Life goes on
The story of a woman who was able to protect herself and her family
She was born in a small town in the east, where she lived a peaceful life for over thirty years. A life that she dedicated to her daughter, mother, household, and work at the local shop. In the morning, she greeted customers warmly and knew at first glance what they had come for because they were all locals. And in the evening, she hurried home to bring fresh treats from the shop and go for a walk with her daughter. The Woman was at home here - in her native land, speaking her native language alongside the people she considered her own.
But in February, the carefree life came to an end. The shelling, terror, fear, and pain came to them. War came. The town quickly fell under occupation - there was no longer anywhere to hurry in the morning or evening, no more walks and children's laughter.
Soon they came to the Woman's yard. Why her? Because she spoke Ukrainian. It raised suspicion among the russian soldiers: surely she knows something, she needs to be interrogated. It was difficult for her to speak russian, but her self-preservation instinct spoke for her. She tried, but it turned out that it was not good enough for them.
They left but came back a second time. This time they beat her, threatened her, and harassed her.They wanted this traitor to tell them everything. If she doesn't tell - more of them will come next time, and they will all rape her. But she still had nothing to tell them.
The occupiers didn't stop. They described in detail what they would do to her, to her mother and daughter. How many people would there be? Ten. Oh God, ten. The Woman didn't know what to do. But she knew what they would do during their next visit. No, this wouldn't happen, she wouldn't allow it. The women grabbed documents, essentials and a few children's toys. They managed to escape the nightmare that had been haunting her the night before.
Now her temporary home is in the west, where everything is almost the same: a house, a child, a mother, and even a job in a small shop. But now she can't sleep or concentrate, her memory has worsened. However, she remembers the occupiers in her yard clearly. And every time she remembers, she experiences an unbearable flashback: the same horror and the breath of one of them on her face when he uttered his threats.
The Woman had no one to talk to about it, but she really wanted to share this pain with someone. She mustered the courage to seek help because they said they understood what she had gone through. It happened just as they said: a safe place and a safe person allowed her to work through this experience and accept it. There she learned that she was not to blame for anything - not for letting them in, nor for risking her family's lives to save herself. After her session with the psychologist, she didn't want anything at all. Now she wants everything! From a simple pastry with tea to a better future for herself and her family.
She has regained the desire to hurry home, walk in the park, and make handmade decorations with her daughter in the evenings. They used to do this before the war, and now they do it again because life goes on. The Woman will move forward: she will get a higher education and one day come back home. To a real home that, luckily, still stands intact - she knows they will return.
This story is based on the experience of real people who have suffered sexual violence from russian soldiers and are now on the path to recovery. Their stories were heard and retold by psychologist Anastasiya. The heroes themselves are not yet able to speak. They need time and help. We hope that one day they will feel strong enough to bear witness to the war crimes committed by the occupiers on our land against our people.
