The Oliinyk Family
Will Have A House
Thanks to Tanner Hale

Vladimir Stepanovich had a huge family. He built a massive house with three entrances: one for his wife and him and the others for his two adult children with their families. In the first days of the war, his wife, children, and grandchildren left to Europe. Vladimir did not want to go, as he thought the war would not last long and everything would be fine. But on March 5, a rocket flew into his house. Vladimir’s dog saved him. It was loudly barking, so Vladimir ran out into the street and saw thick smoke coming from the edge of his house, where his son and his family used to live. Vladimir says that he did not even understand when the rocket hit his home. Everything around was buzzing, the earth was shaking, and he couldn’t even know whether the missile hit when the dog began to bark or when Vladimir was already running out of the house to the dog’s barking. But he ran out in time. Then there were more rockets. Vladimir immediately got into his old car and decided to try to leave Gostomel. At the entrance to Bucha, the Russians fired at his car. He says that on this day, he miraculously survived twice: when a rocket hit and when they fired at the car. He jumped out of the car and crouching began to run away, but there was nowhere to run. He decided to get to Kyiv to his brother. When Irpin was liberated, Vladimir returned to his house, set up a light in the barn, and started living there. He still lives there without a kitchen and shower. Most of all, he misses his wife. He dreams of a small house where his wife could return from Europe, and they will be together again. Now he is all alone. He says it hurts him if his wife has to live in her old age in a barn. He asks for a one-bedroom house to be built for him.