Liberation of Kherson: Stories of Residents Who Survived the Russian Occupation

They endured eight months of occupation. On November 11, 2022, the residents of Kherson tearfully welcomed the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who liberated the city from russian invaders. Since then, the brutal shelling of Kherson has not stopped, but the people remain in the city, standing firm in their belief in victory.

The stories of Kherson’s residents, collected by the Museum of Civilian Voices, are honest first-hand accounts of resisting the enemy, the will for freedom, losses, and the unbreakable spirit of the people, which supports Ukrainians and inspires the world.

I was hunted because of my activities, it was a miracle they didnt find me. I tried to leave twice without success
07.10.2024
Savchenko Marina
"I was hunted because of my activities, it was a miracle they didn't find me. I tried to leave twice without success"
Overnight, 136 soldiers with sub-machine guns and grenade launchers passed by our house
15.09.2022
Yana Oleksandrivna Lebedeva
"Overnight, 136 soldiers with sub-machine guns and grenade launchers passed by our house"
A “member of a subversive group,” an “agent of the Ukrainian Security Service,” who else? They ended up with the theory that I was “tailing the Federal Security Service”
17.01.2023
Anzhela Slobodian
A “member of a subversive group,” an “agent of the Ukrainian Security Service,” who else? They ended up with the theory that I was “tailing the Federal Security Service”
Kherson is Ukraine!
13.10.2022
Yevhenii Reznichenko
"Kherson is Ukraine!"
I was afraid that blood would be spilled: there were a lot of children at the rally...
10.01.2023
Serhiy Pavlyuk
"I was afraid that blood would be spilled: there were a lot of children at the rally..."
Why do the elephants want to kill us? - The girl asked. She called tanks elephants...
14.02.2023
Anastasia Rybalchenko
"Why do the elephants want to kill us?" - The girl asked. "She called tanks elephants..."
Director of the Kherson Drama Theater Oleksandr Knyha: I will rebuild everything for the sake of children
30.06.2024
Oleksandr Knyha
Director of the Kherson Drama Theater Oleksandr Knyha: "I will rebuild everything for the sake of children"
“I was in captivity for 48 days. They taped my eyes, beat me from all sides, and fired shots above my head”
12.01.2023
Volodymyr Ivanchenko
“I was in captivity for 48 days. They taped my eyes, beat me from all sides, and fired shots above my head”
“It was thundering all the time. It never stopped”
10.10.2022
Oleksandr Knyha
“It was thundering all the time. It never stopped”
They broke my fathers legs and put him in the car…
12.01.2023
Inna Novobranets
"They broke my father's legs and put him in the car…"
At any moment they could come for me
13.01.2023
Oleksandr Kornyakov
"At any moment they could come for me"
“Walking the luckiest 30 kilometres took us three days… Some people did not make it at all…”
31.01.2023
Serhiy Rybalchenko
“Walking the luckiest 30 kilometres took us three days… Some people did not make it at all…”
“When we were leaving together with our children, we came under fire – everything was flying above our heads...”
11.04.2023
Iryna Khanikova
“When we were leaving together with our children, we came under fire – everything was flying above our heads...”
“Ukrainian passports were nailed to people’s foreheads”
27.11.2023
Alla Cherednichenko
“Ukrainian passports were nailed to people’s foreheads”
They take my daughter away with a bag on her head, then my son-in-law...
31.05.2023
Iryna Volodymyrivna Koroleva
"They take my daughter away with a bag on her head, then my son-in-law..."
Ukrainians are like a door-weed: you cant break it, but if you cut it off, it will sprout again
26.12.2023
Elena Malyarenko
"Ukrainians are like a door-weed: you can't break it, but if you cut it off, it will sprout again"
A shell hit our house. I thought that my husband was gone
11.06.2023
Halyna Usenko
"A shell hit our house. I thought that my husband was gone"
“I climbed trees with theater binoculars: my husband and I were partisans for 5 months”
29.06.2023
Natalia Fokina
“I climbed trees with theater binoculars: my husband and I were partisans for 5 months”
The military came in, looking for Ukrainian symbols, Ukrainian books
26.07.2023
Iryna Pronikova
"The military came in, looking for Ukrainian symbols, Ukrainian books"
“They put a bag over my head, and I was taken for interrogation and torture”
28.07.2023
Nakhmet Ismailov
“They put a bag over my head, and I was taken for interrogation and torture”
Father is no longer with us… – a sniper took a shot
14.09.2023
Fedir Kushnir
"Father is no longer with us… – a sniper took a shot"
They hid me so that I would not be taken to Crimea…
30.11.2023
Polina Ruda
"They hid me so that I would not be taken to Crimea…"
Our people can drive the invader away even with shovels and axes
11.12.2023
Serhiy Ushakov
"Our people can drive the invader away even with shovels and axes"
“That’s it. They came for me. They needed media persons”
19.12.2023
Oleksandra Tarnovska
“That’s it. They came for me. They needed media persons”
“I came to the window, and an APC was standing there, with its muzzle pointing directly at our window”
19.12.2023
Larisa Bershchanska
“I came to the window, and an APC was standing there, with its muzzle pointing directly at our window”
We stayed on our land to prevent the invaders from occupying it...
27.12.2023
Olesya Galdun
"We stayed on our land to prevent the invaders from occupying it..."
Its like youre being held captive in your own home…
27.12.2023
Darya Kucherenko
"It's like you're being held captive in your own home…"
 I cried of pride for my fellow countrymen who came to pro-Ukrainian demonstrations
03.01.2024
Oksana Naumova
"I cried of pride for my fellow countrymen who came to pro-Ukrainian demonstrations"
I felt so much pain, I touched my face and it was all covered in blood
04.01.2024
Andriy Kiselyov
"I felt so much pain, I touched my face and it was all covered in blood"
On February the 24th, I started writing a diary, which I called Chronicles of Embroidered Shirt
19.01.2024
Inna Mykutska
"On February the 24th, I started writing a diary, which I called 'Chronicles of Embroidered Shirt'"
 It was very painful and frustrating when the library named after Honchar was on fire
13.02.2024
Viktor Bratan
"It was very painful and frustrating when the library named after Honchar was on fire"
 We were under occupation, like in a gas chamber
14.02.2024
Olena Bukovelo
" We were under occupation, like in a gas chamber"
Our shop was hit 4 times, a direct hit on the roof, but were working
16.02.2024
Olga Chernyshova
"Our shop was hit 4 times, a direct hit on the roof, but we're working"
 For me, these children are the best. Its a pity that they have not danced their graduation waltz
22.02.2024
Olha Oleksandrivna Hustenko
"For me, these children are the best. It's a pity that they have not danced their graduation waltz"
“The occupiers threatened to take the child away because he does not go to a russian school”
26.02.2024
Tatyana Myasnikova
“The occupiers threatened to take the child away because he does not go to a russian school”
I was taken to a cell with blood, pieces of skin and brain on the walls
04.04.2024
Valentina Saifullina
"I was taken to a cell with blood, pieces of skin and brain on the walls"
 Rashists forced me to collaborate. I spent two weeks in the torture chamber and managed to escape
05.05.2024
Leonid Remyga
"Rashists forced me to collaborate. I spent two weeks in the torture chamber and managed to escape"
«There was “quiet” terror in Kherson»
11.07.2024
Svitlana Horeva
«There was “quiet” terror in Kherson»
“You are not free in your hometown”
25.06.2024
Inna Mikutska
“You are not free in your hometown”
“I didn’t even think to take out so many works under fire”
27.06.2024
Yana Holubiatnykova
“I didn’t even think to take out so many works under fire”
My husband was found with his hands tied and a weight on his legs
27.06.2024
Alyona Lapchuk
"My husband was found with his hands tied and a weight on his legs"
I stood, watched, cried and did not believe that the war had begun
11.07.2024
Natalya Golubeva
"I stood, watched, cried and did not believe that the war had begun"
When a rocket was shot down over the heads of my daughter and granddaughter, my heart almost stopped
12.07.2024
Larisa Peshkova
"When a rocket was shot down over the heads of my daughter and granddaughter, my heart almost stopped"
Two shells, I heard, whistled by, and the third one hit me
17.07.2024
Viktor Zubenko
"Two shells, I heard, whistled by, and the third one hit me"
The neighbour was shot in the knee for his pro-Ukrainian position
28.07.2024
Marina Ostapyuk
"The neighbour was shot in the knee for his pro-Ukrainian position"
30 guys were simply shot with large-calibre weapons
28.07.2024
Ihor Ostapyuk
"30 guys were simply shot with large-calibre weapons"
russians took young men off the streets who later disappeared
28.07.2024
Alexandra
"russians took young men off the streets who later disappeared"
Join the Project
Join the Project
Every story is unique. Share your story!
Share your story

Other collections