I was supposed to have two granddaughters in 2022. One was born in May, the other in August. I was waiting for the weekend, because my son and daughter-in-law would come. She was already used in the role of grandmother.

Feb... There was anxiety. 15 February. Yeah, Russia, will attack, won't attack? February 16 ‒ will attack, won't attack? Like some kind of totalizer. It really stressed me. You can say that some game was so crazy. There was confidence that nothing like that would happen. And when the war started, it was a shock.

 The village head called me. He said that the war had begun. It was somewhere like this at 06:05. I had a stupor. Collected in literally 10 minutes. Went to work. I tell my daughter to pack up. And she tells me: "I will not collect anything, because I will not go anywhere". We'll be home, we'll all be together." That's how we were until March 18 all together at school.

Then the village head called back and talked to him. He said, if only when the explosions were going, so that they would not sit in the old age, even if they went to school. From February 25, we stayed in the basement of the school.

They visited home because I have two dogs and two cats at home. We didn't let them go, because, first of all, you know, people leave, they let out livestock. There was not enough, let's say, problems with the neighbors when some chicken was eaten.

 It was in the area of March 8. By this time, such shelling was already serious, the houses burned down, and we had dead at that time. We have two entrepreneurs who call me in the evening and say: "Mykhailivna, are you in the basement?" I say: "Well, where else can I be?" "Now we will", ‒ say. Well, if you do, then you will. Ok. And so they come down, and there are tulips in their hands. We had a lot of old grandmothers like that. People just cried. This moment is like this, it will probably remain in the memory for the whole time.

 There were some school supplies: rice, vermicelli. There were home stocks. At first, while the light was in place and the electric stoves were working, food was prepared at school. We cooked once a day, but we had hot food all the time. Humanitarian aid began, but it was after March 10. First, who has what left, home supplies.

Winter, people started to get sick, the cough is terrible. Sometimes people's throats were stuck, then something else. The military has arrived, they are going down to the basement, and there is a cough. One says, "Let's go with me". Gives an antibiotic from the car. They shared a little because they had supplies.

 On the 18th of the 4th, I will honestly say that I sent my daughter and son-in-law practically with a scandal. They went to Khmelnytskyi region. They took my mother with them. Mom was 75 years old at that time, she was very resistant, shouting that she would not go. "Come out because it will be easier for me when I'm alone here, honestly", ‒ told them. And you know, when they left, at first there was some such sadness. I am left alone.

Somewhere during the night they arrived there. And I talked, turned off the phone, and it became so easy for me that I can't even explain such a situation to you. Honestly, it feels like I've grown wings somewhere behind my back.

 It was not always possible to hold on. We had a medical center when I was really over, I went there, turned off the lights, closed the door. She just sat and cried until it stopped flowing. Then another 15-20 minutes until I get back to normal. So I'm leaving.

The war showed who is capable of what. What can be expected from whom. And I will tell you honestly, I received support from people whom I practically did not know. With whom she communicated only by virtue of her official duties. We have Yakov Moroz. He's an entrepreneur. He comes and says: "Natashenka, did you even sleep today? You have to learn to turn off. Two hours and you will be normal". I was not able to sleep at all for the first week. It seems to me that I have already slept, it is already morning, and I look at the clock ‒ comes minutes 7, 15 maximum. Couldn't sleep.

There was at least time to check it. At eight o'clock he calls me and says: "Good morning. Natashenka, did you sleep today?" And for a month and a half, every morning and every evening, it was the question "Have you slept today?"

Those who know me well, there are times when I need candy. Any sweet candy, because hands shake. "Natusik, I brought you sweets", says an acquaintance. And takes five chocolates in a handful of pieces. This is in the middle of that darkness, such situations that made it possible to survive, you can say so.

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