hour.
>> My pleasure.
>> Among the cities hit hardest
by the Russian invasion is
harr'kiv, once Ukraine's
second-largest city. It has
suffered relentless shelling,
and is devoid of many of its
people. But a core remains, some
to fight, others with no other
choice, and still others trying
to save what's left. Special
correspondent jack Hewson and
filmmaker Ed ram just left
harr'kiv, which sits a short
drive from Russia, and they
sent us this look at a resilient
city and its people.
>> A refrain to rally the
faithful.
Amid the destruction
"The glory and freedom of
Ukraine has not yet perished"
begins Ukraine's national anthem
cellist Denis karachevtsev plays
for an audience of none
here in the kharkiv's battered
city center
those that remain find solace
and resistance wherever they can
lifting morale for the
shellshocked
this is a message to our people
we have no fear - war is a
terrible thing but we are all
trying to do something helpful
.
>> Down the road group of
volunteers has joined the war
effort: By sandbagging a
monument of Nike, the Greek
goddess of victory.
It honours the declaration of
Ukrainian Independence from the
soviet union in 1991
a totem of Ukraine's slow
de-russification
since Independence, Ukrainians
identifying as ethnic Russians
has dropped from 22% to 17.
But does this mean Ukrainians
have a problem with ethnic
Russians or Russian speakers?
>> "How? We treat each other
normally! We understand each
other, they understand us in
Ukrainian, we understand them in
Russian. We treat each other
okay. We never had to insult
each other because of Russian
nationality. We don't do that."
>> Despite what Peter says,
anti-russian sentiment is
growing across the country. But
in majority russian-speaking
kharkiv, it's clear this is not
an ethnic conflict.
The people of kharkiv share much
cultural identity with those
across the border, just 20 miles
away.
For Peter it is not Russia or
Russians that are the problem,
it's Vladimir Putin.
>> "I want to tell you from the
bottom of my heart: This man is
a reptile, not a human. During
the World War II, the fascists
didn't act like he has
take a look how many children
have been killed
one moment please
it is very sad to seeit is very
sad to see all of this"
>> Putin's invasion has only
strengthened, Ukrainian national
identity historian volodymyr
masliychuk told me.
>> "When your house is being
bombed
when they take your property
from you
when you see the dead you start
recognising your identity in a
different way."
>> Nikita rozhenko shows us
round the remnants of a recently
bombed chocolate factory, an
ethnic Russian, he embodies the
shift in thinking that has taken
place since the start of the war
>> "I was standing for
independent Ukraine but for
friendly neighbourship with
Russia as well at that time
later Russian propaganda became
harder and harder"
>> Nikita was formerly a city
councillor for a pro Russian
party, but since the invasion
has abandoned his Russian
politics and joined the
Ukrainian army.
>> "Still I'm Ukrainian but now
nobody wants to be friends with
Russia anymore. Same as me"
"[Russians] Please come here if
you dare
we'll send you back in plastic
bags
but better do not come here to
end this ongoing bullshit, and
we can move on"
>> Sheltering from the violence
above, an estimated 15,000 have
made a temporary home of the
city's subway system. The
psychological strain has been
huge, exacerbated by the loss of
kinship with whom they once had
so much in common. For some the
shock is still sinking in.
>> "We were like Neighbours, I'm
a russian-speaking too and no
one could think that all can
begin from there
I just can't comprehend why our
relations gone so bad so he
decide to destroy us, a peaceful
people who got to suffer
especially children is suffering
and so painful to see how these
children are dying because of
person like Putin"
>> Children like ludmila's son
igor, are growing up with a
different understanding of
Russians: As a dangerous enemy.
>> "We're just try to support
kids so they won't see this
mess, have no fear and feel no
misfortune, try to lift them up
with our fighting spirit and not
to lose our hearts
that's the way, isn't it?"
>> Amid the gloom and confusion,
the people of kharkiv lift their
spirits by whatever means they
can
because resilience, now, is
also a part of Ukraine's
evolving sense of identity
for the pbs newshour, I'm jack
Hewson in kharkiv, Ukraine.
>> The newshour's coverage of
the war in Ukraine is supported
in partnership with the pulitzer