How was 2022 planned? They lived, worked out, everything was quiet, calm until they came. I worked as an artistic director. She was also a salesperson in a store. In the store I have the main one, and the artistic director – is additional.

On February 24, about five people heard shooting. Well, it was very far from us. Everyone jumped out into the street, the man was already serving, he knows what it is. And so it went and went. The owner from the store called me: "Put together all the documents, collect everything, because the war has begun". They lived, they didn't believe, for example, I didn't believe until the last that war.

The man rushed into the army, all of us and our family did not let him in. It so happened that everyone was at home. Then on the 5th they (the occupiers) stopped by, or on the 4th, well, I won't be up to accuracy.

And on the 5th, a guy came to me and said: "Lyuda, you don't have a diesel girl to get out of here". I say: "No, ‒ well, although she was. ‒ Where will we run away, because they are already in Ivanovka".

Then came the second time: "So you will give me diesel fuel?" Well, it has already started to be poured specifically. I say: "Of course, take it". And the children started: "Mom, let's go". I am like: "No, I don't go anywhere from my house. And that's it, ‒ I say, ‒ they bring me goods, I will trade, I have to feed people."

When I was in the store, the man ran: "Run, run away, because the convoy is leaving". I say: "Which convoy is going? What are you grindin', nonsense." Served only one person. As he shrieked, the church was already pooping. I ran to lock the store. People, I didn't understand where they went.

We were sitting at the best man's shop in the cellar, because we have a cellar here in front of the road. Then the child asked to eat. We sat there for two days. They did not leave the cellar at all. And they peed and pooped, they did everything there. Then the little one: "Mom, I want to eat". And at that time he was five years old. The girls are older. Somehow they understood what and how. Well, the best man's patience burst: "I'm going to ask", ‒ says. "Give, we're coming with you, ‒ speaking. ‒ Vladik, son, you go last. You miss us all. And you're on the back, so that in case of what". They were heard until the fifth, forcing and killing ‒ in general horror.

I say to my girls: "Girls, in case ‒ we have a tripper, sifelis, and sores such that pisyuns rot. Well, it is not treated".

They let us out, took us home. They went home as if on a red calidor, so to speak. There was fear, fear here. We came here home. Which one is home? Tanks. And here they stood behind the club, and in the yard, where they did not stand. And the wounded man was lying in his daughter's room. I decided that I would not go here to the house. They took us to our neighbors. It was March 9.

Then the neighbors lived. Thank God they changed. Some guys, others, probably stopped by. That's how we lived. They lived. The neighbor sometimes ate a barley, then ate pasta. There was nothing in our house. Flesh to the point that even collapsed beds. Mattresses were pulled out of the house. The clothes were pulled out. Well, thank God that at least the house was left. And then all such work, then you can make money.

I did it until the last day. Not so that she opened at 8 and closed at 8, but I see people gathered ‒ left, served. They shoot, we sit. First they ran to the cellar. Of course, they ran to the godfather in the cellar. Because our cellar was asphalt.

They slept on the floor, they did not sleep on the beds. The children in the phone, sleeping on the floor, looked. We had 14 people and we all slept on the floor. Likewise, all 14 people are in the cellar. I have a younger daughter, so she ate in the cellar. She was afraid to leave.

Neighbors received us very positively. On the contrary, they gained money, which increased for their people, because they were very afraid. That woman had already died, but she was very afraid of it. She didn't go outside either. The neighbor had two cows. "Lena, go get the cow", ‒ says neighbor. And she said to him: "No, Vasya, I will not go, let them breathe, let them go anywhere as they want".

There was no bread. This is a big, very festive holiday we had. While the torment was there, I baked two loaves every day. And then the neighbor already says that the torment ends. My husband and I went to the church. Khresna, of course, poured. And so we took 10 days.

What was the hygiene? In general, it can be said that it did not exist. Don't wash, washed for the entire occupation twice in 25 days, that's all. There were no pads at all. The shakes were torn, twisted, folded, well, nothing, they survived. Now we are afraid not to come at least again. Because it's scary.

And the same Ruslan (Russian occupier) already saw how many children we had, then he brought a package of buckwheat, a package of sugar and flour from the forest. It was in balls, packed balls.

And then this Ruslan came and said: "Mother, tomorrow there will be humanitarian aid". I still say: "What do you want?" And no, he said first for the evacuation, and then for humanitarian aid. He offered to evacuate to Belarus or Russia. Well, how to say? I agreed. The man, of course, refused, said that he stayed at home. And I was going to go with the children. Then I went into the house, I tell the children, and the children too: "We are not going anywhere".

We sit in the basement and pray, pray, pray, pray. And there were such fragments when they were so busy that she forgot "Our Father" out of fear. The children sat lost, silent, silent.

Then at the end of the month, the Russians left. Our first task was ‒ we go home, wash. We were very happy that they came out and we will be wrong now. We ran in the house of the shmon. The waters have been set, and the girls are already arguing about who is the first, who is the last to wash.

Then either the plane or something (I won't lie) something buzzed not far from the man. And we are in the cellar. They sat for two hours. "Well, ‒ I say, ‒ everything, backtracked, hooked on us. Will kill." We jumped out of the cellar for ourselves and ran, and there across the road under the fences. The neighbor ran there. They ran into the cellar, they are sitting there.

Then the man runs, rejoices. Ours are, ours are. Well, the girls were happy, of course. They entered the yard. They already hugged. I have a question right away. Are you ours or not ours? In Ukrainian, I say, "Oh, probably ours".

We dared for a long time, and then the girls say: "No, mom, we left. Let's not wash, let's go". And so they left. 25 people in the car. What at least they said, so why run away? There was nothing to escape. Well, fear has big eyes. We reached Kulikovka. And in Kulikovka, a volunteer helped us get to Kyiv.

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