"When we ran with my son, I thought to lie down. But something told me, "Run, Lena, run!"

I was legally married three times. I had children in every marriage (3 children). Anastasia Parshina is the oldest daughter. She is 18 years old. Stanislav Chaplyhin is 13 years old. And Zaharian Aurika is 5 years old.

It was very difficult for us. We survived hunger and cold.  We had nothing to heat our house with. We had no firewood, nothing. I applied to many organizations to help, either with money or with firewood. There were times when we had to burn some things, like clothes to heat the place. We slept all dressed-up in 2014-2015. I made the children wear hats and jackets.

In 2014, we didn't receive much humanitarian aid. It was difficult to get through. They brought bread by cars. The loaves we got were so stale that you could hammer nails with ithem. We had to wait in a queue to get that bread.

There was a separate queue for children and a separate queue for pensioners. Pensioners were so rude, though. They didn't care who was in line. They just pushed everyone so that they could get bread. Cars were almost turned over. It was so horrible. They threw bread as if people were dogs. Those who caught loaves were lucky. We've been through a lot.

My child was sitting in a stroller and shouting, "Mum, I am hungry!" The military man was in the car and threw us this loaf of bread, and people just tore it up right in front of my eyes. The military said, "Wait." I was about to leave with tears in my eyes, the military said, "Wait, I'll come down and give it to you personally." Now the military was coming down… Three loaves… They gave two loaves per family… When the military gave us three loaves of bread, I thought that people would just turn the stroller over.

My child took this loaf of bread and just started devouring it. I didn't sleep with her all night because her tummy was swollen, and she was crying a lot. We had no medication, nothing. It was so horrible.

We didn't receive social benefits for six months, or  more. We had no light for six months. We also got some candles as part of the humanitarian aid, but getting them was as problematic as it was with bread. They gave 3 or 5 candles. But the queue was frantic. We often couldn't get them.

We had to figure out what to do when the light went out. So we made wicks  – rolled up cotton wool soaked in fasting oil. It made curtains black.

We survived the attacks even  though we were fired at repeatedly. I received some food from the factory as parents with many children. We got some soup, some greens, porridge, a patty and some stewed fruit. We went there to get it with our eldest daughter, Anastasiia. We often had to walk to the sounds of mines exploding nearby. 

They hit in 9-storey and 5-storey buildings… All these hits. We hid in any entrance we could run to, as well as everyone else. People did not care that I was a mother with a stroller. Everyone looked crazy. 

We came under fire together with my son Stasik. One day, while we were running home, I lost my voice… I could not speak for two weeks. I have cuts on my chest, stomach, and legs. My trousers were shredded. My son had cuts all over as well.

When we ran with my son, I thought to lie down. But something told me, "Run, Lena, run!" And I shouted to my son. So, while we were running, shells were exploding under our feet. They were so hot. They cut the T-shirt, legs... It was a mess. We could feel the heat coming from them. I shouted so loudly to my son to run, but he stopped, "Mum, I can't run without you." I shouted to him, "Son, run!" And then I could not speak for two weeks.

After this attack, my spine nerves pinched. I cannot get examined, because it is quite expensive.

Earlier, if we didn't have enough salt or no bread, we went to ask it from a neighbor.  Now, no one gives us even that — no salt, no grain of bread, nothing… Most of my  friends have money problems .  If I have an opportunity, I help others. I'm such a person even though I'm not rich. I'm a simple person.

I only have child benefits and a survivor's pension. My first husband died. Daughter Anastasia receives survivor's pension payments. Now she is a junior at college. She is an electric and gas welder, and a car repair mechanic. I wanted her to be a pastry-chef like me. But she didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave us. She knows what we went through in 2014-2015, especially in 2014… It was such horror.

It is hard to conceive if you haven't experienced something like this. We were well-dressed. I had a good stroller. I went to church with the children to ask alms. We had to go the sound of bullets whistling around. Shells exploded around us. We went to church. My parents brought me up this way that I will never steal anything. It's a sin for me. I would never do something like this.

I put my youngest child in a stroller. My other children went by my side. And we went to church like that. One day the priest said, "Walk down this street, people will help you." So we went there. We were given a large package of small potatoes.

The child was given an apple. If only you could see how much the children were hungry. They started devouring those apples, pears, pieces of bread… Some old lady cut us a long piece of bread. And I divided it into three, and they said, "No, mummy, you have to eat, too." I gave it to them, and they… Even the smallest child split it and said, "Mother, take it."

We hope that this all will end quickly. Avdiivka remained Avdiivka. I wish things got back to normal, people got their jobs back. I wish children could walk under a peaceful sky. I wish things got better.