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 the eggplants to the top floor? Will the water in the cistern run out right in front of me? These questions have become the main internal monologue of many people. Sanitary and hygienic fault The most eloquent and at the same time painful indicator of the study was the state of the sanitary and hygienic sphere. More than half of the respondents (53%) admitted that they "very often" faced the inability to comply with basic hygiene standards. For a modern European metropolis in the XXI century, where standards of cleanliness are an integral part of personal dignity, this has become a real test of endurance and moral stability. The inability to take a shower after a hard day, restrictions on washing clothes, difficulties in maintaining cleanliness in the home — these household restrictions had a deep psychological effect. They created a feeling of humiliation and helplessness. The hygiene crisis of 2022 showed how thin the layer of civilization is when water disappears. Mykolaiv residents were forced to invent methods of "dry" washing, use wet wipes as the main means of hygiene and calculate each liter of technical water for flushing in the toilet. It was not just discomfort — it was a daily struggle to preserve one's own human form in inhuman circumstances. Gastronomic adaptation The water crisis of 2022 even reached the dining tables. A quarter of residents (25%) were "very often" forced to change their diet. It wasn't a matter of taste or diet — it was a direct consequence of resource scarcity. People refused to cook dishes that require long cooking or a lot of water to rinse the ingredients. Fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, soups - everything that required significant water consumption was replaced by fast food or dry food. This change in diet directly affected the quality of life and health. The lack of a good hot meal combined with stress undermined the immune system. Water became the main "price tag" of any dish: if it cost too many "eggplant liters" to wash or boil, it was refused. It was the survival economy in its most primitive and cruel manifestation. Conclusions of the "crisis year" The 2022 questionnaire recorded the moment of the city's highest vulnerability. It showed that water danger is a complex phenomenon that affects the psyche, health, social ties and professional future. The statistics of this period are a monument to the patience of Mykolaiv residents. She reminds us that even in a state of shock, when life revolved around plastic containers and the queue at the water carrier, the city did not break. However, the price of this resilience, expressed as a percentage of broken schedules and lost hygiene, will remain one of the most difficult chapters in our history, forever defining 2022 as the year of the great "water pain". 95