Yaroslav Ponomarov felt a heaviness after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Unable to shake that feeling two years later, Ponomarov, 27, decided he would join the fight.
Ponomarov was born in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine, and moved to Brooklyn when he was 5-years-old. He grew up in Brighton Beach, but visited Ukraine every summer as a child. When the war first began, he became an activist, joining weekly protests and worked for the Ukrainian nonprofit RAZOM.
By 2024, Ponomarov was in the front lines in Chasiv Yar, a strategic location in Donetsk Oblast that both countries seek to control. “It was absolute hell and that barely describes it,” Ponomarov told BK Reader. But what kept him going was being on the “right side of history,” he said.
Being part of a war has changed Ponomarov’s perspective on life, as he witnesses multiple deaths on the front lines. Realizing how everything can be gone in an instant, he now cherishs every moment that much more.
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.
The following interview conducted over email has been edited for clarity:
BR: What makes a Brooklynite?
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.
BKR: What do you miss most about Brooklyn?
I miss everything about Brooklyn. It’s 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’d do anything for a trip to Nathan’s or just get drinks with friends on the beach. New York is its own animal and there is nothing like it.
BKR: What’s the first thing you’ll do when you come back?
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.
BKR: What was your go-to comfort meal in Brooklyn, and have you found something in Ukraine that is similar?
A bodega/deli bagel or roll. It’s a staple of our street food. Sadly, there isn’t a one to one [comparison] here in Ukraine, but I’ve found somewhat similar stuff.
BKR: What's one issue that you think is pressing the residents of Brooklyn, and how do you think it should be solved?
Housing and rent prices were, as I remember, a huge issue right before I left. I don’t 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’t know what the solutions could be. But I hope we figure it out.
BKR: What was your biggest struggle when you first moved back to Ukraine after living in Brooklyn for so long?
The biggest struggle was to accept how much Ukraine had changed and to not view everything through nostalgia. It’s easy to love the past and embellish it. Ukraine isn’t the same country it was even a decade ago. Things have changed here so much and it is beautiful.
BKR: When do you plan to come back?
I don’t know, I’d like to visit for now. But I think I’ll definitely return. It’s hard for me to forget Brooklyn or even think of abandoning it. There is nothing like it. I’m proud to be from the streets of south Brooklyn. It shaped and molded me into the person that I am.
