‘There were heavy explosions the night before yesterday’

Both 2014 and 2015 were very scary. Shelling was raging all around us. We would rush to the cellar and back all the time. It was very hard. Later, it seemed to get better, and now again, projectiles, God knows, where and what is moving over there, but we feel scared. The walls seem to shake. I am alone, and I am terrified. This street has been hit hard. Especially the first two or three houses have been severely damaged. The roof on one house has been blown away.

There were five of us. Only I and my sister remained. She lives in Horlivka and I live here. Once she said: ‘It is impossible [to live] here, I will come to you.’ And she came. I hoped this war would end quickly. I had never thought that this war would last so long.

The night before yesterday (May 2018), there were a lot of heavy explosions. I closed everything, all the doors and the windows, and sat next to my sister. What can we do? At least, we can talk to support each other. If I were alone, I would go mad.

We cheer ourselves up, talking about our younger days. I ask her: ‘Do you remember how you sang? Do you remember how you danced? Remind me some song, let’s sing together.’ This raises her spirit; we laugh a bit together, and she feels better.