The Holley Family and Friends Are Raising Funds For: The Kirilenko Family

Oleksandra Serhiivna, 27 years old, lived her whole life in the house. Her husband, Oleksiy Serhiiovych, 31 years old, works at a printing house and has many hobbies, including fishing and working on cars. He also makes fishing tackle. Their daughter, Yeva Oleksiyivna, is 6 years old and is energetic and active.

On the first day of the war, they were at home, asleep, when they received a call at 6 in the morning, informing them that the war had started. Within a few hours, they could already see Gostomel being shelled. They stayed at home until evening and then went to Oleksiy’s village in the Kyiv region, where they encountered the same situation. They attempted to leave three times, but each attempt was unsuccessful because they faced shelling of villages and witnessed people being thrown from trucks onto the road with their eyes blindfolded.

They walked 7 kilometers into the woods with their eyes blindfolded to make a call to their relatives. After a month, they were informed that their house was gone, with nothing left, not even trees. Two months later, they returned to their village, where a friend took them in. They managed to build a room for themselves at their own expense, but for unclear reasons, they were evicted from it after spring. Now, they take turns sleeping on the floor, with someone on the bed with their child. Sometimes they catch fish and sell it to buy food. Oleksiy does odd welding jobs to make ends meet.

Their hope is that they will survive the winter, especially with their child, and that the war will end soon. They long for a time when they won’t hear alarms, explosions, or derogatory comments about Ukrainians and when they won’t have to hear about the deaths of their soldiers. They express their support for Ukraine with the phrase “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine).