In the spring of 2022, the woman moved to the center for displaced persons of CF “Good on Amur” in Dnipro. Volunteers met her at the train station and took her to the shelter.

She says that at first, everyone (almost 40 people, as well as the pets that came with them) lived in one large room, which was later converted into an assembly hall. Then other rooms were arranged and people began to live in separate rooms. Now it is more convenient to live in the shelter, but there is still much to be done to make the living conditions comfortable for the IDPs.

The woman learned from her friends that her house in Lysychansk had been severely damaged. The roof was destroyed, furniture and appliances were flooded with water that had accumulated there during the war after heavy rainfall.

She does not want to go home yet. She is waiting for peace to come to the whole of Ukraine, and in particular to the Luhansk region, so that she can return and rebuild her home. She thanks the volunteers for sheltering her, giving her food and shelter and the opportunity to stay in the shelter for a long time.

Сообщение Alla Mikhnovets from Lysychansk появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

We left the city on the first day of the war – February 24, 2022. First, we moved to Velyka Novosilka, then, when the fighting started there, we took an evacuation train to Pokrovsk. We stayed in this city for some time, but when it became dangerous there, we had to leave (when we left, the local train station was destroyed a week later).

Running away from the war as far as possible, we ended up in Dnipro and rented a room in a hostel. Then we found out about the Dobro na Amur shelter and moved there. The family had practically no belongings with them: they packed quickly and had almost nothing to take except food, diapers and documents. People who cared helped them on the way, and volunteers took care of providing them with things and food in the shelter. Her husband got a job, and Victoria takes care of the family.

It is not yet known how long the couple will live in the shelter. But even after the war is over, the family has nowhere to return to – their home is completely destroyed: an enemy missile hit the building where they lived, collapsing the roof and destroying the walls.

In autumn 2023, the Yegorovs gave birth to their second daughter. Their entire family now lives in the shelter of the “Good on Amur” Charitable Foundation.

Сообщение Victoria Yegorova and her family появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

Previously, the husband worked at the Kurakhivska thermal power plant, and his wife worked in trade, and now they are retired. In Dnipro, they first stayed in another shelter, then, when its activities were suspended, they moved to the shelter of the CF “Good on Amur”. They have been living here for almost six months. The conditions are satisfactory, there are no complaints, and in general, it is much calmer to be in Dnipro now than at home.

In Kurakhovo, they lived in a multi-storey building, and it is not known exactly what condition it is in today.

Сообщение Mykola from Kurakhovo появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

They did not know exactly where they were going, they were heading into the unknown, they were very confused and depressed. The driver who brought the family to Dnipro said he knew where they could stay and brought them to the shelter of the “Good on Amur” Charitable Foundation. The volunteers here welcomed them and helped them settle in.

By agreement with her superiors, Galina transferred to work in Dnipro. Her husband, Alexander, used to work at a furniture factory in Sievierodonetsk, and in Dnipro he got a job at a metal depot. In 2023, Alexander passed away – his heart gave out, the loss of his home, moving, and life in another place took their toll.

Halyna remained in Dnipro, in shelter of the “Good on Amur” Charitable Foundation, together with his son and grandchildren. It is not known for sure whether her home in Sievierodonetsk has survived. The city is occupied and it is dangerous to go there. So these people are making their lives in Dnipro.

Сообщение Halyna and Alexander are a couple from Sievierodonetsk появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

Before the war, Oksana worked at a pharmaceutical factory for 10 years, and her husband had several professions – he was a taxi driver and built roads. Here she occasionally has part-time jobs, but she has to spend more time taking care of the children, and her husband got a job in Dnipro almost immediately, in construction and security.

In Bakhmut, the family lived in a private house. At first it was difficult to get used to the new conditions, but after a year in the shelter they have adapted to a new life – together with many other people. Of course, they would have liked better conditions – repairs to the room where they live and a complete renovation of the shelter building. But the family hopes that all this is ahead of them. These people see the changes that have already taken place in the Dobro na Amur center for IDPs since it opened, and they have decided to stay here for a long time. They have nowhere to go back to – the fighting has been going on in Bakhmut for a year now, and their hometown is completely destroyed.

Сообщение Oksana from Bakhmut появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

At first, the living conditions in the shelter were difficult: cold water, no possibility to take a shower, one bathroom for everyone, makeshift beds made of pallets, etc. But gradually the conditions improved thanks to the efforts of the residents and volunteers. The family got a separate room where they live now. Before the war, Anastasia worked at home, her husband was engaged in construction work, and in the shelter they first helped with repairs, but now she takes care of the family, and her husband got a job in Dnipro as a welder.

The family’s hometown is now occupied, and their house is almost destroyed (only the walls remain). It is not known when they will be able to visit Kreminna and rebuild their own home, so they will have to live in a shelter for some time after the war ends. However, they do not complain and express their gratitude to the volunteers who have taken them in, for trying to make life in the shelter more comfortable and communication better, and to create a friendly atmosphere in the shelter. This is what keeps many IDPs here – a good attitude towards people.

Сообщение Anastasia Perekupka and her family появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

At first, the living conditions were not very good: we had to live together with many people in the assembly hall of the building (there were no beds at that time, we slept on imitation beds made of wooden pallets used for transporting goods). At first, it was difficult because of the large number of strangers around and the living conditions that left much to be desired, but volunteers were constantly working on the building’s improvement, trying to improve the conditions for the displaced people, and later they settled them in separate rooms. Now Maryna says that staying in the shelter taught her independence, which she did not have before the war when she lived with her parents, and made her stronger to overcome all the obstacles life puts in her way.

Сообщение Marina from Kreminna появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

When you ask Halyna how she lives in the shelter, she says that she is used to it, but it is difficult because there are eight people living in the room, all different, and each with their own character. She says that now the IDPs have everything, the living conditions are much better, but when they arrived, there was almost nothing – just pallets with mattresses on them to sleep on. Of course, everyone wants everyone to have their own room, but it is still difficult to do so – there are not so many places in the shelter and so many people.

Сообщение Halyna Shmurakova from Donetsk region появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

At first, Oksana’s eldest daughter took the younger children (Khrystyna and Oleksandr) to Dnipro, while she and her husband Roman stayed in Kreminna, doing volunteer work, helping families with small children, the elderly, and the disabled. And in April, when enemy troops entered the city and heavy fighting began, they decided to evacuate to Dnipro.

They settled in the centre for IDPs of the Charity Foundation ‘Dobro na Amur’, her husband first helped with construction work in a shelter, and then got a job as a welder. Oksana takes care of the family, helps with the housework in the shelter, and the children study online. The family does not know what condition their home is in now, whether it has survived or not, or whether they will have a place to return to. They only hope that the war will end soon and peace will come.

Сообщение Oksana from Sievierodonetsk and her family появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.

Valeriia and Maksym Kovtun left Kreminna, Luhansk Oblast, with their young daughter Sofia. The area where they lived was heavily bombed at the beginning of the war. At first, they moved to their parents’ house in another district, and when the shelling started in March, fatally wounding a neighbour and destroying his house, they decided to flee the city. They found volunteers who transported the family to Dnipro and settled them in a shelter of the “Good on Amur” Charitable Foundation.

After the war is over, the couple would like to return home, but they do not know what will happen to their house. They left a long time ago, and they don’t know if the whole house is still there, as their friends say it was looted by the Russians who had settled there. They hope that someday they will be able to rebuild their own house and make a decent life in it, but it is unknown when this will happen.

In the autumn of 2023, the Kovtuns gave birth to their second daughter, Polina. The whole large family (Valeria, Maksym, their 2 daughters, Valeria’s parents and her sister and brother) live in the shelter of the “Good on Amur” Charitable Foundation.

Сообщение The Kovtun family появились сначала на Добро на Амурі.