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 Thanks to autonomous power systems (generators and batteries), this point continued to work even when the surrounding houses were dark. In the twilight of the blackout, to the monotonous sound of the generator, the figures of people with eggplants looked like shadows in the theater of military life. Collecting water has turned into a silent ritual: substitute the container, wait for the filling, tighten the lid tightly and make room for the next one. It was this point that became an example of the fact that even in the darkest times, a high standard of care can be provided. The activities of the issuing point at the Adventist Church became an example of effective decentralization of water supply. During the systemic infrastructure crisis, such locations provided not only resource support, but also compliance with sanitary and humanitarian standards, which was critically important for maintaining social stability. Ethics and automatism of the "water" queue Over time, in the Mykolaiv queues near the distribution points, a special, almost military etiquette was developed. People have learned to bring the process of collecting water to automatism. This was not the result of briefings — it was the result of thousands of repetitions (Fig. 1.30). The main goal was to reduce the time spent at the tap, because everyone understood: the faster I dialed, the faster the person behind me would dial, and the more likely we were to have time for the next power outage or air raid. The art of preparation began at home. Each eggplant was checked for integrity, the lids were unscrewed in advance. No one stood in line just like that. People prepared containers: they removed extra bags, put the bottles in the order in which it is more convenient to substitute them under the stream (Fig. 1.31). The recruitment process itself resembled the work of a conveyor. A person approached the point, and his movements were honed: substitute the first eggplant, fill it, instantly replace it with the next, and only then, stepping aside, calmly tighten the lids. This simple action — tightening the lids "outside the dialing area" — has become the golden rule of Mykolaiv etiquette. Occupying the tap while you tighten five or six caps was considered a manifestation of extreme disrespect for the queue. In these queues, people have learned to appreciate water on a physical level. When you carry every liter to the car or to the floor without an elevator with your own hands, the value of the resource increases significantly. Special hoses, taps - everything was used to prevent water from splashing. The everyday behavior of the townspeople was transformed in the direction of extreme frugality. Even insignificant losses of resources during recruitment or transportation began to be recorded by consciousness as inefficient use of a scarce good. 57