Stories that you confided to us
"It didn't get here. It means that we can live a little until the next attack happens"
Iryna Sarbash:
"We have lived together for 52 years. Well, we lived in peace, in harmony. We all were very friendly. The most important thing is to be able to forgive. The most important thing is to let go. Being able to forgive and defer with each other is the only way out.
We met at a dance in Andriivka. He just did his military service in the army when we met. I worked in a car park… And then my husband became a driver. We got married the following year.
What won me over? Well, he was tall, slim, good-looking. He had such a neat little black moustache, trimmed like the artist Mikhail Kozakov had. As soon as I saw him, I fell in love. I said, "It was just him, nobody else." On 6 October 1968, we got married.
Ivan Sarbash:
"We have children, three grandchildren, of course. When we were younger, we went on vacation to the Crimea in our own car. Where can you go now?
Iryna Sarbash:
"Our village was damaged on 14 August 2015. It was about 05:00 p.m. We could hear the gunshots. And shells… When I saw it all, I ran to the basement. The husband ran after me. The granddaughter was not there. The granddaughter was in Gurzuf, in the summer camp. At least, she didn't see it.
War is so horrible. This shelling, the sounds of machine guns. It was so scary. I would not wish it on my worst enemy to experience something like this. Our parents saw the war. We could already see it. Both our children and our grandchildren. It's not fair. And when will it end?
Houses were smashed, people's roofs were damaged. The store on Lenina Street was completely demolished. The doors were smashed. Four people were injured that day. One woman became a disabled person (type 2) because of that.
We will remember it for the rest of our lives. What a misfortune! People are suffering at home. I feel sorry for the people. They, the poor, have their own homes, leave everything and go somewhere to wander around.
I have a son, housing in Olenivka… I had to move to Sloviansk. He works in Kyiv. There are no jobs in Sloviansk. Is this normal? And he rarely comes to us, four times a year. How long do we have to live? It is not clear. And so I want to be together.
Ivan Sarbash:
As they say, there is no strength to go through all this. You don't know what might happen tomorrow. The queues, the machine guns, the anti-aircraft guns are shooting here nearby... and more banging. It didn't get here. Still, it means that we will live a little until the next attack.
My nerves are already on edge. Things got worse with food and heating. Coal was carried from Shakhtarsk. Everything was free before the war. Now that's it.
Iryna Sarbash:
The worst thing about war is that people are starving. Overall, the financial situation is difficult. He is the only person who gives us help. There is no one else. No one else gives support. The Rinat Leonidovich Akhmetov has been very supportive. He is a resident of Donbass. He does not leave his own people.
Ivan Sarbash:
"We all did what we could. Those who did not have supplies, the more difficult it was. We had no money, and we did not have pensions for three or four months. Then things got a little better. At least, he supports us. I've never seen or heard of such people here. He's the only one who helps us.
Iryna Sarbash:
"Everyone dreams only of peace. People just want things to settle. I wish there was no more war here. I wish the war would end. I wish all people could return to their homes. I wish we could communicate like all other people."
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/
Other stories
