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 This frugality was carried over into the home. Water from the issuing points was used exclusively for drinking and cooking. For everything else, there was a different kind of water — technical from the tap or collected in another way. In everyday life, the concept of "second life of water" appeared: the water used to wash vegetables could later be watered with single surviving flowerpots or used for primary flushing. The queue for water has become a place of action for specific social norms. Mutual assistance was silent but functional: from hose support to logistical arrangement of the space around the pick-up points. The rational organization of the queue and respect for the efforts of other residents made it possible to minimize conflicts and optimize the process of collecting water. This period etched in the character of the Mykolaiv people a trait that is difficult to understand for those who did not live under such conditions — rational calm. No panic, minimum words and maximum efficiency. Humans turned into a well-lubricated mechanism that worked synchronously with generators and light schedules. For many who came by car, this trip became a kind of expedition. Loading the trunk with dozens of containers required efficiency and speed. It wasn't just a household chore — it was a form of life. Effective logistics of self-sufficiency has become an important element of civilian life. The ability of citizens to autonomously solve water supply issues leveled the aggressor's expectations of destabilizing the situation due to the destruction of critical infrastructure." "Mykolaiv truck": trolley as the main vehicle Wheeled carts, which in peacetime were considered an attribute exclusively of summer residents or the elderly going to the market, suddenly turned into the most important vehicle in the city. In Mykolaiv during the war years, they became a kind of "trucks" on a microdistrict scale. If earlier such a stroller could cause a smile, now it has become a sign of economic thoughtfulness (Fig. 1.32). The logistics were simple but effective: the design of the standard trolley made it possible to compactly place up to six plastic eggplants on the platform. Each is 6 liters. The mathematics of survival was simple: one flight is 36 liters of water. For a city dweller who lives in a high-rise building without a working elevator, such a volume was the golden mean between physical capabilities and the needs of the family for several days. The narrative of Mykolaiv streets of that time is the continuous, rhythmic sound of metal wheels on the asphalt. This roar became part of the city noise against the background of the constant noise of generators and the wailing of air raid sirens. The cart made the process of "extracting" water democratic. Thanks to him, a heavy load of 36 kilograms ceased to be an unbearable burden. He could be dragged by a teenager, a woman on whose shoulders the whole burden of domestic life fell; or an elderly person. The wheels 59