Stories that you confided to us
I have been living in Popasna since 2010, since the time when I got an occupational injury. I have not worked since then for health reasons. There was some leakage at work. There were some gases there. My work mate and I went there to fix the leakage. He got down there and stayed. I followed him and also went off unconscious. Guys from the emergency service took us out of there. Ambulances brought us to intensive care. Now I have problems with my heart, my liver and stomach. I also have short breath.
My pension in the third group of disability is 960 hryvnias and occupational injury payment is 300 hryvnias. This is not sufficient as we have to start everything from scratch. There were no rugs or stair-carpets in this house, there was nothing. All what we have now is thanks to people. People who put themselves in our place. Some of them granted us something for free, others sold us some things at a cheaper price.
It is difficult. It is difficult morally. Sometimes people see that there are many IDPs who would want to eat and would work for any price. There are good people too. They understand that our housing was destroyed. While others are envious: ‘you get just everything.’
We do not have any support. There is little hope, but we still hope that the government will achieve some kind of stabilisation. So that people do not have to leave for a month or two to live elsewhere, and then the shelling begins again. People get into debts again. They look for someone, for someone’s help to be able to leave. Someone profits from this.
We want stability and peace surely. So that there is peace. People will somehow restore their own homes. If only there was peace. So that there is no shelling and flying of those shells overhead.
It is all so difficult. We are forgotten. The kids ask for some fried potatoes, but I can’t give it to them. I’m not ashamed, but rather feel so disappointed and frustrated on the fact that I have to go somewhere and ask for it. Why is that? It is not our fault.
When we moved here, we found that the railway is nearby and our five children could not sleep well. The trains run by and rattle. The kids used to jump up because they learned the sound of shelling. They jumped out of their beds and screamed: ‘Mom!’ Psychologists work with the children now. We just want a simple, quiet, peaceful life.
When quoting a story, a reference to the source – the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation – is mandatory, as follows:
The Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/
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