Russia and Ukraine: The story of the “Hemingway” bar that was flattened by the Russian bombing in the city of Kharkiv

• George Wright
• BBC News

2 hours ago

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The pub has become very popular among young creative people in Kharkiv

“You’ll never drink alone.” Written above the famous Old Hum pub in the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, this was the phrase.

The pub is named after the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway. The pub-goers passed by a statue of him on their way inside.

The place was popular among the talented young people of the city, and Serhiy Zahadan, one of Ukraine’s most famous poets, often went to the pub.

However, the Old Hum pub was reduced to rubble, after it was completely destroyed by a Russian bombing that targeted the city on Monday.

The Kharkiv Prosecutor’s Office said two people were killed in the attack.

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The pub was destroyed in a Russian bombing on Monday in Kharkiv

The pub’s owner, Costantian Coates, told the BBC that there were no employees in the pub when the attack happened, and that those who died were in apartments above the pub.

Coats added that the Old Hum pub had ceased operations and had turned into a makeshift bomb shelter when the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

Coates initially hoped to close his bar only for a brief period.

“We didn’t quite believe what was happening,” he said in a letter. “We had hoped the pub would soon resume operations. But the illusions were shattered with the first bombardment of apartment buildings.”

Kharkiv had repelled a column of Russian armored vehicles during the early days of the invasion, and since then, the city has suffered from Russian air raids and bombardments every night, killing dozens of civilians and wounding hundreds.

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Constantine Coates opened his bar in 2012

During the weeks leading up to the invasion, Coates says, the bar was serving customers as usual.

“The atmosphere was lively, and many people were feeling at home in the bar,” he adds.

“The pub was well-known among the young people, and they were all optimistic and did not believe in war,” he says.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: detailed coverage

The Old Hum has built this family atmosphere for twenty years.

Coates says the pub opened in 2012 as a place where people could “meet and discuss current affairs with a beer” and quickly became a hub for creatives in Kharkiv, showcasing local talent.

Yuri, who frequented Old Hum and declined to give his full name, said it was more of a hub than a bar. He remembers when musician Ole Skripka, together with leading Ukrainian rock band Vubli Fedublyasova, performed a rare special. The parties usually continued until the early hours of the next morning.

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The pub is dedicated to the memory of the American writer Ernest Hemingway

“It was one of the first places in Kharkiv to publicly support the Maidan (revolution) protests with flags. It put (a plaque bearing) protesters’ demands on its doors,” he adds, referring to the protest movement that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

“Freedom and democracy along with cheap beer are the reasons for her acne,” he says.

The pub was dedicated to the memory of Hemingway, one of Coates’ favorite writers. A statue of the writer is erected at its entrance, and its walls are adorned with portraits of other notable writers, including the 20th-century Russian writer Sergei Dovlatov, Charles Bukowski and Mark Twain.

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Coats hopes to rebuild his beloved bar one day

“A lot of people ask me, ‘Why did I call it Old Hum?'” Coates says.

He adds that the name came out of affection for a close friend and not a reference to his age.

Coates says it was people who created the pub’s special atmosphere.

Coates is now in western Ukraine and hopes to make it to Germany, but he hopes one day to return to his city to rebuild his beloved bar.

“I’m sure the story of their pub is not over today,” he says. “We will win and they will rise again.”

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