"For me, these children are the best. It's a pity that they have not danced their graduation waltz"

In February 2022, Olha Hustenko, a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature at Kherson Specialized School No. 52, had no time to think about the war, pack an "emergency suitcase", or develop evacuation plans. She had two graduating classes of students to prepare for exams, and every day she had to rehearse the graduation waltz with them. This was Olha Oleksandrivna's first graduation.

Even after the full-scale invasion, she did not lose hope that the children would say goodbye to school life in a beautiful way and go on a big voyage. So she stayed with her students to the very end. The school year ended a month early. Without a graduation party. Only then Olha Oleksandrivna was able to leave the occupied city with her son. As a soldier's wife, staying in the occupation, she took risks every day. A week after she left, "guests" came to the apartment of Olha Hustenko to search it.

Olha wrote about her experience in an essay and became one of the winners of a competition held by the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.