Bucha. A very ordinary town in Kyiv Oblast, it now has a moment of fame it never wanted. It was the first town where the atrocities that have marked the Russian invasion of Ukraine were revealed, attracting international attention. It was the collection of horror stories emerging from Bucha, as the Russian army withdrew, that first made this war a very personal thing for me.
This first photo is of the wreckage of a Russian military column that was destroyed in the main street of Bucha, Vokzalna Street. I chose this war photo because it shows nothing worse than crumpled metal. The other photos from Bucha, the ones that show the bodies of civilians who were shot and left lying where they fell, are too terrible to display here.
Bucha before the war was a far different place, and so it will be again once the energetic Ukrainian inhabitants put it back in order. Here is the way Vokzalna Street is supposed to look: a peaceful street lined with tall pine trees, some of the ornamental trees flowering, and the back fences of ordinary people’s houses.
Before the war, Bucha had a population of around 36,000. It serves as the administrative center of Bucha Raion, one of seven such districts in Kyiv Oblast. (The capital city, Kyiv, is separate from the seven raions.) According to a local historian, Bucha was named after the nearby Bucha River, seen here as it passes Mykolayivka village.
In the above photo of Yuvileiny Stadium, you can see the taller buildings of the city in the distance. Some of the matches for the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification were held in this stadium in October, 2016.
One of the main features of Bucha are large trees. These are found in the many parks, along streets, and in the grounds of churches and other buildings, giving the city welcome green spaces. The above photo is of Chkalov Street. The cool shade of the Chornobyl Memorial Park contrasts with the huge apartment building across from it.
Next is one of the churches of Bucha, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Imagine sitting on those benches in the shady churchyard to rest and admire the beautiful architecture of the buildings.
This photo is of the formal French garden in the city park. It’s an extensive park; the formal garden is only a small part. Much of it is less formal, with large trees, shady paths, and a lake. Often you might see an outdoor art installation as you stroll along.
A Ukrainian town wouldn’t be complete without its House of Culture, a community center for all kinds of recreational activities and hobbies. I don’t know exactly what the Bucha House of Culture includes, but typically there might be a cinema, perhaps a concert hall and a dance studio, and rooms for all sorts of hobbyists, amateur theater groups, bands, and more. It really is the community center!
Above is the entrance to Promenysty summer camp. “Promenysty” translates as “Radient” in English. A distant group of children are approaching the entrance from the right, walking past a large mural. The next photo is a closer view of the colorful mural, depicting children of the world playing musical instruments. Below that is a photo of one of the camp buildings, painted in the Ukrainian blue and yellow, of course, and in the foreground a very well-used ping-pong table.
Our last view of Bucha is a photo of the 19th century railway station. The city first grew up as a village associated with a railway stop near the Bucha river, on the Kyiv-Kovel railroad, which was constructed in 1898. The original train station is still in use.
Bonus: Bucha Reborn
Ukraine regained complete control of Bucha on March 31, only to find evidence of shocking atrocities and also new dangers in the form of explosive mines everywhere. But one of the things I have come to admire most about Ukrainians is their amazing resilience. The townspeople wasted no time in restoring as much as possible of their city. I found an article from May 31, only two months later, showing Bucha already much recovered.
Take a detour to see a city still wounded, but already beginning to look like its normal, peaceful self. You can get there from the Links section below. The article will open in a new tab. This tab will also stay open, so when you finish exploring, be sure to come back here. There are links to learn more about Bucha, and also a link back to the interactive Ukraine map to explore another city.
Links
Return to the “Cities Before” page link: Click Here. Cities Before index page, with button to go to the interactive Ukraine map.
Cleaned-up Bucha as it appeared on May 31, 2022 link: Click Here. Article showing Vokzalna Street as it was on May 31, cleaned up and looking as it should. This tab will remain open, making it easy for you to come back to this page.
Bucha photo gallery link: Click Here. This site has thousands of photos of various Bucha scenes through the years. I don’t believe it is the official town site, but it is easy to use because you can choose from a wide menu of languages. Copyright information on the site: When copying information, a link to the website www.bucha.com.ua is mandatory.
Bucha article in Wikipedia link: Click Here. Article about Bucha including its history, the town flag, and the town coat of arms.
Battle of Bucha article in Wikipedia link: Click Here. Article about the Battle of Bucha, which lasted from 27 February 2022 to 31 March 2022 and ended with the withdrawal of Russian forces. The battle was part of a larger tactic to encircle Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine.
Bucha Massacre article in Wikipedia link: Click Here. Rather grim article about the killing and abuse of Ukrainian civilians by Russian Armed Forces during the fight for and occupation of the Ukrainian city of Bucha amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photographic and video evidence of the massacre emerged on 1 April 2022 after Russian forces withdrew from the city. Warning: Some of the photos are graphic and quite disturbing.
Photo Credits
The photo credits are listed in the order the photos appear in the post.
Bucha_main_street,_2022-04-06_(0804).jpg by Ukrinform TV / Ukrainian Armed Forces (CC BY 3.0) 4-6-22 Vokzalna Street of Bucha (Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine) where a Russian military column was destroyed on 27 February 2022. Via Wikimedia Commons. Uploaded by Sneeuwschaap from File:Буча. Бій на Вокзальній та розстріли.webm. [Photo is a screengrab from this short video.]
Bucha,_Vokzalna_Street.jpg by Valdis72 (CC BY-SA 3.0) 4-27-08 Українська: вулиця Вокзальна, місто Буча, Київська область, Україна English: Vokzalnaja street, city Bucha, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha_river2.JPG by by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC BY-SA 3.0) 7-20-14 English: Bucha river near Mykolayivka village, Makariv raion, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha_Yuvileiny_Stadium_3.jpg by Seryevm (Source: Stadium «Yuvileynyi» – Wikimapia) (CC BY-SA 3.0) 2016 Українська: Стадіон «Ювілейний» у Бучі, Київська область, Україна English: Yuvileiny Stadium in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha_Chornobyl_park.JPG by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC BY-SA 4.0 intnl.) 7-27-14 Chkalov street and Chornobyl memorial park in Bucha, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Лісова_Буча_церква_апп._Петра_і_Павла.jpg by Kivanka (CC BY-SA 4.0 intnl.) 5-9-14 Українська: Лісова Буча, церква апп. Петра і Павла English: Lisova Bucha, church app. Peter and Paul. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Буча парк1.JPG by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC 0 1.0) 7-20-14 City park in Bucha, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. French garden. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha_HC.JPG by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC 0 1.0) 7-20-14 English: House of Culture in Bucha, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha_Promenysty2.JPG by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC BY-SA 4.0 intnl.) 7-20-14 English: “Promenysty” = [= “Radiant”] summer camp in Bucha, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. [Front entrance, distant group of children.] Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha_Promenysty1.JPG by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC BY-SA 4.0 intnl.) 7-20-14 English: “Promenysty” = [= “Radiant”] summer camp in Bucha, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. [Close-up shot of mural at right end of the building.] Via Wikimedia Commons.
Bucha Promenysty4.JPG by Аимаина хикари (Aimaina khikari) (CC BY-SA 4.0 intnl.) 7-27-14 English: “Promenysty” [= “Radiant”] summer camp in Bucha, Kiev oblast, Ukraine. [Dormitory and old ping pong table.] Via Wikimedia Commons.
Вокзал_ст._Буча.jpg by Leonid Andronov (CC BY 3.0) 4-25-09 [Train] Station Row St. Via Wikimedia Commons. [19th Century train station.]