Nela (61), Anastasia (33), Liza (12)

Wednesday, March 3, 2022, Studienka

Grandmother, daughter and granddaughter. Anastasia started to speak first, but then grandma interrupted. It was impossible to stop her. She needed to pour out her heart, ease her soul. Through the tears, which didn't stop rolling down her face. Helplessness of three generations in one room. What would you say to her? I held her hand and wanted to cry too.  

"That morning we woke up to the sound of explosions, we ran away from the war. With no final destination on our mind, away from Kiev. We wanted to pick up my husband. We arrived in front of the school, where he works as a doorman, at 8 a.m. They couldn't let him go because he was in charge of the anti-bomb shelter. We had to leave him there. My grandchildren and other loved ones also stayed behind. We went to Zhytomyr first, we have friends there. Unlike in Kiev, there was no panic and basic foodstuffs could still be bought in shops. We did not want to emigrate, we wanted to stay in Ukraine. Gradually we have managed to get to Uzhhorod. There were problems with refuelling everywhere, as there was not enough petrol at the gas stations. Once in the lee of the mountains, we called our friends and family. They have all left. They tell us in tears about their homes being bombed. They do not know if they will have a place to return to. We eventually crossed the border, but I swear I would return home right away, even if the bombs would fly over my head. I have nothing here, my home, my family is there. We are here because of our granddaughter, so that nothing happens to her. Nothing but Ukraine interests me! I'm watching the news. I'm in contact with my classmates. One is in St. Petersburg, the other one in Moscow. Nobody believes us. They think that the Russians have come to help us."

"We had to sleep in a tent city the very first night in Slovakia. Conditions were basic, but we cannot complain. They fed us, gave us hot tea, warm bed. Then one family accepted us. They helped us a lot. They bought clothes for my granddaughter, cooked for us. They still call us every day to see if we are okay. I can't call them other than angels. But try to understand, we are very ashamed to take from someone else, even if they would like to give us everything. It's not like at home, where you go to the kitchen and have some bread. We are dependent on others. We want to go back, we have everything there. I want to go home even if I have to sleep out in the open. We have already agreed with our neighbours that if our house or their house is destroyed, we will help each other with the reconstruction."

"My other daughter was not so lucky, she lives on the other side of the Dnieper River. She rushed to pick up her daughter from the kindergarten in the morning, stopped at her mother-in-law, but all roads were already blocked. There is no more petrol. She had to stay at home, with no money. They told us that they no longer remember the taste of bread, which they have not seen in stores since February 24. I would like to send her some money, just don't know how."

"That lunatic needs to be stopped. Russian soldiers came to us with war, they kill our sons, fathers, small children."