Borodianka – a town northwest of Kyiv, has become one of the most interesting and complex cases of recovery after virtually devastating destruction by the Russian army in the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Between February and April 2022, invading forces destroyed most of the town and its infrastructure. According to locals, not a single building remained damaged.

But a lot can change in four years.

The following two photos show the same building on Centralna street in the immediate aftermath of Russian attack, and then today.

Older buildings that could be restored after being hit by bombs and shells were rebuilt in a more modern style. And many of those that were fully destroyed were rebuilt from scratch.

Almost all of these buildings are now filled with occupants and locals returned home despite works on the surrounding streets not yet being finished.

Reconstruction work is not simply taking place with the idea of “restoring what was.” Instead, modern approaches are being applied, featuring wide sidewalks, functional ground floors and cycle lanes.

According to head of the urban planning and architecture department, Viacheslav Barbulov, a core goal as part of reconstruction efforts is to create a modern inclusive space.

The idea is simple – more places for pedestrians, greater comfort for older and disabled people, and improved safety on the roads.

However, ruins of some old buildings have not disappeared, including those that have historical value and those on which artists left graffiti.

Among them is the “Gymnast,” created by anonymous British artist Banksy.

A monument to famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchanko, damaged by Russian soldiers, has been saved as a symbol of Ukraine’s unbeatable strength and undiminishable history and culture.

Ukraine’s approach to the recovery of Borodianla – partly funded by the Ukrainian state and partly by international grants – is something of an experiment. If it proves effective, the government will potentially look to repeat it in other cities.

According to the government and media, recovery efforts are expected to cost in the region of Hr. 1.5 billion ($35 million) – a lot for a small town like Borodianka.