Before the war Shvets L. was living in Kyiv, working as an artist and rehabilitating her daughter. During the evacuation, the train she and her children were in, was shelled. Despite everything they managed to get to Poland, where they are staying at the moment. She told her story exclusively for the Monologues of the war.

Before the war I lived in Kyiv. There are two kids in our family. As my eldest daughter has been diagnosed with autism, in the last few years I’ve been involved in her rehabilitation. From time to time I worked as an artist. 

I didn’t have any premonitions about the war. My husband asked me to go to my parents but I refused, because our kid was having rehabilitation and there were other unresolved issues. I thought everything was going to be fine. I knew the war began on the morning of 24 February, around 4:30-5 am, when my husband woke up and said something terrible had happened. We heard the explosions. The kids and I were very scared. We ran into the shelter and then we were hiding in the basement of one of the private houses.

I couldn’t go to safer regions with the kids anymore. And since we have a child with a disability, Maryna Honda helped to get us evacuated to Poland. Now I know, it was the right decision. Thank God, our family is safe. 

“The people of Poland help as much as they can”

I only knew the fact that we were going to Poland. It was a journey in the dark. The road was hard. There were 7-10 people in the compartment. People were everywhere. And so many children with special needs! At night our train was shelled, but luckily it all worked out, with God’s help. The whole journey took 33 hours.

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Since the beginning of my stay in Poland and until now, all Polish people have been helping as much as they can. They practically took over the full support of not only me and my children, but also many other families.

Sebastian Drobka and Iwona Majorke are the people who found us a place to live. They took my older daughter to the rehabilitation center and the younger one to the kindergarten. I got a job in their institution, as an artist. There is not enough paper to write how much they have done for us. These are people with pure, sincere and open hearts!

My kids and I are going to go back to Ukraine. I believe it will be soon! I value many things in my life: my family, relatives, friends. I now appreciate them even more. When I get home I’ll try to meet my nearest and dearest more often.

I think, after victory, our country will never be the same. We will be stronger, more caring, understand the meaning of the word “Volia” much better (“Volia” in Ukrainian means freedom and will, – translator’s note).

P.S. My beloved husband, we haven’t seen each other since February 24. You are protecting us, and we are you too! When I come back to Ukraine, I’ll keep my promise.