Adriana Kravchuk is from Vinnytsia, where she returned pregnant before the war. Even then, the woman did not sleep at night, as if she had some anxious premonition.. She says that she is very worried about the life of her newborn daughter. Adriana Kravchuk told the «Monologues of the War” project about how the baby’s long sleep saved their lives. She told how the event itself turned a cute, childish, memorable video into something completely different, with explosions, horror and fright.

I was born in Vinnytsia, but I lived all my life in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. At first, I was a student and studied at the National University of Food Technologies, but I left it in the first year and started working remotely as an SMM. This is what happens when you don’t want to waste years and money on studying, but want to do what you like and provide for yourself. It was my choice and I do not regret it, because during the period of my activity I had the opportunity to cooperate with various corporations, work on various commercial projects that inspired me. Іnstead I worked on their development in the network: cars from the USA, cosmetics, clothes, children’s goods and others.

I also helped bloggers develop their blogs and their personal brand. I liked such an activity, because cooperation with famous people usually inspires. You always strive for more, and what inspires you is high-quality work that, in addition, brings not only moral, but also material satisfaction.

That’s how I worked, and later I got married. My life was filled with even brighter colors, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Later our family received incredible news , I found out that I was pregnant. How lucky we were when we found out the gender of our future child. Very soon the most beautiful girl in the world will be born.

My pregnancy was difficult. That is why the parents, who moved back to Vinnytsia 2 years at that time, were very inviting. They offered their help and support because they knew how difficult my period was.

My husband and I did not want to leave our beloved Kyiv and we resisted for a long time. We believed that we would manage ourselves, because there are difficulties in every family and we have to live this experience on our own. But when I was already 9 months pregnant , we finally dared to move, we thought that it would be just for  2-3 months. None of us had any idea about the war. We just lived our beautiful lives, waited for the extension of our family and thought that it would be better that way, because help and support would be there.

I was about to give birth, they were waiting for the baby to appear from day to day. I had almost no sleep during the 9th month of pregnancy, I woke up from every rustle. As it is told, pregnant women intuitively feel anxiety. I probably also felt something not good at the subconscious level. But we did not even guess how large-scale such a premonition would be. No one.

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On February 24, it became clear what was what. Morning. We are in bed. I hear a hum in my sleep… I don’t understand what it is at all! I woke up my husband. He jumped up, looked out the window, then into the phone and told the most terrible news for all Ukrainians: the war had begun. I was overcome with such fear that I had never felt before.

I didn’t know what war was and how everything would be, so it was even scarier. I constantly held my stomach, mentally prayed, begged God that it would all end soon and that everyone would be alive. Even then, my maternal instinct made itself felt and I was quite worried about our little one.

For the second time, I felt such fear for my child’s life and my own — on July 14. A Russian missile hit near my house.

Nicole was born , whom we waited with trepidation so long. I wanted to protect her from all this horror and give her the happiest childhood. Childhood which would be full of noise and laughter, the joy of a gift doll and a choice of bows for her little tails. Instead, every day I see how she grows during the war. Nicole does not yet understand what is happening in the country and when she grows up  I will definitely tell her how worried I am about her and her life every day. And about how one morning she and I could find ourselves in the place where an enemy missile hit…

That morning, my daughter and I were at home, she had just woken up. On July 14th, we were going to eat borscht at the establishment we visit periodically. That’s where we often went for a walk and just liked to spend time. But our plans were changed by Nicole, who was sleeping for a long time, and I could not wake her up. That’s why we didn’t accomplish anything.

My daughter woke up and I was lying next to her, playing and recording funny moments on video. Lying on the bed, I heard a hum. Not a whistle, as those who heard the rockets say. That’s why it confused me… I froze in fear, listened and turned my head to the window, and there I saw 2 rockets, then an explosion, a glow and smoke.

The rocket hit exactly where I intended to go. Therefore, on this day Nicole and her long sleep saved us from that terrible moment. We could be at the epicenter of the explosion…

As I already said, I collect small videos of how we play with my daughter. The moment of the explosion was recorded on one of them.

My life is again divided into “Before” and “After”… Frankly speaking, it is still morally difficult . In the windows, I see explosions which are not there… I hear again and again this sound of arrival. My daughter became afraid of loud sounds. We try to be as careful as possible while we are nearing her, because we don’t want to injure her even more.

In Vinnytsia, my brain does not feel safe. Although I realize that there was no war before. And now on the territory of Ukraine, the threat of a missile attack is in every corner of the country… 

Nevertheless, my husband and I decided that it would be better for us and our daughter to live in the west part of Ukraine for a while. We are currently on our way to Zakarpattia. I want to protect and save my child from the terrible Russian shelling, from that “rescue” operation.

At the moment, the main plan for the future is to just live! To live a happy and peaceful life, which every Ukrainian deserves.