array of city life. Fig. 4.1. Mural "Mykolaiv on a whale" (photo by the author). The stars around the whale can be interpreted both as the souls of fallen defenders, protecting the city from heaven, and as sparks of hope that do not fade in the darkness of blackouts. So, the mural transforms the ancient legend of the "world fish" into a modern epic. This is no longer just a myth about the creation of the world — it is an artistic manifesto about the preservation of peace in a single city by the sea. Mykolaiv on the back of a whale is a symbol of the fact that as long as the memory of our roots (the Admiralty) and the will to live (Shukhov Tower) live in us, our "spaceship" will continue its movement through any darkness. The entire composition is framed by the inscription in capital letters: "Free City — Free Ukraine!", which makes this art object an open political and civic statement. 100