Kornilov Family consists of 5 people: husband Roman (41), wife Irina (34), their sons Gleb (11) and Yegor (9), and Irina's parents Alexander (61) and Valentina (52).

On February 24, the family heard the first shelling, initially mistaking it for the noise of a freight train. No one believed that it could actually be the start of a war. For two months, they hid in a very small cellar. Under shelling, Roman went out to mix clay to build a stove to keep the cellar warm. They were very afraid that the children would get sick, so they set up a tent for the boys to live in. The family recalls having to eat moldy bread, initially bought for the dogs, due to the lack of food.

The family gave their last food to the soldiers, remembering how they cooked a pot of potatoes and gave it to the soldiers heading into battle. When the boys got sick, their skin began to peel from their hands and feet due to the lack of food. Now, whenever they hear shelling, the boys have hysterical fits that cause vomiting. Most importantly, the family does not have a home where they can feel safe again.

The boys remember hearing on the radio about Russians striking a house and many children dying, which caused them great stress. Currently, the family is separated. Grandfather Alexander takes care of the land where he raised several generations. The rest of the family lives in a house in a neighboring village without water or a toilet. It is very difficult for the family since only Roman is working.

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Lind Olena (34) and Tetiana (54)

In February 2022, my mother and I woke up to explosions. We couldn't understand what was happening, but after checking the news online, we realized that a full-scale war had started in Ukraine. Initially, I felt immense fear for my life, the lives of my loved ones, and my friends.

In our understanding, war in the 21st century seemed absurd. I remember that on February 23, we couldn't even imagine that there would be a war. I remember the tears of despair as we hid in the cellar under the terrifying sounds of explosions, too afraid to come out. One day, when the light went out completely, my mother fell down the ladder. We were very scared that she might have broken something, as an ambulance might not come during the shelling. Communication problems also arose. Our ill-equipped cellar seemed like a reliable shelter to us, but our acquaintances advised us to find a safer place. The next day, we gathered with our neighbors in their cellar.

We had little water. Amid the sounds of explosions, we would go to the well on a nearby street. It was very frightening, with explosions everywhere. Our pets, a dog and a cat, were also hiding with us and were just as scared. After two days in the cold cellar, we started coughing. Realizing the need for warmth, we built a stove together and heated it with firewood. Everyone supported each other, shared medicine, and helped in any way they could. We were very happy when humanitarian aid first arrived with essential products and medicines. It felt like a godsend. We lived in such conditions for two months, changing four cellars in total. None of them were suitable for war.

Things got worse when the Russians entered the neighboring village. We heard rumors about the brutal behavior of Kadyrovites. Volunteers took me, my friend, and her two-year-old child to Kharkiv. Acquaintances took my mother without any belongings, only her documents.

From a distance, our neighbors called to tell us that, unfortunately, our home was gone. A missile hit the house, completely destroying it and causing a fire. Our home was no more. For almost two years, my mother and I lived separately in dormitories. It was very difficult since we, like many Ukrainians, had lost our jobs. Every day, we missed each other terribly and longed to live together again as we did before the war.

The great tragedy was brought upon us by our neighbors, the Russians. My great-grandfather had fought in the Second World War and lost a leg, and my great-grandmother had been in a concentration camp. They built our house with hope for a better future. Now, we must not lose hope, believe in our victory, and strive to rebuild our home and create a happy future.

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Milashenko Liudmyla (64) and Mykola (71)

On the morning of February 24, at 5 a.m., the family was jolted awake by an explosion, not understanding what was happening. They started calling neighbors, and everyone gathered to feel less scared. Planes were flying overhead, and people were hiding in the cellar, praying that no bombs would be dropped on them. That evening, they heard on the radio from the administration that the war had started. They survived on what they had grown in their garden. By the third day, electricity and communication were gone, and the couple still didn't fully understand what was happening. They fed any animals they saw on the street and tried to help in any way they could. Liudmyla recalls that they learned to recognize when the Russians had their "lunch break," a pause between shellings. During these breaks, they would go outside.

One day, Liudmyla came out of the cellar and fainted. An ambulance managed to reach them and evacuate the couple. It was then that they learned that their house was gone.

Currently, the family lives in a small room without water. The war has taken a toll on Liudmyla's health, leading to the amputation of her leg. All their funds are now spent on medications to maintain her health.
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Udovychenko Volodymyr (72)

On February 24, Volodymyr chose not to evacuate during the war, staying alone in his home. He didn't even go down to the cellar; instead, he sat on his veranda and prayed for survival. He refused to leave because he had to take care of his two dogs and fish, which he didn't want to abandon. He was taken away for two days to wash, and during those days, a missile struck his house, which he had built with his earnings as a successful private entrepreneur. Volodymyr had a daughter and a late son to whom he intended to leave his inheritance.

Now, Volodymyr has no money or the means to live a normal life. Currently, he resides in his store, which once bustled with life and where he sold food to his fellow villagers.
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Velychko Oleksandr (67) and Alla (64)

On February 24, the shelling began. Alla was returning from work in the morning and learned on the train that their village was under attack. For three months, they endured the shelling without electricity and with the gas turned off. They cooked food on bonfires, survived on preserved food, and received some humanitarian aid. They took shelter in their cellar.

Their daughter arranged for volunteers to evacuate her parents to Kharkiv, and later they were taken in by their in-laws in Kryvyi Rih for half a year. They later found out from neighbors that their house had been destroyed. Currently, they are forced to live on their pension. Oleksandr is a second-group invalid. They wish to return to their land and village.
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Vitalii (55), Natalia (52), and Vitalii’s grandmother Varvara (78)

On February 24, the Onopriienko family witnessed everything around them catching fire. Neighbors ran out to help each other extinguish the flames. Within a week, fighting broke out on the streets. Natalia continued working in the store until the last moment to distribute the remaining food. The family sheltered in their garage, the only safe place in their home.

On March 13, the village fell under full occupation. The family wrote "People" on their gate to prevent Russians from moving in. They survived on what was stored in the cellar, refusing the moldy bread and spoiled vegetables brought by the occupiers. Machine gunners were stationed around the village to prevent anyone from escaping. The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not shell the village, so the family did not fear bombardment.

Two months into the occupation, they saw a villager being led down the street with a bag over his head, accused by the Russians of being an artillery spotter. They decided to relocate to another house after being warned they might be next. When Russian soldiers stormed their house, they took the family's son, claiming he would be taken with them. The family gathered all their gold to ransom him, and at night, they sent him through the swamps to Ukrainian territory. Vitalii was interrogated about his son's whereabouts but did not reveal anything.

A month later, the family managed to escape through the fields. Once on Ukrainian-controlled territory, Vitalii assisted volunteers in navigating the fields at night to deliver supplies to the villagers. Now, their son serves in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the family lives in a dormitory with Varvara.
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