The forests and mountains of the Carpathians have always been a retreat for Ukrainians. Now that the war is on, people try to forget everything here for a few days. But the shadow of struggle is never far away.
It still exists, the ideal world in Ukraine. From the top of Peremichka you can see the rolling hills of the Carpathians, overgrown by untouched primeval forests. Mountain meadows stretch above the tree line, and Hoverla, the highest mountain in the country, shimmers on the horizon. A light wind cools things down, and there is a smell of pine trees. No air raid alarms break the silence like in Kiev, no artillery cracks like in Cherson.