“There were no official tourists on Snake Island,” said Svitlana. But very few people have been able to visit it, partly because of the enduring territorial dispute between Ukraine and Romania over who is its rightful “owner”.
Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardianĭespite the uncertainty of Snake Island’s future, it is closely linked to Vylkove and its residents. Postage stamps were issued commemorating the defiance of Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island. Since Russia took control, Ukrainian troops have attempted to retake the island several times. The phrase has become one of the most popular Ukrainian slogans of resistance, with the Ukrainian postal service issuing a stamp showing a Ukrainian soldier giving the finger to the Russian cruiser Moskva, which was later sunk. Snake Island, in the administrative division of Vylkove, became known internationally in February, when Russia first captured it, after a Ukrainian soldier posted on the island told the attacking Russian warship: “Go fuck yourself”. As a result, about 80% of locals who were involved in water tourism or fishing are suffering. Some were offering boat rides, some owned small tourist firms, some worked as guides. In addition, almost 25% of local residents were involved in tourism. “And fishing is their main source of income, so they suffered great financial losses. “This town belongs to the fishermen and they were not allowed to even sail out,” said Svitlana. Because of the conflict, fishing is forbidden – a nightmare for a town known as the “Ukrainian Venice” that survives almost exclusively on fishing. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardianīut worse than the blasts has been the economic impact of the fight over Snake Island. The town survives almost exclusively on fishing.
#Family battle snake vomit cracked#
Some windows cracked in older homes with wooden frames.” The planes were flying over our heads, and the blasts were very loud. Svitlana, 34, a tourist guide in Vylkove, said: “It was horrible. “You know why? Because we are too close to Romania, and if they accidentally hit Romania, it will be Nato war.’’ “It’s a scary situation, but I don’t think the Russians are going to attack us,” said Yuri. Today, Vylkove’s waterways that flow to the mouth of the Danube, giving access to the Black Sea in the direction of Snake Island, are blocked by military checkpoints, with the coast patrolled day and night. Every family in Vylkove has a boat, the city’s principal means of transportation. Reeds and pile dwellings line the edge of the river as children play in the water. On his boat, he navigates the narrow waterways that in the summer months resemble those of Vietnam or Cambodia. Yuri knows Vylkove’s channels like the back of his hand. Yuri Suslov, 43: ‘It’s a scary situation but I don’t think the Russians are going to attack us.’ Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian
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