Hello beautiful people.
My dear family in Ukraine 🇺🇦 are struggling to survive.
With each day, the air is getting thicker, filled with particles of dangerous gasses, a residue of warfare. They are getting notifications to stay indoors. However , staying indoors at this moment for them, also means freezing in-15°C conditions, while produce stores are closing down and the line to get gasoline is impenetrable.
They have been without power on vlistering cold conditions and have been told that the power outages will continue until further notice. Kiev has been heavily under attack on daily basis , since the beginning of the year. It is a new strategy to completely destroy the capital, while innocent people pay with their lives for being inconvenient to the invisible warriors, who are controlling drones at a distance.
They have been patient, brave, looking forward to each day, while wondering whether today is the day they can breathe fully again and make future plans. Or whether it is another day hiding underground in the metro tunnels, while the outside is filled with drones and missiles destroying civilian buildings. They have been raising and providing for their children, providing them with love and care , during this monumental turmoil.
My family survived World War two, while all four of my great-grandfathers perished at the fronts protecting the country they cherished so much. Paving the opportunity for future generations. We grew up during USSR times and strict regime and have endured more that human psyche allows us to accept.
My uncle Sasha used to get up in the morning, put on a kettle with hot water to make tea for him and his wife. In the past year, he has been listening for the kettle to click off without the power dying halfway through. My dear grandmother kept the house running on habits older than fear. She swept the same patch of floor every day, even when dust came back an hour later. “The house must know we’re still here,” she said. When the windows rattled, she rattled back—lids, cupboards, spoons—making noise on purpose, refusing to let the explosions have the loudest voice.
My uncle also learned the geography of checkpoints, the names of ballistic weapons and planes, in the similar manner he once learned bus routes in his home town Kiev. His son-in-law was drafted into the army, leaving his daughter with her 2 children to his care; then his other son-in-law was drafted, leaving his other daughter stranded with her 5 year old daughter, my sweet niece Sophia. Now my uncle cares for his partner, his very ill mother, 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren.
The situation has become dire beyond any measure at this point.
Children have adapted to the war scene. Their schooling has not been a priority for the past 4 years. Every time school closes due to air raids, there is no certainly that they will reopen again.
Their mutual play among one another became a play of 'school' and what it would be like. Their math problems became about how long candles could last, before you had to reach the basement when the siren started its long, aching howl again. At night, they sleep in their clothes. They welcomed the New Year in the dark, while children hid in the bathtub as somewhat safe place when the building would collapse. During the day, they still laugh, velebrate each other, tell jokes and love anyway. That is their rebellion.
There are so many losses and yet still so much life to live. They are hopeful to witness another spring. To witness nature awake from its magical dormant beauty. They are hopeful to breathe again fully and be reunited as one family. Being together as one is the the reason they are still surviving.
I would like to continue to participate in giving them a bigger chance. We have done as much as we can in the past 4 years and now we are reaching out for support from community as I truly believe that acts of kindness are what keeps oir planet still spinning 💜
They’re still here. They still have a chance. It is time for them to relocate to a neighboring European country and funds help with travel expenses
I encourage those who are able to support this cause to contribute. No amount is too small, yet the action of care is louder than any siren.
On behalf of Artemenko family, I thank you all in advance
Warmly, Anya
