Halyna is a native of Bakhmut. Her family has lived in the city for generations, so leaving her hometown was particularly painful. She left Bakhmut for the first time in May 2022 and returned several times, unable to let go of her city. The last time was in October 2022. It was almost empty and in ruins. In the spring of 2023, she found out that her home was gone.

Now Halyna lives in Poltava, keeping the memory of Bakhmut in her heart. She is supported by her fellow countrymen with whom she keeps in touch. And also the Ukrainian language, which she decided to master at a respectable age because she believes in the strength and future of the Ukrainian people. “If we are alive, we have to live,” says Halyna, “remembering who we are and what we stood for.”