Dmytro Pylypenko, 16 years old

Winner of the 2024 essay contest, 3st place

Berdiansk Secondary School of I-III levels № 1

Teacher who inspired to write an essay - Hanna Semenivna Krasnykova

 

«1000 days of war. My way»

1,000 days of despair, rage, hatred, fear, emptiness. Is this a lot or a little? How long can a person endure being constantly stressed and under the influence of negative emotions? Ukrainians are patient people, but when we run out of patience, we stop feeling the limit of what is permissible and become a terrible destructive force for the enemy.

For a number of reasons, my family was forced to stay in the occupied city of Berdiansk.

In my essay, I will try to convey the feelings experienced by a person who is left alone because all his friends have left for the free territory of Ukraine, and those who remained managed to 'change their colours’ because, in their opinion, they need to adapt, life goes on.

For this reason, they have ceased to be friends because, for me, it is more important to maintain moral purity than to be silent cattle among enemies.

There is an opinion that you can get used to everything, but I strongly disagree with it. I continued to be shocked by the inhuman treatment of people when I heard that another friend of my parents was taken to the basement and has not returned from there. Again, searches and confiscation of equipment allegedly to identify unreliable people, but in fact, theft of property or someone else who has left has had their home taken away and settled by 'new russian Berdiansk residents'.

The invaders do not need the indigenous residents of Berdiansk; their so-called care is only for a beautiful picture in the media: they provide jobs for russians, who are provided with housing for Berdiansk residents who were forced to leave or disappeared without a trace in the endless basements of the occupiers.

The local businesses that have been taken over are run by new russian owners, and those who stayed and tried to set up a shop, coffee shop, or beauty salon have been charged unaffordable rents, so people are forced to close down, vacating the premises for the new russian Berdiansk residents.

That is why it won't be long before the eyes of those who think that life goes on or want to sit on two chairs will be opened.

Undoubtedly, many like-minded people in Berdiansk do not bow their heads to the occupier, who read the news every morning, who follow the progress of the Ukrainian military with a sinking heart, who are waiting for liberation from russian occupation - this is their most cherished dream. The occupiers call us the waiting ones.

I am proud that I didn’t sold my own conscience, my homeland, and the memory of my ancestors, the glorious Zaporizhzhia Cossacks.

Only those who have gone through this terrible path of occupation will be able to understand us. It is difficult to explain how one can rejoice in explosions. Of course, explosions are scary, but in the occupation, when they arrive and hit russian soldiers, equipment or blow up another collaborator, this is good news that is necessarily accompanied by the words: 'So that they know how to seize someone else's land. The occupiers will never know peace on our land.'  

I am convinced that a true Ukrainian has faith in his country, so I am sure that the moment will come when I hear the cherished words: 'Berdiansk is liberated!'

The worst thing is to lose faith. During the occupation, the biggest horror is to learn that some people are ready to give up Ukrainian territories to the enemy to end the war. That is why, when reading about the terms of the negotiations, you first focus on what fate awaits the Zaporizhzhia region: prosperity or oblivion, whether life will be restored or existence will continue.      

I don't want to give the false impression that we are just waiting without making any effort.

As a teenager, I show my opposition to the occupier by not going to a russian school, not attending any of their cultural and propaganda events, ignoring russian content, not receiving russian handouts and their so-called aid.

Let's donate so that every flag of occupation falls down and blue and yellow colours - symbols of freedom and liberty - fly over Berdiansk again.

It is very dangerous not to follow the rules of behaviour established by the occupiers, not to accept the way of thinking imposed by the russians, to remain a Ukrainian in heart and soul, to maintain an unbreakable bond with Ukraine in occupied Berdiansk, but for a true patriot, their prohibitions do not matter, because it is impossible to be afraid all the time.

During the occupation, the feeling of anxiety grew into a stronger feeling of hatred and rage.

The criminal russian regime has taken away our quiet, peaceful, tranquil life, stable prosperity, and dreams of a better future, but it is not able to take away our faith in our glorious soldiers, Ukraine's victory, and the liberation of our native land. Let the patience of Ukrainians be deceptive for russians because they do not understand that the more we tolerate, the louder the storm that will end the existence of the barbaric empire.

We should not test the strength of the descendants of the Zaporizhzhia Cossacks. The revenge will be terrible!