Only tense-looking soldiers were allowed to leave their homes in Odesa on Monday; the streets were nearly deafeningly still in this once-vibrant city.

Tourists, barbecues, and blooming flowers are all common sights in Odesa, an international jewel of culture and trade on the Black Sea; during the first week of May. This year, however, it was accompanied by a daylong curfew; as police suspected the arrival of Russian spies bent on causing chaos and destruction.

On Monday, it will be one year since a tragic conflict in the city in 2014; between pro-Russian and pro-European protestors killed 48 people and injured scores more. Faced with a war and the memories of a sad episode frequently highlighted by Moscow, many feared they might have to defend themselves against Kremlin-backed saboteurs and Russian missiles rather than obnoxious tourists this year.

Odesa, a significant city in Ukraine’s southwest, was widely expected to be a target of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. Despite the fact that Russian forces have failed to constitute a serious danger, municipal officials are apprehensive.