The war came to Mariupol when Ilona was just 14 years old. The belief that the city would survive in 2022 united the family, and living in a private house with its own basement made the situation a little easier. Nevertheless, the family took the risk of leaving, as it turned out, just in time. The next day, a shell hit the house, leaving no stone unturned from their former shelter. Now Ilona’s family is building a new life in Kyiv and dreams of seeing their native Mariupol again one day – under the Ukrainian flag and peaceful sky.