Rasputnaya Family Needs A Home

Mykola – 52 years old, male, had a stroke, lives in makeshift housing.
Anton – 20 years old, Mykola’s son (was forced to leave the country at the start of the war and has been abroad ever since).
Natalia – Mykola’s sister, 44 years old, works in a supermarket.
Anastasia – 17 years old, Natalia’s daughter, a college student.

On February 24, the entire family heard explosions. The house shook several times, and everyone immediately understood that the war people had been talking about had begun. They had no shelter and didn’t want to leave, hoping it would all end quickly. But the situation only got worse.

Mykola had spent his life designing micro-parts and micro-components, which he even shipped abroad. His son was still in school. Natalia worked at the supermarket, and her daughter Anastasia also attended school. Their whole life was spent in the house that the war eventually destroyed. The house was small, but they all lived there because they couldn’t afford to live separately. Just before the war, Mykola had finished building a second floor, so he and his son had their own “separate space.”

Explosions were heard in the city and surrounding area—it was clear that heavy fighting was going on. Despite the danger, Natalia went to work every day because the supermarket stayed open and distributed bread and other goods to the people. Her daughter stayed home with her uncle. Every night was filled with explosions, gunfire, the roar of planes, and an indescribable fear. The children constantly asked: “Why? What for? Why us?”

When the explosions became nonstop, Natalia decided to evacuate with her daughter to Kyiv with the help of volunteers. Just as they were boarding the evacuation transport, a missile strike hit the nearby supermarket—but fortunately, no one was hurt. Mykola and his son stayed behind.

Around the evening of March 9, while at home, Mykola realized their house was on fire. He called his sister and told her the house was burning. He barely had time to save a few documents because the fire spread rapidly. The second floor was entirely wooden, and firefighters couldn’t come due to constant shelling. All Mykola could do was watch their home burn down. He and his son had no choice but to leave the city as well.

This news was a devastating blow to Natalia. She realized she had lost her home and wouldn’t be able to earn enough to afford a new one. In May 2022, she and her daughter returned to Irpin. They had to search for a rental and find work. Thankfully, the supermarket took her back.

Mykola sent his son abroad. Unable to afford rent and having lost his ability to work, he wandered for a while and eventually returned to his plot of land. Using scraps, he built a tiny 5 m² “shack,” where he still lives today. Later, he suffered a stroke and spent a long time in rehabilitation. He’s still recovering, but it’s nearly impossible in the conditions he’s living in. The family can’t receive compensation because Mykola’s son is a co-owner of the destroyed house and cannot return to Ukraine to complete the necessary paperwork. The family is in a hopeless situation…

Meanwhile, Natalia and Anastasia are constantly forced to move between rental apartments. The high cost of rent pushes Natalia to seek work abroad, as her supermarket salary isn’t enough, and she often ends up in debt.