We have wanted our own house for a long time. They sold an apartment in Chernihiv, moved to Kolychivka and were actively engaged in repair work before the start of the war. And it so happened that on February 24, 2022, we were given the birth of our daughter. We were really looking forward to that year. First, a new nest was built. We had a lot of work here in the house, in the yard, and in everything. Plus the birth of a child. This is the third child, we had a wait, a desire, so there were a lot of plans and ambitions. Thank God that the daughter was born before ‒ on February 15 and we were already at home on February 19.

It was on February 24 that we woke up with her together and prepared a surprise for dad, because February 24 is our family's birthday, wedding anniversary. At five in the morning, a presentation of wedding photos was prepared on this TV.

I heard a lot of messages in the telegram. Before maternity leave, she was a primary school teacher and had not yet left the group by telegram. I see that it is in this group that a lot of messages come. Parents report that the child will not come to school. Why does everyone write so early? And then one mother wrote that what school are you talking about, because the troops (of the enemy) are already standing near Roishche.

I came, sat on the bed and thought: "What should I do? Wakes everyone up or doesn't it wake up?" And then I heard two very loud explosions. I already understood that I had to go wake up. The man raised the older children from the second floor. And then it all started.

On February 24, I remember everything down to the last detail. I remember standing by the window when my husband went to Chernihiv, took his mother, aunt and husband and cousin with a two-year-old child. They all came to us. We started to make a fortified area here, as they say. They lay windows with some beams, bags, and still collect sand.

All this was done, spinning. As women, we already tried to prepare something, to demolish it in the basement, because we understood that there could be such an option. Although the first night was still spent the night in the house. Only one. Without going outside, they could immediately go down to the basement. We have it under the whole house, there are three large rooms, 70 centimeters thick of the wall. When the walls went back and forth, you look at them and think: "Which is the first one that is moving now, this one or this one?" The boys held the tools in their hands because they understood that some wall could collapse us, close the passage or something else. It was very scary.

I only had a child on me. Her husband's aunt helped a lot. She took over the entire kitchen. Denis's uncle took on such a responsibility ‒ to monitor the situation on the street. He is a former policeman, so he understood what he was flying, what he was doing. And somehow it was so adjusted, the man immediately told the children: "So, look, if you hear shelling, the first thing you have ‒ is to take Sasha (this is your little daughter), let your mother and grandmother down to the basement. Careful, no one runs, no one stumbles, no one pushes". The instruction was conducted specifically.

And, apparently, it was more or less calm until the last night. When it was already the last and penultimate night, it was already very scary, we did not sleep practically... On March 5, the first houses began to burn. I remember they also called the fire department and said that people's houses were burning, that something had to be done. But they said, "I'm sorry, but we won't come because you have shelling. We won't be able to come, try it yourself".

The last two nights we stayed awake, just standing in the corners wherever we could. Then the eldest son began a panic attack. A surge of such emotions, he shouted, did not cry. And I remember that I have some sedatives. I know they exist, but I don't remember where.

We didn't plan anything at all. They were not going to go anywhere. Already after the last night at five in the morning, the man got up and said to me: "Gather things". He first made a morning detour, looked where, what, how. I was very afraid, because I understood that the entire Kulikivka highway was being shot through, the Russians were already standing in Lukashivka and Ivanivka even then. In Chernihiv, it is not clear what at all. But we left.

I read "Our Father" on the way. They were driving, a car was burned on one side, and a bus was burned a little further. Trees shot so much that you can see – is only half of it, there was no other half. They flew at such a speed that no pits were visible.

We stopped when we had already passed through Kyiv. I don't remember which village, but it was already a suburb of Kyiv. There was a forest on one side, and very beautiful houses on the other. The man was nervous, says: "I'll stop, I want to smoke". There was such silence, such a real grave silence. He hasn't smoked half a cigarette yet, I opened the window, I say: "Sit in the car, let's get out of here. I'm so scared here." He says: "Calm down, I'll smoke, we're going now. Everything's fine." "Please, I'm asking you, get in the car, let's get out of here", ‒ asked him and we left. Then they found out that we were literally followed by a fight there. They were already in this forest when we stood there. It felt like someone was looking at me from the forest. Direct panic began in the car.

First, we went to Cherkasy, stayed for two days, just exhaled. An acquaintance who was abroad gave us the keys, and she had us in her apartment. I stayed with my daughter at home, my boys went to look for a store, because we did not have food, diapers, napkins, basic hygiene. I remember planes flew very often. It was very scary for me. When there was an air alert, but people were not hiding anywhere. They just walked and, to be honest, wanted to go out and shout from the balcony that it was scary and they don't understand that it's a reality, that it's serious. I know, it was a little second world already.

We recovered, went further to the Vinnytsia region. We could not drive even there by car, we were reached. My husband said that this is a very good place, because even tanks will not get here. We were so happy that we came to that village, which is quiet, calm, generally very cool.

They were there for two weeks. Documents were made in the district center. We did not have documents, they were only from the action on Sasha. We didn't have anything about having many children. And when we arrived in the Vinnytsia region, we were informed that you have a poor man with your house.

At first they said: "Something is burning there". I didn't care at the time. It burns, it doesn't burn, it burned. Honestly, I didn't even have any emotions, such pity as something else. Thank God we're all here. Then later it was possible to visit Kolychivka, and when the connection appeared, we were already sent photos. We saw that the barn was broken. He was standing in the yard here. There were no windows in the house, the lid was broken, the slate was just as it got. One flight into the wall, the wall was damaged, there was no veranda.

We understood that we had nowhere to return. Then they decided to go abroad. They were in Switzerland, from there, they made repairs remotely (when you could get here). They were looking for a team that would agree to cover our roof. My father came from the Korop district for several days. We paid money to the brigade, my father came and was here with them. Likewise, the windows, they arrived, measured them, the father arrived, so they set them up.

When they went abroad, they lived for a week or a half, probably in a center for refugees. Then we were called for an interview. There were options: either you can live in a family, or you will live there in the center, or some separate housing (it can be a dormitory, some hotel). We said that we probably wanted to go to family. We were offered the village of Bürchen in Switzerland, it is the top of the Alps. My husband says, "Yes, we'll go". Then I got a little angry, saying: "Well, how? And the climate there and everything for a small child". Answers: "Larisa, you will see, you will like it, it will be quiet there".

And we really enjoyed it there that it's just quiet there. The people there were very friendly and it was so sincere. This support, it was unobtrusive, unobtrusive, so true. It happened that I was leaving the house, and in front of my doorstep there were bags with clothes, shoes, food, and diapers. They could just bring it, put it and leave quietly. No one said that "But here I am alone there". We didn't even know who did it. Received very well. The people we lived in have become our relatives, we are infinitely grateful to them.

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