"A missile hit towards the fighter from the spoil tip" We understood that this was war"

The madness won

The realization that it was war did not hit me immediately. At first I thought that such a thing could not happen on our territory, and even in the 21st century. People would have it out of their system and everything would end. But, as it turned out, insanity won over sanity.

My first encounter with the war took place at the Horlivka factory site where I worked. We were standing in the courtyard with a colleague, discussing some working moments. Of course, in the light of current events, the military atmosphere was in the air. At that point, we noticed a fighter flying over the factory. We glances at each other.

Sneered. But five seconds later, we saw a rocket fly out of the spoil tip toward the fighter. The feelings that we experienced are difficult to describe… That's when the realization came - this is not a joke. War - here it is, right next to us.

People who still live within the war zone range feel very tired. The majority of my friends want to stop the war, they want to live free. They want to keep the shells from exploding, to replace fear with peace.

"I wish I could forget that night"

The most difficult test for me is one night I had to spend in a bomb shelter.

I am married. My son is seven years old.

One day, when the bombing began, my family and I decided to spend the night in the bomb shelter, which was located not far from home, in College No. 88. We took mattresses, a bed, and food with us.

When I went down, I was stunned by what I saw. Complete darkness. It was damp. Candles were our only source of light. People were lying on the concrete floor... Some of the older people were praying, some were whispering. Children were crying. I'll never forget it. There I decided for myself that I would never go back there, no matter what the attacks were, I would stay at home.

I wish I could forget that night in the bomb shelter. And one image,which carved into my memory. When a shell hit the park, and we saw torn out bodies of a young mother with a baby next to the shell hole…

The war changed everything: place of residence, place of work, profession, attitude to people, attitude to the events that may cause a war. Now I build my daily life in a peaceful city of Kharkiv.

The civilians are in the sore need of humanitarian aid. When they see humanitarian aid sponsored by Ukraine, it is like a notice for them that they have not been forgotten. I know that the assistance the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation provides has been delivered to our city more than once. And to be honest, I haven't heard or seen any other humanitarian aid sets than those from his Foundation.

"The war has deprived us of the right to be happy"

What is the worst thing about the war?

The war broke many people, deprived them of the right to be happy. It disrupted people's plans. Some people continue to live in fear under fire, while others, having abandoned their homes and established a new way of life, try to survive somewhere else.

To some it brought madness (it is not normal to shoot, kill, profit off of war), to others it brought disappointment.

One of the most memorable stories is a trip to my hometown in 2015. We went to visit relatives and friends, to see our apartment.

My wife was crying the first 30 minutes in the apartment… A lot of friends have left. Some friends are losing themselves into drinking. But the hardest part was when I met my friend's mother at the market. Before the war broke out, this woman was energetic and cheerful. Her eyes were bright and radiated a lot of joy and positive. But it was hard for me to see her that day. Never in my life have I seen such a dull and desperate look.

It is very sad for those good people who were forced to stay on that territory. The have nothing left in their souls but pain, despair and the question, "Why?"

I wish, of course, that the war would end. I wish that we, our relatives, acquaintances, and friends would return home ,safe and sound. I want my hometown to return to its colorful, peaceful and cheerful life, just like before 2014.

My values have not changed, only strengthened. My family is the most important thing in the world.