In the heart of Mariupol, a city that became a Ukrainian symbol of suffering and destruction during russia’s full-scale invasion, Lidiia Dubinina lived for 72 years. Her story is not only the testimony of a civilian but also a manifestation of incredible spiritual strength.

Lidiia worked at the Mariupol confectionery factory, dedicating 45 years to this job. She recalls how in the first days of the war, she woke up to loud explosions. “We couldn’t understand what was happening. I lived alone, and at first it was scary,” she says. Despite the bombings and shelling, Lidiia stayed in her apartment. Prayers kept her going. “I prayed constantly. My faith gave me strength,” the woman says. The residents of the building united to help each other: “We shared the food we had left, melted snow to get water.”

The woman is one of the few who survived the russian air raids: “Three bombs fell on our building! I just screamed in terror!” she recalls. The explosions destroyed her apartment, but, miraculously, Lidiia herself was not injured. “I believe it was a miracle. God saved me,” she adds.

Lidiia, together with her neighbors, eventually managed to leave the city, passing through numerous checkpoints. “It was a second hell. We saw shot-up cars, corpses in the streets. Words cannot describe this horror,” the Mariupol resident shares her story.