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"Our home is our family." A large family from Kharkiv region told why they refused to evacuate and what it was like to relive the beginning of the war

"Our home is our family." A large family from Kharkiv region told why they refused to evacuate and what it was like to relive the beginning of the war

Iryna and Pavel live in the village of Podvirky in the suburbs of Kharkiv. They have four children: the eldest, Nazar, is 7 years old, the sisters Zlata and Arisha are 6 and 3. The youngest, Zakhar, was born already during the full-scale Russian invasion, he is only one year old. They all live together in a small old private house.

The family met the beginning of the full-scale invasion at home. Iryna remembers how it was on February 24, 2022: "We were heating the house with firewood, and the husband woke up to throw it in. I say to him: "Do you hear them shooting?" He: "No, it can't be." At first it was not perceived as reality. But when they realized that it was true, they began to think about what to do. I was just pregnant with Zakhar. And we decided whether to go or not. And when they saw in the news that there were explosions all over Ukraine, traffic jams, accidents, people were driving in a panic, and it was not known how it would turn out, they decided to stay at home."

The woman is from Luhansk and felt what Russian military aggression was like in 2014: "I already knew these sounds, because fighter jets were flying there too, military equipment was moving. All this was familiar to me."

Then, due to hostilities, Iryna and her relatives became forced migrants: "I was not yet married. My mother, brothers and I moved to Kyiv. They rented an apartment. And here, in Kharkiv, was my friend. I came to visit her. Met her future husband. Later, we became a family."

Irina is currently 29 years old. She is a landscape designer and florist by education. At the moment, she is on maternity leave. Her husband Pavel is 26. He used to be a rehabilitation specialist, but now he works in the construction sphere. However, according to his wife, his earnings are not stable, and the family has a hard time.

Family is supported by philanthropists. The Caritas-Spes Ukraine team recently delivered a set of food and hygiene products to the family as part of the "Pack for Ukraine" charity event from Caritas Poland. According to Irina, this will be enough for the family for a month.

"Thank you very much for your help. We were also able to buy groceries thanks to the monthly funds we received last year as part of the Family to Family project. It was a very significant support for us," the woman says.

Currently, the couple is trying to repair the house partially. It is heated by a boiler, and when there is no electricity, you have to use firewood. Iryna says that last winter, when there were frequent blackouts, the whole family even had to leave to visit friends.

"It's still warm this year. And then it happened that it was 12 degrees in the house, so we had to go. Children in jackets were sitting, there was no electricity. The house itself is old and cold. This year, the man came up with an idea: he adapted a car battery. He pumps the pump, and there is heat. As there is no electricity anywhere, the stove may not work, but there is heat," the woman shares.

According to Iryna, the older children help her take care of the younger ones while her husband is at work. Despite the possibility of evacuation, the family decided to stay in their village: "We reviewed our values. Sometimes it seemed that it was a house, a career, real estate. But now I understand that our home is our family. Wherever we are, the main thing is that we are together, alive and healthy."

23 January 2024
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