WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.960 The village was wonderful. I lived there all my life until I turned forty. 00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:08.960 I did not see anything better. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:13.240 Therefore, I only had the best memories. They were so bright. 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:18.320 Then war broke out. It happened gradually 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:23.520 Somewhere since April—May 2014, we could hear explosions. 00:00:23.520 --> 00:00:29.360 Even though they were far away, they happened quite regularly. Machinery movement. 00:00:29.360 --> 00:00:34.000 This all was so strange. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:36.506 And then the Grad attack began in the village. 00:00:36.506 --> 00:00:39.240 It happened specifically in the center of the village, 00:00:39.240 --> 00:00:46.200 here in our three-story buildings. It was 18 July 2014. 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:54.200 It started in the morning and went on in several steps until nightfall. 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:59.080 So the evacuation, which we didn't even know about, began. 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:03.520 And we were evacuated from the basement on the last bus. 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:10.760 I didn't want to go, though. I was hoping to come back because 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.480 I expected it to end. It can't go on like this any longer. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:17.560 But I never had to go back. 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:22.760 So all I had was my family: my mother, my son, and me. 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:28.160 We only had the packet we kept our documents in. This is all that remains to this day. 00:01:28.160 --> 00:01:32.320 Moreover, I know that we do not have housing, 00:01:32.320 --> 00:01:36.880 and the village has been practically completely destroyed. 00:01:36.880 --> 00:01:43.160 The sound came from the Grads weapon system. It was a terrifying whistling noise. 00:01:43.160 --> 00:01:47.720 I've never heard something like that before. 00:01:47.720 --> 00:01:50.791 I couldn't even imagine this would happen. And when I took my mother into the basement 00:01:50.791 --> 00:01:54.360 and looked the area around, parts of the roofs had already collapsed. 00:01:54.360 --> 00:02:01.680 The adjoining house had a hole in the middle. It also burned. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:06.440 And when we were already leaving, the ceiling crumbled in chunks. 00:02:06.440 --> 00:02:13.000 I regret that I didn't take any pictures. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:14.480 I would have something to witness my memory. 00:02:14.480 --> 00:02:21.600 At first, it was very painful. However, I calmed down over time. 00:02:21.600 --> 00:02:25.120 I kept something in memory, though… 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:30.120 I blame myself that I should have taken something else, 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:33.120 but I was in shock at that moment… 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:37.880 Furthermore, such everyday problems were depressing, 00:02:37.880 --> 00:02:41.880 that I had to cut the bottle to have some kind of a glass, 00:02:41.880 --> 00:02:45.160 change clothes 00:02:45.160 --> 00:02:48.000 and wash the dirty ones under the tap. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.080 We had nothing else. We didn't have anything. 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:55.160 Therefore, we bought second hand clothes, sheets or shirts. 00:02:55.160 --> 00:02:59.040 We bought the basic staff. 00:02:59.040 --> 00:03:08.680 So time passed in such mode — a week or two. 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:12.160 We were so stressed and constantly worried for the child. 00:03:12.160 --> 00:03:17.560 I still could not believe it that he had sharp hearing impairment. 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:24.320 I thought it was just because of the stress and nerves. There was no time for that. 00:03:24.320 --> 00:03:27.480 I learned that he had lost my hearing in Mariupol. 00:03:27.480 --> 00:03:35.080 The doctor established a diagnosis – bilateral sensory hearing loss. 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:38.920 And it cannot be treated although we tried to. 00:03:38.920 --> 00:03:46.200 And they put in an IVS, but this is the auditory nerve, and it cannot be treated. 00:03:46.200 --> 00:03:49.360 How will it progress further? 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:55.120 Most often, this leads to deafness. Well, as luck would have it. As God wills. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:00.000 He was 14 years old. He doesn't have many plans. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.000 He lives for the present. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:10.640 He does not really want to talk about the war and everything he was deprived of. 00:04:10.640 --> 00:04:15.760 So he doesn't want to talk about it. 00:04:15.760 --> 00:04:19.240 He pushes these thoughts away. 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:23.200 We can say that the church and school are the only things 00:04:23.200 --> 00:04:31.320 that still keep us afloat so that we did not lose our senses and die. 00:04:31.320 --> 00:04:37.280 He is at school now. He is excited about studying. 00:04:37.280 --> 00:04:42.760 He surely feels better among friends, among his peers. 00:04:42.760 --> 00:04:45.040 It is very difficult for him to work with us. 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:50.040 He recalls he was not used to living in conditions like that. 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:53.720 He can't invite his friends to come by. It was his birthday, and I gave him a present. 00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:59.880 However, he could not invite me to his house even though he really wanted to. 00:04:59.880 --> 00:05:03.440 Among other things, he would really like to have a computer. 00:05:03.440 --> 00:05:08.640 He had one when we lived in our home. 00:05:08.640 --> 00:05:12.400 It really upsets him. 00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:16.080 But I can't help him either. I do everything I can. 00:05:16.080 --> 00:05:18.480 And maybe even more. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:22.280 We don't have any relatives around. If we had relatives somewhere, 00:05:22.280 --> 00:05:24.880 we might have stayed with them, but... 00:05:24.880 --> 00:05:28.080 We started to get some very little money probably 00:05:28.080 --> 00:05:31.840 three or four months later when the documents came. 00:05:31.840 --> 00:05:34.120 We applied for documents in Mariupol. 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:38.680 The very first aid we received was from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. 00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:40.600 Those were grocery bags. 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.800 I think it was either the very end of August 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:48.680 or the beginning of September 2014 when we received them for the first time. 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:55.880 And this was a very good support for us. 00:05:55.880 --> 00:06:00.840 At first, it came promptly— I believe once in a month or two. 00:06:00.840 --> 00:06:04.480 Then, I remember, Akhmetov also helped us several times. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:10.920 In addition to that, I also went to pick up some hygiene items, too. 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:18.960 Therefore, it can be pointed out that it was almost the only support we had. 00:06:18.960 --> 00:06:25.240 Although I remember that either the Red Cross or some other organization also supported, 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:27.680 Akhmetov has continued his assistance to this day. 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:33.040 He has helped with his food product sets from the beginning. 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:38.640 I just wish to die in peace and not feel any pain. 00:06:38.640 --> 00:06:47.520 And I understand that, probably, it will be necessary under someone else's roof. 00:06:47.520 --> 00:06:55.760 I don't see a way out. I try not to cry about it, of course. 00:06:55.760 --> 00:07:05.200 That it won't do anything… I try to do what I can.