Volodymyr Hnytsevych

"I thought more than once," Well, that's it, now it is definitely over"

My wife and I were alone. My sons and their families went to a peaceful area since their homes were hit by shells. I have a disability group (two years ago I had both legs amputated due to diabetes), all the worries fell on my wife's shoulders.

Now I can't look at my vegetable garden without tears. There is no physical possibility to cultivate the land. My life changed a lot after that surgery: I have to take medication all the time, and I suffer from phantom-limb pain that makes me unable to sleep at night.

And what is more, when the shelling starts, I can't immediately hide in a safe place. I thought over and over again, "That's it, now it's definitely over."

Recently, a bullet hit the house, almost hitting my wife. I have constant blood pressure swings. Moreover, even the tonometer cannot always show how much pressure "has jumped".

We spend all our pensions on medication. We just do not have enough money for food. But we believe that peace will come, that our grandchildren will finally come to us – and their laughter will fill the empty rooms of our house.

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/