Translated it so more people could understand how Ukrainians feel right now. We read these every day. In Mariupol people would bury their family and neighbors right in the yards, on playgrounds, in parks and football fields. Assembling makeshift crosses from broken window frames. Remember this when you hear about civilian casualties statistics, there's a story like this behind every one of them.
Today we talked for 3 hours with Katya. She is also from Mariupol. She is 16, and has a 5 year old brother. Further a recording of her words:
“Do you know that feeling when it hurts? I once fell in love with a boy, but he didn't respond, and I thought it hurt. But it turned out that it hurts to see your mother slowly die in front of you. And your brother keeps coming up to her and say: "Mommy, don't sleep, you'll freeze." And we will never be able to visit her grave. She remained in the dark, damp basement. We went to the toilet, slept, ate leftovers - all in the same basement. Somehow [stepfather] Kolya caught a pigeon, it was probably on the fifth or sixth day, and we fried it and ate it. And then we all vomited.
Mom held on to the last, just three days before our evacuation, she died. I told my brother that she was fast asleep and should not be awakened. But he seems to understand everything. He understood back when our neighbor died in the basement, and, we couldn't carry her out [due to constant shelling], and she began to smell. When it [the bombing] became quiet and Kolya carried her outside, he exploded on a trip wire. Mom cried a lot. After the death of dad, Kolya was the closest person.
… corpses stink so much. They were everywhere. I covered my brother's eyes with my mother's scarf so that he would not see this. While we were running, I almost vomited several times.
I no longer believe in your God. If He existed, we would not suffer. My mother never, you hear, never did anything wrong. She even left Kolya to sleep in another room until they got married. She went to church and went to confession often, and so did I. Kolya even quit smoking so that his mother would not be nervous that it was a sin. And your God took her away. Here the priest said something to me that my mother would serve God, but no, she would serve better here, bringing us up.
I hate Russia. My own uncle lives there. Do you know what he said to me on the phone today? "Katya? Who is Katya? Girl, I don't know you. What war, what Katya? And then he wrote from another [burner] number “Katya, never write to me again. It is not safe for me and my family. It won't return your Mom.” I hate them! That was his own sister! How is it possible?
… you know, I think that I will return to Mariupol. And I will live in the same place. And every year, on the same day, I will go down to the basement of a new house and lay flowers.
It’s also scary when children cry, because they shouldn't. Shouldn't be heard. These freaks found people in basements and killed them. Those who survived said that the Russian invaders would rape children and the elderly, and even corpses. If there is a God, why does He allow it?
I don't want to live anymore. We'll probably be divided now, and I may not see my brother agin. What's it all for? Why did this Putin went to "save us"? We lived well, even bought a car. Kolya promised to teach me how to drive. They burned it. And there is no apartment anymore. I want to die, but I can't.
… hug your kids! Otherwise, when you will be gone, they will not remember your smell. If I endure and have children someday, I will hug them 24/7."
Account recorded by Vira Khvust https://www.facebook.com/verochka.kobelyuk/posts/5044812025615380