Mariia Yakivna is 83. She spent almost her entire life in Toretsk, Donetsk region. She worked as a deputy of the city council and knew every street of her hometown well. Even when the shelling began in 2014, she stayed at home — she was used to it, she wasn’t afraid. But the full-scale war changed everything. Without electricity, water, or gas, Mariia Yakivna managed to hold on until August 2022, cooking food outdoors together with her neighbors. When the shelling became unbearable, she left — thinking it would be just for a short while. But her hometown is now unrecognizable: where blooming streets once were, there are only ruins. Now she lives in Kyiv with her son and daughter-in-law. Remembering her native city is painful, yet she remains convinced: the most important thing is not to lose strength of spirit and faith in life, because the war will surely end.