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 No major city can depend on one main water supply, especially if it passes through areas with a high risk of hostilities. The issue of mine water discharge should be transferred from the plane of annual "permits" to the plane of technological modernization (construction of desalination plants or closed loops), since the Inhulets River is a strategic reserve for the entire South. Supplying fresh water from a new water supply system is only half the solution. The other half is a complete replacement of intra-city networks that were critically damaged by salt water. Without this, water losses will remain at 40-50% due to constant leaks. The experience of restoring the State Emergency Service and building a new water supply system with solar stations shows that critical infrastructure should be as energy-independent as possible and protected from terrorist acts. The use of water from Inhulets was a forced step that saved Mykolaiv from the deportation of the population due to lack of water, but it also became the price that the city paid for its resilience to the aggressor. The effects of this period will be felt for decades to come due to the state of underground communications and changes in the river's ecosystem. However, the transition to a stable supply of fresh water in October 2025 marked the end of this crisis stage and the beginning of a large-scale recovery of the region's hydraulic sector. Relic of war Mykolaiv: a treasure of 330 milliliters Among the numerous "water plots" of wartime Mykolaiv, there are those that do not fit into dry statistics or technical descriptions. They are stored not in archives, but on the shelves of home sideboards, next to the most expensive things. One such symbol is a small aluminum jar with the inscription "Drinking Water" and a large red heart on a silver background. This flask came to me as a gift from my first teacher, Nina Kalnova (Fig. 1.25). During that most difficult period, she, like many other elderly people, received such jars as part of volunteer assistance. What seemed like a trifle in peaceful life, in Mykolaiv, especially in 2022, was the highest manifestation of care. Breweries poured water into containers instead of the usual drinks so that people could simply survive. Nina Vladimirovna shared this water with me, and now I keep this still filled flask as a precious memory. It is about the same "water" Mykolaiv, where thirst was common, and every sip of pure water tasted solidarity. It is a testimony of a city that has survived thanks to caring hearts, and of people who, even in the darkest of times, shared the last. For me, this jar is not just a flask, it is a materialized story of our struggle for life and the right to remain human. Transformation of fundamental law Since April 2022, this has been the period when the city learned to live according to the new, strict rules of water hygiene. In every Mykolaiv family, there was a silent revision of the household: what used to be an automatic movement of the hand to the faucet now required analysis and planning. Mykolaiv residents have clearly learned: water in pipes is not drinking, it is only a means for the survival of the infrastructure. A rigid hierarchy has been established in everyday life. Salt water from the central network has become a "technical appendage". It was used to wash floors, drain toilets, and - with great care - use it for short showers. However, even here there were risks: after such a wash, the skin was 43