Mariupol's former Azovstal workers yearn for their old lives in the now Russian-held city.
One year after the Ukrainian city of Mariupol fell to Russian control, its displaced steel workers find themselves both comforted and unsettled by ghosts of their former lives.
Ivan is among dozens of workers from Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks who have begun a new life in Kamianske, 270km [168 miles] away, after surviving theFor weeks, Ukrainian fighters holed up in the tunnels and bunkers of the steelworks, making a last stand against the Russian forces. They were eventually forced to leave, but Azovstal became a symbol of resistance against the invasion.
Workers reminisce about summers spent at the beach, fishing trips and the sea views in their industrial home city. Two say they were in the process of building holiday homes together when Russia invaded. Fighting first broke out in the city in 2014, and the government briefly lost control after clashes with pro-Russian militants and protesters. But the workers say they never thought it would fall, as it did last year following a lengthy siege., linking as it does Crimea and Donbas, and the brutal battle for its control lasted more than 80 days.
Residents who have remained in Mariupol say Moscow has brought in labourers from across Russia and Central Asia to rebuild the city, but- streets have had their Soviet names restored, new buildings have appeared and many of those damaged in the siege have gone. Russian flags have been erected as well as pro-Russia billboards and posters.
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