Kharkiv in early February 2022: protest and a chess podium
Two reports from the days before 11 February 2022 show the Kharkiv region's public life, from street protest to a chess tournament in Serbia.
What was happening in Kharkiv in the days leading up to 11 February 2022? Reports from that period point to two very different scenes.
On 5 February 2022, protesters gathered in Kharkiv to demonstrate against Russian aggression, as reported at the time within coverage of the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis. Anti-war protesters, including members of Code Pink, also gathered in Topsham, Maine, and in other cities across the United States to protest the escalation.
On 10 February 2022, news from the world of chess offered a quieter story. Kharkiv grandmaster Oleksandr Kovchan took second place at the international tournament GM Mix Third Saturday 233 in Novi Sad, Serbia. Kyiv's Ihor Samunenkov, aged 13, scored 4.5 points and finished eighth.
Taken together, the reports show Kharkiv's residents in public view on the eve of 11 February 2022: some on the streets voicing opposition to Russian aggression, and others competing abroad.
