Iryna’s Story
Our war story began in 2014 in the city of Horlivka, Donetsk region, from where we were forced to leave our native home because of the war. We didn't want to go, but we had two small children (a 5-year-old daughter and a 3-month-old son) and a disabled mother and father. It was a very difficult decision, but we went from the city of Horlivka to the city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region (our distant relatives offered temporary housing there). We put all our strength into building a new life in Kramatorsk. The children went to kindergartens, then to school. Tanya was professionally engaged in water polo, and Mykhailo took part in football and swimming competitions.
The fragile peace ended in February 2022... when we heard explosions for the second time, and saw the enemy’s military equipment. We spent most of our time in the basement, the children started to get sick, there were very few doctors, it was also difficult to buy medicine... and we became displaced people for the second time... At first, we moved to Poltava to live with relatives. We have a big family. A week later, they started looking for and found housing in the city of Kremenchuk. We hoped that we could escape to a safer place, but, unfortunately, on 13.07.2022, an explosion occurred in the "Amstor" shopping center, which scared us a lot, so we decided to return to Kramatorsk again due to a lack of funds it was impossible for us to pay the rent. But the situation in Kramatorsk was even worse... constant explosions (a terrible tragedy at the railway station on April 8, 2022, when there were many dead and wounded), a huge number of people with weapons, no gas, heating, electricity, and water, all the streets are in trenches.
My mother needed medical help, which was refused in Kramatorsk, so we found information about a shelter in Bulgaria and went there. It is safe here, but the four of us live in a 15 m room, the children study online, and there are problems with work - this is a resort town and there are no jobs at all, no places in schools, no clubs. We are warned that when the season starts, we will have to leave the hotel room. We all have one dream - to return home to Horlivka, to our own bed, to wake up and go to work, to school, but we have nowhere to go back now... Our burning desire is a safe and peaceful life. We want our children to see life without explosions, bomb shelters, weapons, without hostility. We dream that they have friends, and not lose them. Just live, not survive, not suffer.
I went home to collect things when there was a terrible rocket attack in Kramatorsk when people were taken out from under the rubble. The explosion happened a kilometer away from our house, it was very scary, hands were shaking, and the whole body went cold from horror and the understanding that it is not known where the next rocket will hit, where to hide the children, and where to run when entire houses disappear. Now my son's school is destroyed, the neighboring houses have no glass in the windows, and another school 100 meters from our house is destroyed.
The war came to us twice, but our hearts did not become hard, we have children, so we have someone to live for. We are very grateful for all the help, attention, care, and warmth provided. We hope that Ukraine will win, as good wins over evil.
Iryna Tsedova
