Ukraine has its own New York again-after parliament voted this week to return the name to a small town in the east, near the conflict zone with pro-Russian separatists.
A huge banner with the inscription «New York» hangs over the entrance to the city hall, and in the bakery of the same name they sell coffee and croissants, » AP writes.
Originally called New York, the city was renamed Novgorodskoye in 1951 during the Cold War, when the Big Apple was considered a symbol of capitalism. Now local residents and the authorities are concerned about completely different things: such as the low number of jobs and the ongoing military operations nearby.
«The territory of the city is not protected,» said the head of the local council, Mykola Lenko, adding that five residents have been killed since the beginning of the conflict.
He added that he hopes that the return of the historical name will contribute to «some economic success and development» of the city.
«We hope to establish contacts with York in Germany and New York in the United States.»
