From the conditionally peaceful Kiev, where even ballistic missiles are most likely to be knocked down, you will get to Kherson, where anything can fly and will not be shot down.

Half an hour before the departure of the Kiev-Kherson train, a full platform of people gathers. Lots of little kids. They hold on to suitcases and parents, anticipating adventure. I only hope that at least most of these kids will not be taken to the front city.

Such a sticker is now in all cars, but in Kherson it is especially symbolic. “This train is a free Ukrainian territory.”

Once in Kherson there was a shelling, and one of the wagons hit, knocked out the portholes in the vestibule. However, the train arrived on time. This surprises me the most. Nothing that the car is damaged - we have to go. It was car number 11. The train arrived on time. And people on the platform hugged their relatives from Kherson warmer than usual.

In this train, there are almost always placard tickets on sale.

The ticket costs 159 hryvnia, the coupe - 332, this is already with a bed. It is almost impossible to buy a purchase, I, and as it turns out later, my fellow travelers, tried to “grab” the ticket.

There are three of us in the compartment. My neighbor is in civilian clothes, but by the little things you always recognize the military. Behind the camouflaged bag, behind the patch on it. It is a habit not to sleep at night. His name is Sasha, he is 36 years old. He immediately hands me and our companion candy.

The neighbor's name is Elena, but Sasha calls her poor Lena and demands that she not give up sweets.

Sasha needs to talk. He goes to his native Kherson for the funeral of his mother. Almost immediately we learn that my mother was 68, she did not die, but died of lung cancer. That Sasha was released from the service, because he should bury his mother. For a brother in the occupied territory. Because the wife and the son are in Poland, and the mother-in-law in Poland, and even the “bride” are also there. The wife is a little angry that Sasha immediately after the de-occupation of Kherson went into the army. Sasha is very happy that his wife and child are safe.

He tells us how he told them that the war had begun, because his windows overlook Chornobayivka, and he understood that the family had to go.

Technically, he too could have gone to Poland via Russia, but decided to stay and join the army. He is now a jailer, but hardly talks about the service. He tells how he laid the Internet in the Kherson region. Even before a full-scale war. It seems that Elena and I are aware of the whole scheme of laying the Internet in Kherson region.

Elena - from Melon. She tells us how this town in the Nikolaev area resisted. She is hurting for her city. She is angry with the head of the ATG, who constantly wrote something inappropriate in social networks, and thus Bashtanka suffered from rocket attacks.

Tells about how they hid, although there was no particular place - there is no basement.

How those who passed by were rewarded and called heroes, and did not name those who died going out to confront the enemy.

Elena and Sasha speak the north. It's like a meeting of the South Pond. They go home and talk about the war.

In a neighboring compartment, a woman talks about teachers from the occupied territories. How they continued to pay money to teachers who did not betray. In her voice there are many insults to those who betrayed.

In this car, random people talk to fellow travelers about their lives, but it turns out that they talk about war, occupation, shelling and fear.

The conductor pours me tea in the morning. To Kherson less than two hours.

- Let's make you tea with thyme?

The conductor offers tea, from which 5 hryvnia should go to drones to the armed forces.

I drink tea and, as it is started in the car, I look out the window.

Behind Nikolaev begins the section of the railway, along which the line of demarcation passed. I recognize places I've been to dozens of times.

So we passed the bridge under which our anti-aircraft guns usually stood, which shot down enemy drones and probably still shoot down, but somewhere further away.

Here we pass a village in which on the one hand were ours, on the other - strangers.

Everything is still broken there. Only blue and yellow flag. And pieces of houses (well, what is left) are covered with blue film, so that they may someday be restored by the owners.

We pass the landings. They are all labeled by sappers. On the trees - white bows, around - trenches, abandoned blinds

We drive through long fields - no certainty that they have already been mined.

We drive through a battered city that has been dressed in brown and gray for the winter.

On the platform, you can hear enemy shells flying somewhere further. On the platform, people immediately diverge in different directions - at the station it is better not to linger.

It's hard for me to believe it myself, but I really missed this battered city.

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