7 Months in Captivity: A Family’s Story of Loss, Survival and Recovery

Olena and Andriy Marchenko are originally from Mariupol. Before the full-scale invasion, they lived there with their two sons. In 2014, their sons, Kyrylo and Mykola, decided to defend Ukraine and joined the Azov Regiment.

On 24 February 2022, the Marchenkos’ younger son, Mykola, was in Kyiv. Together with his fellow soldiers, he went to defend the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, his older brother Kyrylo stayed in Mariupol and continued to defend the city. On 29 March 2022, Kyrylo was killed. At the time, his parents were still in Mariupol and did not know that their son had died. As the situation in the city became critical, Mykola urged them to leave. In April, the Marchenkos attempted to leave Mariupol. They managed to reach a point near Berdiansk, but just a few checkpoints before the city, Russian soldiers stopped the couple, searched their phones and took them into captivity.

Olena and Andriy spent almost seven months in captivity. They were kept together in the same cell throughout that time. They say that being together helped them stay strong and get through the most difficult period of their lives. In November 2022, the couple was released from captivity. Only then did Olena and Andriy learn that their son Kyrylo had been killed.

After everything they had been through, the family began a new chapter of their lives. Today, Olena and Andrii live in Bucha, Kyiv region. They work with a psychologist and are finding their own ways to recover. This is how they became participants in the pilot project “ALIVIA”. Watch our video to learn more about Olena and Andrii’s journey, their experience and their life after captivity.

The “ALIVIA” project provides comprehensive mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services. The programme combines individual and group support for women and children. This approach helps participants navigate the difficult process of grief, make sense of traumatic loss and restore emotional stability.

We sincerely thank the NGO “Swiss for Ukraine”, led by President Alexander Lüchinger, for supporting the project and contributing to its implementation.