Ukraine has its own New York again — after parliament voted this week to give back the name to a small town in the east, close to a zone of conflict with pro-Russian separatists.
A huge banner with the words «New York» hangs over the entrance to the city hall , and the eponymous bakery sells coffee and croissants, writes AP.
Originally called New York, the city was renamed Novgorodskoe in 1951 during the Cold War, when the Big Apple was considered a symbol of capitalism. Now local residents and authorities are worried about completely different things: such as the low number of jobs and the ongoing hostilities.
“The territory of the city is not guarded,” said the head of the local council Nikolai Lenko, adding that Since the beginning of the conflict, five residents have died.
He added that he hoped that the return of the historic name would 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.
