Odessa and Vilkovo were featured in a book by a Romanian journalist

Romanian journalist Sabina Fati has published a book about a wartime journey through Transnistria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania, in which she devotes considerable attention to Odesa and the Budzhak region.

This is reported by blogs.taz.de in a review of Sabina Fati’s book *Who Walks the Danube Delta? A Journey Through Transnistria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania During the War*.

The book begins with a quote from the French politician Talleyrand: “The center of gravity of the world lies not on the Elbe or the Adige, but on the borders of Europe, on the Danube.” This idea sets the tone for the author’s journey through a region that finds itself at the crossroads of historical, cultural, and geopolitical processes.

Fati set out on her journey in 2023 to explore Russia’s influence on countries that were once part of the Soviet Union or under its influence. She visited Transnistria, Gagauzia, Moldova, Bessarabia, and the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta. In her book, the journalist combines historical research, conversations with local residents, and her own observations.

The author pays particular attention to Odesa, where even amid a full-scale war, people are trying to carry on with their normal lives.

According to her observations, city residents continue to go about their daily business, shop at expensive boutiques, and on the Potemkin Stairs, brides pose for photos with their loved ones who are serving in the military.

The people of Odesa do not want their lives to change. They hear sirens at night but don’t want to go down to the bomb shelters; they don’t want to come to terms with the war, and some don’t even want to talk about life after 2022, Fati writes.

The book also discusses Vylkove, known as the “Venice of the East.” Fati recounts the history of the local Cossacks, the persecution they faced during the Soviet era, and the life of a community that preserves its own traditions.

The author also describes other settlements in the region—former Danube port cities, abandoned villages, and Black Sea resorts that have lost their former populations due to the war. On her journey, she meets veterans, supporters of Russia, and people trying to make sense of the changes brought about by the war.

Sabina Fati’s book shows how the war is affecting the lives of people in the Danube Delta and serves as a reminder of the historical and cultural diversity of the region, which includes the southern part of the Odesa Oblast.

Ірина Глухова