Resilient residents in the battle-scarred region of Zaporizhzhia are bravely getting on with life amid the new realities they face, with people doing whatever they can to block out the horrifying noises of war and make the most of what they have under difficult circumstances.
For four years now, local people who sit dangerously close to the frontlines of the Ukraine-Russia conflict have endured a precarious existence, suspended between fear and hope.
Despite the chaos and heartache of war, people here in Zaporizhzhia remain defiant. Residents may leave but later return, entrepreneurs close their businesses but start new ones. Shelling is destroying the region from above, but hospitals and kindergartens are being built underground.
Stories which capture the peoples' spirit and strength can be found right across the region.
Local couple Ekaterina and Maksym greet reporters from the China Global Television Network (CGTN) at the door of their greenhouse, holding their fluffy dog Toshik. Inside this dark room they are growing tulips, which not only helps make a small contribution to the family budget, but also provides a quiet sanctuary and welcome relief from the horrors which are unfolding not far from their home.
Despite living in one of the most dangerous areas of the region where they have to work amid the terrifying roar of drones and the sporadic sound of gunfire, they say they still don't want to leave Zaporizhzhia.
"The thought of leaving comes when [a missile] lands. But we've learned to quickly fall to the ground in the greenhouse. When we're sitting here, doing something, watering, and something flies somewhere. It's scary, especially when it starts to nosedive," said Ekaterina.
For others, there is hope for new beginnings and a fresh start, even as this crisis now enters a bruising fifth year.
Olga Belyakova's family, her husband and then two children, left Donetsk when conflict erupted there in 2014 and spent the last 12 years huddled in a modular settlement for displaced persons in Zaporizhzhia. However, they recently have some cause for celebration after being given a new apartment.
"We're from Donetsk itself. And as soon as the fighting started there, we immediately left in the first few months, so to speak. There were three of us, and now there are four of us. Life goes on. We're very happy that it happened this way, unexpectedly and pleasantly," she said.
But with war on the region's doorstep, the exodus of people is also dealing a blow to businesses. Over the past year, many establishments have been forced to close their doors, some due to the impact of shelling, others due to a lack of profits.
Customers are a rare sight at a bar and restaurant run by local entrepreneur Alexey Kotov, but he is still proudly vowing to stay open while championing Ukrainian produce.
"We feature wines from our own winery and over 40 Ukrainian wineries. We work with craft producers - cheesemakers, bakers, butchers. I see that other establishments are overcrowded, but people aren't coming here. They're choosing imported products over Ukrainian ones," he said.
Authorities in Zaporizhzhia are aware they must provide people with basic needs to carry on living here, with healthcare and education being identified as priority areas. The region is now building an underground children's hospital, which is scheduled for completion by May.
Schools began operating underground in the region last year, and now kindergartens have started to operate since January, offering a daily respite to young children who have only ever known a life of hardship and conflict.
One such kindergarten has been set up within a below-ground shelter totaling some 700 square meters. It has ventilation, a fire alarm, and a medical room, and features colorful classroom walls and toys, offering these children a much needed escape from life outside.
"We'll now go into the group where our youngest children - three to four years old - study. There are many of them today. Come in. Here, like in other groups, they have a play area, an activity area and beds," said Daria Dmitrieva, the kindergarten's director, as she introduced the facilities. Despite the daily difficulties and uncertain challenges, the region lives on, as its long-suffering people keep holding onto the faint hope that peace will finally come.
Resilient residents in Zaporizhzhia retain hope, press on with life amid continuing conflict
