“The whole theater of operations unfolded before my eyes”

For me, the war in Donbas began in the spring of 2014. I was then in Donetsk. It all started with incomprehensible people with weapons, who moved around Donetsk on beaten "nines" and established their own new rules. The beginning of the war was the first explosions in Donetsk that I heard, the first shelling, the first hostilities.

When I saw these armed people, as soon as I heard the first explosions, I saw the first checkpoints on the roads with incomprehensible people, I realized that our life has changed.

Given that I am close to the line of demarcation, almost the entire theater of operations unfolded before my eyes. I saw remotely, however, explosions of shells, flashes, but if you couldn’t see very well, then you could hear everything perfectly, right up to the feeling of vibration. There was a lack of understanding of what was happening and what would happen next.

Most of all I remember several events. For example, a powerful explosion in Donetsk. I was then in the store and when I heard the explosion, I even sat down a little. Then he went up to his educational institution and there was plaster from the ceiling on the desks. This is one of the most memorable events.

Our university moved to another city, and I moved from Donetsk after the university to the controlled territory of Ukraine. But I don't feel completely safe. Because the demarcation line is close enough, and the situation can change at any moment.

There are many cities that are located near the demarcation line, a couple of kilometers from the front line, it is very difficult to look at them, because some quarters have been destroyed, wiped off the face of the earth, there is nothing alive there, only boxes of destroyed buildings.

I will not say that I dream of the end of hostilities, because it does not depend on me. Just so that the active phases do not continue and these hostilities do not spread anywhere further to other territory.

Happiness - when you feel warm, good, carefree in your soul, this is probably happiness.

The most valuable and important were and remain relatives, friends, and their support. Understanding that if there are certain things, you do not need to put them aside. Because it may happen that plans change dramatically and you will not be able to do what you have planned for a long time.

I have learned to be more calm to rapidly changing events. The war helped and now the coronavirus has helped. There are events on which we do not depend, to which we must adapt.