By 2024, Ponomarov was in the front lines in Chasiv Yar, a strategic location in Donetsk Oblast\u00a0that both countries seek to control. \u201cIt was absolute hell and that barely describes it,\u201d Ponomarov told BK Reader. But what kept him going was being on the \u201cright side of history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Being part of a war has changed Ponomarov\u2019s perspective on life, as he witnesses multiple deaths on the front lines. Realizing\u00a0how everything can be gone in an instant, he now cherishs every moment that much more.<\/p>\n
![\"dsc05024-edit\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dsc05024-edit.jpg;w=960.jpeg\"\/)
\nYaroslav Ponomarov in Brooklyn, before he left to fight in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Photo: Emma Delahanty for BK Reader
<\/p>\n
With the war in its fourth year, Ponomarov said he will continue to fight until Ukraine is free. He plans to one day return to Brooklyn and dreams about walking down the Coney Island boardwalk with friends and family. He is currently fighting with a unit in Bila Tserkva in central Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The following interview conducted over email has been edited for clarity:<\/p>\n
BR: What makes a Brooklynite?<\/p>\n
Our stubbornness. We are a tough crowd. But Brooklyn is diverse at every step. Every block has its own story and people. Yet when push comes to shove, we are one. We have every reason to be proud of Brooklyn and the people who come out of it.<\/p>\n
BKR: What do you miss most about Brooklyn?<\/p>\n
I miss everything about Brooklyn. It\u2019s my home, and I grew up there. I love its vibe, feel, the noise, culture. I want to walk my streets again and see all the familiar faces. I miss the Coney Island boardwalk and beach. I\u2019d do anything for a trip to Nathan\u2019s or just get drinks with friends on the beach. New York is its own animal and there is nothing like it.<\/p>\n
BKR: What\u2019s the first thing you\u2019ll do when you come back?<\/p>\n
Easy, get a bagel from Bagel Boy in Sheepshead Bay or a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll from D&G Deli Grocery on Neck Road and East 15th Street. I hope the deli is still open.<\/p>\n
BKR: What was your go-to comfort meal in Brooklyn, and have you found something in Ukraine that is similar?<\/p>\n
A bodega\/deli bagel or roll. It\u2019s a staple of our street food. Sadly, there isn\u2019t a one to one [comparison] here in Ukraine, but I\u2019ve found somewhat similar stuff.<\/p>\n
BKR: What’s one issue that you think is pressing the residents of Brooklyn, and how do you think it should be solved?<\/p>\n
Housing and rent prices\u00a0were, as I remember, a huge issue right before I left. I don\u2019t know if rent control policies would work to fix it, honestly, but the lack of good housing options and the increasing rent made many residents leave. The more people that left New York, the worse it got. Gentrification was definitely a real issue. Seeing diverse neighborhoods with unique little cultures disappear was frustrating. Honestly, I don\u2019t know what the solutions could be. But I hope we figure it out.<\/p>\n
BKR: What was your biggest struggle when you first moved back to Ukraine after living in Brooklyn for so long?<\/p>\n
The biggest struggle was to accept how much Ukraine had\u00a0changed and to not view everything through nostalgia. It\u2019s easy to love the past and embellish it. Ukraine isn\u2019t the same country it was even a decade ago. Things have changed here so much and it is beautiful.<\/p>\n
BKR: When do you plan to come back?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know, I\u2019d like to visit for now. But I think I\u2019ll definitely return. It\u2019s hard for me to forget Brooklyn or even think of abandoning it. There is nothing like it. I\u2019m proud to be from the streets of south Brooklyn. It shaped and molded me into the person that I am.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Brooklyn Unscripted is a monthly series where Brooklynites unpack the serious \u2014 and not so serious \u2014 issues…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":203497,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63,80533],"class_list":{"0":"post-203496","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-brooklyn","9":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","10":"tag-brooklyn-news","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-city","13":"tag-nyc","14":"tag-yaroslav-ponomarov"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}