‘For me, the war means…’

I think like for everyone else, the war is fear, tears, worries for your dear and near ones, a change in consciousness and outlooks on life.

When did the war in Donbass begin for you?

It was May 2014 when it all started in our city. Back then administrative buildings were seized and people’s deputies were captured. They were kept as prisoners. It was probably on 26 May, when I first heard the sounds of volleys, when there were air attacks on Donetsk.

Most of all, I remember the day when I, having passed my exams, left Donetsk. I even memorized the date; it was 13 June 2014. This was my last day in peaceful Donetsk. That is actually the time when the war began for me.

Did you happen to see some military actions with your own eyes?

I heard some shelling. There is a small town of Hrodivka not far from the city where I live. It was shelled and there were some casualties among civilians there. We could see those shells when they flew past our city to Hrodivka. This was in 2015. A small town of Hornyak located nearby was also shelled. I was lucky that I was not in the hotbed of these hostilities, but still could hear the echoes perfectly well.

What did you talk about with your family and neighbours during active hostilities?

I guess, like everyone else, we talked about leaving in case of an offensive by armed units because we live not so far from the contact line, and at certain moments this line was just some 15-20 kilometres. For example, when hostilities were taking place in Karlivka village. The main topic was about an escape, indeed.

What do you remember the most from the experience you went through during the war?

For me, such an event was that my classmate was killed in Donetsk. This is the worst thing that I have seen, when mothers bury their children. This is the worst thing that can happen during a war.

What was the most important event of this war for you?

You begin to value your country and your freedom.

What changes did the war bring to your life?

During the outbreak of the war, I studied in Donetsk and our university had to be evacuated. In terms of everyday life, I was faced with the relocation of the university, a change of environment. This is one of the major changes.

The university moved to another city, far from Donetsk, to Vinnytsia. If the university had not moved to Vinnytsia, I would have never visited my grandfather’s small homeland. He is from Vinnytsia. That’s how interestingly it all turned out.

During active hostilities, the worst thing was that I was constantly waiting, with things packed up. In terms of everyday life, there were no more changes.

Do you feel safe now?

Yes. Now I don’t hear the echoes of the war. It is a very rare case to meet some military equipment or vehicles in the city. Yes, there are border guards in the city, there are military men, but the city almost does not feel it that there is a war very close by.

What do you dream about?

At the moment, strange as it may seem, I dream about a job. I had to quit my last job. Now, as I live in a very small town, it is almost unreal to find a job in your specialty or profession.

What is happiness for you?

Happiness for me is the health of my family and friends. This is the greatest happiness that can be, along with well-being at home. No money, nothing else can be compared with this.

Has your attitude towards life changed because of the war?

This is the fact that you need to value every day. I haven’t heard the echoes of the war here for about four years now.

When hostilities were taking place, we began to look at life differently. You simply start to value every day you live; other values appear. You just start to value life and not to treat everything so carelessly. Life becomes your main value.

What did you learn while overcoming all those difficulties you told us about?

During the war, I, like everyone else around, learned how to help each other, learned about mutual support and compassion for each other.

In your opinion, what organization or individuals helped civilians the most during the conflict?

At the moment I know only one [organization]. That is the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Indeed, he organized a humanitarian convoy. The largest scale project is the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. In addition, some civil society organization of the town provided some help.