THE ESCAPE
February 24, 2022. Since that day, time has no longer been measured in years but in lives.
The first days of the war are a blur—a single, stretched nightmare. But certain moments are etched in my memory: that February morning, taping up windows at our house; the sudden thrum of a helicopter overhead; the sky heavy with clouds. I remember running to the basement, telling myself these must be ours, just passing over. Then pressing against the basement wall, praying it would be quick and painless, if it happened.
Three hours passed in that state. The exhaustion finally overpowered the fear, and we knew we had to go. Between explosions, we gathered the courage to leave. First, we went to Irpin, where people were still walking their dogs in the park… But after a night of shelling, we fled again.
On the road, I couldn’t believe the sight outside my window: a blue sky, tranquil landscapes, and a flock of swans passing by. It was as if the world beyond us remained untouched.
Fate brought us to the village of Holoskiv in the Khmelnytskyi region, where a man welcomed us into his home. We will never forget him and will be grateful to him for the rest of our lives. And so, at the end of February, our new life began. One house, several families—a true commune. Our days and weeks filled with cooking, tending the house, reading the news, and helping volunteers. Life had changed in an instant, yet it carried on. New routines, a new way of seeing everyday tasks, family, human nature.
Two months later, when Kyiv Oblast was freed from occupying forces, we returned home. We found that our house had been used as an enemy headquarters: some things were destroyed, others stolen. Standing in our own home, we felt like strangers, with a deep sense of personal loss.
Those months had aged us all. The initial panic gave way to an endless Groundhog Day. The happiest moments were reunions with those who had been trapped in basements but made it through; the saddest were farewells to those moving farther and farther away.
And so, even alongside anger, hatred, and despair, there was also pride, love, optimism—a belief in the goodness of people, in strength of will and spirit. These feelings live with us still.
