Photo 2. Nadiya Voronevska, 48, and Oleksandr Voronevskyy, 51. A selfie of the smiling couple in a village yard across which a white dog is running. Nadiya is a blue-eyed woman with light brown hair in a bun. She has a round ruddy face, smooth skin, thin eyebrows and narrow lips. Her nose is small and slightly hooked. The woman is wearing a white sleeveless shirt, a wide light pink headband and probably a cross on a black lace around her neck. Oleksandr is a round-faced man with short dark greying hair. He has wrinkles on his forehead and around his green eyes, the outer corners of which are hidden under thick eyelids. The man has thick eyebrows, a large convex nose and narrow lips. He is wearing a blue T-shirt, a dark blue sports jacket and a black cap.

Nadiya and Oleksandr Voronevski

Yuvileine, Kherson region -> biberach

Nadiya Voronevska was born on 5th December 1974 in the village of Korobky, Kakhovka district, Kherson region. Her husband, Oleksandr Voronevskyy, was born on 8th December 1971 in the village of Liubymivka, Kakhovka district, Kherson region. Nadiya and Oleksandr are raising three sons: Dmytro born on 14th March 1995, Nikita born on 15th February 2008 and Denys born on 4th August 2017. Dmytro and Nikita have disabilities.

‍

Until 24th February 2022, the Voronevski family lived in the village of Yuvileine, Oleshky district, Kherson region. The couple was engaged in agribusiness.

We had a stable, beautiful, peaceful life in which we worked, rested, studied, played, and visited all kinds of hobby clubs. On 24th February, it all was over. Everything: schools, kindergartens, work, and business”.

Фото 6. Дмитро Вороневський, 27 років. Чоловік сидить на вулиці на кріслі колісному. Він худий та високий, має довгасте обличчя та дуже вузькі плечі, одне з яких трохи вище за інше. У Дмитра великі сірі очі, дещо глибоко посаджені; широкі світлі брови, великий ніс із горбинкою та вузькі губи. Під білою кепкою видно коротке русяве волосся. На підборідді пробивається щетина. Чоловік у сірій сорочці поло, чорних штанах і кросівках. Він щось говорить, усміхаючись, і дивиться вгору та вбік.

“WE ARE OCCUPIED”

On 23th February 2022, in the evening, Oleksandr prepared agricultural products which he planned to take to the market for sale the next day. In the morning of 24th February, a friend called him and said that the war had started. The village of Yuvileine was occupied immediately — on 24th February 2022.

Troops were passing before our eyes. Tanks, cars, armoured personnel carriers — everything went through us, through our village. Planes, helicopters… We saw all this on the same day [24th February — editor’s note)… They didn’t touch us. We were only left without electricity and water on the same day for two weeks. On 8th March, on the Women’s Day, we were given a gift — the electricity was restored… Otherwise, it was very hard, not knowing any information, with no signal”.

The family stayed under occupation for almost 5 months. For the first two weeks, no one left the village. The Voronevskis were the first to make such an attempt. They had to go to Kakhovka to buy food for the family and medicine for their eldest son Dmytro. Food prices increased significantly.

Bread cost 20 hryvnias. Just in two weeks. Before that, it cost 8 hryvnias. And in the
village, bread cost 25 hryvnias. Where can we get so much money if we haven’t even grown anything yet?”.

Kakhovka became grey and creepy.

We were very scared. You know, if you compare Kakhovka as it is and as it was at that time, it was really creepy there. Three o’clock in the afternoon, and there was no one on the street. There was nothing. There was no transport. It was like a ghost town”.

A black market for buying and selling cash in different currencies started to operate. After some time, people began to adapt to the new reality. They moved around the region more often, some of them went to Crimea for shopping because there were no supplies of goods to the occupied territory of Kherson region. Despite this, Oleksandr and Nadiya suspended their agribusiness because it became impossible to sell the goods.

“WE HAD NOWHERE TO HIDE”

Near the middle of the summer, calls to evacuate the occupied territories from the Ukrainian authorities became more and more frequent. In addition, the Voronevskis’ relatives began to insist on evacuation to safer places. The couple still had doubts about evacuation.

Nadiya: ‘We thought it would get better.’ Oleksandr: ‘We planted potatoes — we thought it would be enough — and were done with it. Also, we had a shepherd dog — a friend of our middle son. The dog was two years old. But there was less food, all the doctors left, and it got sick. The shepherd was gone.’ Nadiya: ‘He died.’ Oleksandr: ‘And before that, Nikita said he would not go anywhere without his friend… I said: ‘Son, here’s the situation, your friend let you go".

Фото 5. Родина Вороневських позує в парку. Попереду сидить у колісному кріслі Дмитро. На ньому сорочка поло із широкими смугами темно-синього, білого та сіро-бежевого кольорів, темні штани та біла кепка. Праворуч нього, взявшись за підлокітник крісла, з усмішкою стоїть Денис. Він у смугастій біло-зеленій футболці та сірих шортах. Ліворуч од Дмитра — усміхнений Нікіта, що взявся однією рукою за передпліччя іншої, розслаблено опущеної уздовж тіла. Хлопець одягнений у жовто-сіру футболку та джинсові шорти. Позаду позують, приобійявшись, батьки. Олександр у чорній кепці, сорочці поло в тонку чорно-білу смужку та джинсах. Надія в сірій футболці, волосся зібране у високий пучок за світло-рожевим обручем. Ліворуч Олександра стоїть їхній племінник. Це високий білявий хлопець років п’ятнадцяти, який має радше кругле обличчя, сірі очі, густі брови, прямий ніс і вузькі губи. Він одягнений у джинси та світло-сіру кофту з логотипом NASA й малюнками глобусів, компасів, підзорних труб та іншого наукового приладдя. На руці чорна резинка-пружинка.

Later, Nadiya and Oleksandr finally decided to leave with their sons and nephew. They took few things because there was no room in the car.

Nadiya: ‘We took two T-shirts and two pants each.’ Oleksandr: ‘You know, the most important thing is that I took pillows made of goose and duck feathers. I took the pillows… [giggling — editor’s note]. And a jar of honey. This was what mattered most. What is more, I managed to save it for Biberach. So we’re eating honey now.’ [laughing — editor’s note] Nadiya: ‘Our Ukrainian honey” [giggling — editor’s note].

On 12th July 2022, the Voronevski family drove their old “Tavria” from the occupied village of Yuvileine through Vasylivka (Zaporizhzhia region) to Zaporizhzhia. There they were very warmly welcomed, helped with the paperwork, fed and provided a place to spend the night.

Oleksandr: ‘This scorching sun was just exhausting… The temperature reached forty.’ Nadiya: ‘We set up a tarp over the car.’ Oleksandr: ‘We even took nets with us to shade us at least just a bit.’ Nadiya: ‘It was hard for Dima to sit in the car all the time. It was very hard for him.’ Oleksandr: ‘But he’s a patient guy".

In the morning of 13th July, they went to Kyiv. The journey lasted all day, so all the passengers were very tired. In Kyiv, at the railway station, they were very reluctantly given a place to sleep — a small sofa where the children and Nadiya slept, and Oleksandr stayed in the car.

On 14th July, the Voronevski family left Kyiv for Lviv. In Lviv they were met by volunteers who provided them shelter and food. Volunteers also helped them to find a bus to Przemyśl. These were the people to whom Nadiya and Oleksandr left their car for the use of needy families.

The next day, on 15th July, the family left for Przemyśl. They immediately stopped at the centre for refugees in Tesco [a Polish supermarket chain — translator’s note]. In this centre, there were many volunteers offering various assistance. In particular, in Przemyśl the family was helped to choose a further route and destination. Nadiya and Oleksandr intended to go to the Czech Republic. However, in the refugee centre they were advised to go to the Netherlands.

“WE MET MANY PEOPLE

FLEEING THE WAR”

On 17th July, the family went by train to Hannover where they had to change trains to the Netherlands. However, the train arrived in Hannover late, so they stayed in Germany.

‍

In addition, the coronavirus changed the plans: half of the family members fell ill and were quarantined.

‍

Two days later, on 19th July, they managed to move to Munich where their quarantine continued. After that, Oleksandr, Nadiya and the boys were sent to a refugee camp in the city of Sindelfingen, Baden-Württemberg.

‍

A few days later they were redirected to another refugee camp in the city of Sigmaringen. The Voronevskis lived there for a month and a half, meeting people from different parts of the world who suffered the same grief — war in their homeland.

‍

On 15th September 2022, the family moved to the city of Biberach where their new home is now located in a container city. They were allocated one large room. Shower, toilet and kitchen are shared. The container city is accessible for Dmytro who is a wheelchair user.

Currently, the Voronevski family is gathering documents necessary for living in Germany. They are waiting for language courses and enrollment of their children in educational institutions.

Фото 13. Селфі Надії та Олександра на людній європейської площі з охайними світлими будинками та ратушею. Подружжя усміхається й приобіймається. Надія, як завше, з пучком та у світло-рожевому обручі, а Олександр у чорній кепці. Обоє в темно-синіх куртках із капюшонами.

We gathered all our patience, and we will, as my husband and I say, go with the flow. Wherever they lead, we go. We don’t ask for anything, we don’t demand anything. Whatever will be, will be. We fled from the war, so we think no one owes us anything. We are ready for everything that may happen”.

And most of all, the family is waiting for Ukraine’s victory in the Russian-Ukrainian war to return home.

We are already planning to return. We just can’t live here. We can’t, and that’s it. We want home. Even our youngest says: ‘Mom…’ [crying — editor’s note] It’s so hard. He says: ‘Mom, I’m really crying for our Ukrainian home’ [crying — editor’s note]. Doesn’t matter how they meet us. We want to go back home, we really do. Our old parents are there. That is our native land. It’s just until now, we thought we had a bad life. In fact, we had the best life”.

  • facebook
  • instagram