The uncontrolled territory begins just across the river, and my house is on the bank of it. My granddaughter’s Karina age is the same as the duration of war in Donbass. She rarely goes out on the street, and it's dangerous to set foot on the river. For the same reason, she does not go to kindergarten.
When the shooting starts, I worry about her, about myself. I am already 73, and she is so small, she lies and is afraid.
Karina's mother – Valentina – teaches her at home. It is not easy for her to earn a piece of bread, she raises her daughter herself. They survive on social payments. Valentina is a good cook, but when the war started, she lost her job. It is risky to travel to other cities on front-line roads to earn money. God save us all, if she is hurt, that is the end. Treatment, money, small child…
Previously, the farm saved us. I had cows and pigs. Now there is nothing, because there is nothing to feed them with. I don't even have enough money for medicine, I have cancer and diabetes. I've had three surgeries, and I'll have another one soon.