Support for Yakovenko Family

Yuliia Yakovenko (37), her daughters Anastasiia (12), Maria (9) and their dog Luna are refugees from Chernihiv, Ukraine. Yuliia is a friend of Ira, refugee from Kyiv who lives at my place. 

Listen to Yuliia's story:

The morning of February 24, 2022 began with a phone call from a friend: "Julia, the war has started!" 

Children were still sleeping soundly in their beds. I frantically collected things and documents, not yet fully understanding how this could happen in XXI century Europe and what to do next. Madness beyond imagination. Later, going out onto the balcony and seeing huge clouds of black smoke, I decided to leave home to relatives, because it was very scary to stay with the children by myself (my husband immediately left to protect our city).

My life is divided into "before" and "after". Nobody was ready for this. Constant sirens, the sounds of shots, sleepless nights in clothes, on the floor. 

Fear made it impossible to breathe, especially at night, when air strikes were launched ... Not only every sound and rustle was alarming, but also silence, after which the enemy’s attacks intensified.

Systematic mass shelling of residential buildings, hospitals, schools and kindergartens... My most beautiful city in the world, Chernihiv, turned into ruins, civilians killed, and innocent children were born in the bomb shelter of the maternity hospital.  The city has not known such losses since the Second World War ...

In early March, we learned what mortar shelling is.  Thank God everyone survived!  The house was badly damaged, so was the car.  The fragments pierced the equipment, furniture, riddled the roof.  Staying there was dangerous and we had to move.

Due to constant shelling, there was no light, water and electricity.  We were afraid to go out for bread, as it was very dangerous to stand in lines for hours.

The children could already determine by the sound what was “flying” and who was shooting. Shelling was not as frightening as rockets and air raids. 

When the plane dropped bombs near us, there was one desire - to live until morning.

We tried several times to leave the city, which was already on the verge of a humanitarian disaster, but the bridge was blown up.  Despair, panic and fear were constant companions… But the responsibility for the lives of children and faith in God gave me the strength to take an unsafe step and leave the city with my daughters and our dog.

From the sight of destroyed houses, scorched cars along the roads, shells and rockets in the fields, the soul was torn apart.  Why does my country, my people suffer so much?

Three days after a long and dangerous journey and a sense of relief.  We are in Poland, safe, but the words "good night" will never be the same again.  The children were delighted to be able to sleep in the bed.  I want to forget everything, like a bad dream, and quickly return to my Hero City and hug my husband and relatives.

War is a destructive force.  It changed us.  Now we do not make plans, we enjoy every day we live and appreciate elementary things.  We just want to hear: "The war is over! Come back home!"

***

Feel free to contact me via LinkedIn should you have any questions or comments:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liskrzysztof

All donations for Ukrainian families on this site are free of charge.