‘We were in hell’

Valentyna Volokh, 80 years old:

We used to have a bathroom, a kitchen and a bedroom on this side of the house. And on that side of the house, there was our bedroom where my husband and I were. Three walls were smashed right away, the bricks were falling down. Then there was a shelling. Our gas pipeline was broken and electricity supply was cut off. There was such a terrible explosion that I thought we were done, I thought it was the doomsday. Everything [all the lights] went off.

My husband was trying to reach me – I was covered with stones. He said:

I didn’t lose my consciousness, but I was in a state of shock. My head was bleeding and my husband had a wound in his leg. Both leg bones were broken. He was creeping towards me to remove the bricks. And then: ‘Oh, Valentyno, I feel that blood is running.’

Both of us are farm workers. We wanted to have our own private house so much. We were very glad, very happy that we were given this house. And little by little, during all our lives, we were bringing everything into this house, everything that was needed for everyday life. We used to buy some inexpensive necessary things. Bank loans were available at that time. We were taking and paying back those loans all the time.

We spent two months in a hospital. My husband is a lying case. It is very uncomfortable for him to be there. I wish he could have a separate ward. Well, I visited him. I stayed for the night in my ward and his ward was next door.

Serhiy Volokh, 81 years old:

That explosion happened back in December and I have not been outside since then. I stayed in the hospital all the time. We spent the whole winter in the hospital. She was released earlier. Although, she was left there to take care of me. I had a strainer, a fixing anchor, to keep the bone parts together – the bone was shattered by a mine fragment.

We moved to our granddaughter’s apartment and I have been wearing a cast for 10 month. My bones do not want to grow together. I am a bit over the hill. 

Some hot blast wave came from somewhere. Well, and then I came to my senses and said: ‘Valia, are you alive?’ She replied: ‘I am alive, but I am lying covered with stones.’ I said: ‘I will now creep up to you and will help you to remove the stones.’ I did not feel that my leg was broken.

Three walls were destroyed. When I started creeping towards my wife, I felt that something was wrong with my leg. I dragged it and there was some blood. I said: ‘Valia, my leg is broken.’ However, I managed to creep up to her, but her bed was cornerwise then. That side was moved up and she was thrown up and off it. She was there behind the bed. So, I creeped up, but could not help her. I did not have strength anymore. And she was under the stones…

I have a book of poetry on 164 pages. There is a poem on almost every page. I called it ‘Once upon a time”.

‘Once upon a time there lived an old man with an old woman.

They worked hard to earn their bread.

A shell hit their house and it collapsed,

A stone house collapsed like a house of cards.

They are alive, alive, thank God for that!

Even though it was in hell, but for what?

The old man’s leg was splintered,

The old woman’s shoulder was crushed.’

‘Everything that was gained for everyday life

Through backbreaking and hard work,

Everything was smashed and broken to pieces –

From clothes to a kitchen bowl and a knife.

How can they live on, Holy Mother?

Who will return their ruined house?!’

‘Ah summer, summer is beauty!

There is so much blue light!

A birch-tree is tired of waiting for me –

It doesn’t wave its branch at the doorstep.

Where is the thawed spring stream?

Do the marigold flowers bloom in the field?

The sun is touching the tree leaves

By its beams as if telling its beads.’

Part two

‘There is a roar outside the village at night!

They are firing from cannons – no chance to sleep!

Donbass is on fire! Donbass is split!

Damn the war thrice!

It lasts four long years.

And people flee from the war,

And I lie locked in plaster cast

I can’t go out to the birch tree.’