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. 1.26. Yacht Club area on June 8, 2023 (author's photo). The mirror surface of the water, which filled the space between the concrete fences, created the illusion of a canal. The water level here reached the knees of an adult, which can be seen from the figures in the background. People who used to walk here looking at yachts are now forced to wander in the water, trying to understand the scale of what is happening. In the right plan, behind the fence, the hulls of sailboats that stand on keel blocks rise. They were lifted out of the water for storage or repair, and now paradoxically look "safer" than the alley itself, which should have been dry land. The figures of teenagers in the water reflect that special Mykolaiv adaptability. For children, it is an adventure, a way to explore a changed world, while for adults, it is a visualization of the collapse of hopes for the imminent return of fresh water and the restoration of the region. A concrete fence stretching along the alley usually separates the yacht club area from the river. In the picture, it looks like the last bastion trying to contain the pressure of the elements, but the water has already overflowed, flooding the space where Mykolaiv residents have been making dates and celebrating regattas for generations. Symbolism of the moment These photos are not just about flooding (Fig. 1.27). This is about Mykolaiv as a peninsula city, which has always been inextricably linked with water. However, here water appears not as a life-giving force or a way for trade, but as an element that has become a weapon in the hands of the enemy. 46