Inna - The Refugee From Volnovakha, Donetsk Region ‘’War Diary’’ Of ‘’Giving Joy’’ Foundation. Part 4.
26 May 2022
03.25.22 That day we conducted 4 interviews in the shelter in the sports complex ‘’Yantarny’’. Inna’s story, the refugee from Volnovakha in Donetsk region, is the last one. The previous stories you can find by the tag #щоденниквійнидаруєморадість
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Inna’s family hasn’t decided to move at once. The main argument was that ‘‘nobody is waiting for us’’. But they decided anyway, took neighbors, people from the house nearby, who they could save by a miracle. Read the interview for more details.
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Inna is telling a story:
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‘’I’m from the Novotroitsk village in Volnovakha region.
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We left on March 2nd, we stayed in Novoselovka for a day, but it wasn’t quiet there as well, so we decided to move further.
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We’ve been sitting in basements for 6 days. First they hit the suburbs, the neighborhood, and then started hitting the village, there was destruction. But thankfully, at that moment everybody was alive.
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There is almost no connection with the village, because the territory is occupied, the mobile connection is different. They block our Kyivstar operator, they’ve got Fenix, it’s impossible to call there. They can communicate with each other somehow, we get the information only if somebody escapes here.
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There isn’t any internet connection. There isn’t any electricity, gas, water or heat - nothing left. People cook once a day, they make a fire near their homes, if they live in a block of flats. If you live in a private house with an oven, where they’re left, you’re the lucky one. People heat the oven, unite and gather several families in one house.
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I lived in a five story building. When I left there was no water and gas. The electricity was cut off on March 1st. Everything was destroyed and we’re sitting without electricity for a day. The basement wasn't equipped, it was wet, cold and dark, we’re sitting with candles, some chairs and coaches. My daughter is 14, of course these conditions are very bad for the child.
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Last night was very loud, it was flying and hitting… So, what are we going to do?
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We got out of the basement in the morning - we noticed that from 8 till 10 a.m. there was a calm period of time - somebody quickly went for water, somebody to the shop. Though the shops weren’t supplied, we bought the last products like flour, sugar and frozen food.
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We escaped (from the city) by our car, my husband was driving. We were afraid to drive by ourselves. There weren’t any Red Cross, nothing. I ran down the staircases, went to the flats and basements, (was looking for people), and four families agreed to come with us.
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We tied 4 cars with white ribbons, wrote the sign ‘’children’’ and started our way. People from other blocks of flats started coming out (there are 5 five story buildings): ‘’Are you escaping’’?. We motivated them. Our column of cars started moving away and people started quickly packing their things. We drove away, then the next column followed, six cars in the neighborhood.
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When they drove only 1,5 km away from the village - the projectile hit our houses, got into the yard. Only two minutes after they had left. It’s just a miracle.
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Windows blew out. The place where the projectile hit, there was worse, the balconies were torn off. Our block of flats is protected by these houses - there is information that in our building only in staircases the old windows were blown away.
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My parents-in-law left there. We still don’t know anything about them. They live in a private house and told us: ‘’We won’t go anywhere’’. They’ve got a simple basement in the yard which isn’t appropriate as a bomb shelter.
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A lot of people went away - there is a connection with them. We ask people who escaped after us about those who left, about that street. We can’t reach them there.
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We were driving at random, avoiding shells, which stuck in the ground, and burnt cars.
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We stopped at the petrol station in Novoselovka, 80 km from our village to think what to do next. The locals came to us: ‘’Are you refugees? There is a shelter nearby’’. I said: ‘’We drove not far away, let’s go further’’. But we stayed for a night there.
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We’re grateful to volunteers, they picked us up and helped! The attitude in the basements is different: where to go? Who needs us? Who can help us? We need to sit here, we won’t go anywhere, our native walls are here. There is such an attitude in the basements. That’s why many people don’t escape because of that, they’re afraid that nobody needs us, nobody will help.
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The night passed by - the explosions were heard, the glow was seen. My husband worked with the guy, who escaped here, to this shelter. (In the sports complex ‘’Yantarny’’ in Dnipro). When we got to Novoselovka, the connection appeared, so we called him. He said: the military actions were moving further, we’re here in Dnipro, come to us. So we rushed here on March 3d.
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When we came, there weren't many people here. We’re accepted, fed and warmed. Then more and more people started coming from the Luhansk and Donetsk region.
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We haven’t got any plans for the near future. Everybody wants to get home. But nobody will come back there while the territory is occupied. If the territory is liberated, maybe. Now there is no sense to come back.
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We’re calling and looking for a flat. A lot of people raised the prices. Somebody is helping and somebody is earning. That’s why it’s very expensive to rent a flat in the city.
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It’s quiet here, but this night it was heard, hit very hard. (Air defense hit the rockets in Dnipro that time). We want to believe that it’s a point strike and it won’t happen often. But we're so overwhelmed and exhausted, yesterday the heart jumped out of the chest. We’re shivering, and didn't know where to run.
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When we came here, I felt as if I ‘’grew up’’: in warmth and kindness. Thanks to everybody who helps us and the shelter’’!
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The interview was conducted by the Foundation volunteer - Olga Levchenko
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When helping people in shelters, such as Inna and other characters of our stories, we understand that unity, open heart and desire to help are our main advantages. Only thanks to an incredible humaneness, we could survive and give support to those who need it.
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You can help the Foundation ‘’Giving Joy’’ at the humanity front the following way:
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- USD
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Company details
БФ ДАРУЄМО РАДIСТЬ БО (Charity foundation "Giving Joy")
UA683052990000026004050013790
JSC CB "PRIVATBANK", 1D HRUSHEVSKOHO STR., KYIV, 01001, UKRAINE
PBANUA2X
UA 49087, Днiпропетровська, м. Днiпро, вул Василя Макуха, б.127
Correspondent banks:
1) 001-1-000080
CHASUS33
JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York, USA
2) 890-0085-754
IRVT US 3N
The Bank of New York Mellon, New York, USA
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- Euro
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БФ ДАРУЄМО РАДIСТЬ БО (Charity foundation "Giving Joy")
UA 093052990000026001050027079
Privatbank, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine
PBANUA2X
UA 49087, Днiпропетровська, м. Днiпро, вул Василя Макуха, б.127
Correspondent banks:
400886700401
COBADEFF
Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
