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 Fig. 1.14. Traditional water columns were distributed in the city (photo by Dmytro Mats). Ultimatum for the sake of life: how the Dnieper came to Mykolaiv Even with the powerful Oktyabrsky reservoir of 26.7 million m³ and modern treatment facilities that passed through 120 thousand cubic meters. m³ of water every day, Mykolaiv continued to feel thirsty. The development of industry and population growth required solutions of a different scale. The key to solving the problem was 73 kilometers from the city — in the waters of the Dnieper. In 1974, after thorough research, scientists made a verdict: the water near the village of Mykilske, Kherson region, is ideal for drinking supply. However, the construction of such a gigantic water pipeline required enormous funds, which the city budget did not have. The chance appeared along with plans for the construction of the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant (MGZ). It was a moment of high political play. The then head of the Mykolaiv region, Volodymyr Vaslyaev, put forward a strict condition to the Ministry of Non-Ferrous Metallurgy of the USSR: consent to the construction of the plant would be given only on condition of simultaneous financing and construction of the Dnipro-Mykolaiv water pipeline. This "ultimatum" became fateful. In 1979, the first products of the plant and the first Dnieper streams appeared in city networks almost simultaneously. The launch of the Dnieper water radically changed the city's economy. In 1983, water consumption soared to 166.2 thousand cubic meters. m³ per day. Most of this volume was absorbed by industrial giants, which made Mykolaiv one of the most powerful 24