Today I interviewed Viktoriya, a resident of Donetsk, about how she has been dealing with the war in Donetsk. Her English has been corrected to improve clarity:
What have you been doing since the conflict began?
So I have lived in Donetsk all my life. When the war came to our city, at first many citizens left here hoping that this horrible war would be over soon. I also left for some time. But I understood that nobody knows and nobody wants to know what is happening in the Donbass, nobody understands us. Only home we are necessary and helpful; and only here we are understood by others like us. So, I returned home, to the active fighting, and continued my studies. I’m a graduating student of Finance at the University. And recently I met a volunteer team called “Together for Children”, which helps children at the hospitals in Donetsk. I joined them immediately.
Are you scared of being hurt by shells? Have you ever fled your home?
Of course! People say that only fools aren’t scared. My home is near a bus station where a bomb killed many people in a bus and nearby. It was in the morning, I hear bombs very well. When shelling starts, we are running to the bathroom, there is not glass and the risk of being wounded by splinters is lower. But I can say that I was scared more when I was far from home, because here I am with my family. I was reading the war reports all time and scared, because I worried about my family more than about myself than when I returned home.
Are you satisfied with the new DPR government?
It`s a provocative question! (smiles) The new government tries to make a new, better future, but not all can work well. There is progress, but it’s not great. All has become complicated because of the war, the economic blockade from Kiev, and lack of recognition from other world. But we are still hopeful!
What do you hope for the future in Novorossiya?
Personally for me, I hope for an independent, recognized state with power from the people, working laws and a strong economy. I know that the people of the Donbass are able to work with all one’s might for the future of the motherland, but we need conditions for it. Just stop war and recognize us, and we will blossom!
What do you think will realistically happen in the near future?
I really don’t know. It could be anything! The situation is changing quickly. Maybe a new world war will start, maybe our state will become a new Transnistria and we will stuck in a stage of development, or maybe everything will be good and Novorossiya will be recognized all over the world, develop very quickly and maybe we will become a center of revival of the morality. I don’t know, but I am optimistic because I think that all our ideas are good material!
Can you please tell us more about your volunteer group?
Our young volunteer group visits the hospitals of Donetsk and does different types of activity with children, who are enduring hard diseases. It is a therapeutic method. Children are distracting from their problems with health and receive positive emotions, that help them to get better. I need to say, that most of them have tumors or problems with blood. They grew up earlier because of their problems, but we help them to return into their childhood. Every day our volunteers visit hospitals. This summer we are planning to make a rehabilitation camp for the children of Donbass who survived the war. We will use the same methods to make them feel better. And now we are raising the funds for its organization, so if you want, you can help us too! All details are at Facebook page and Vkontakte page. By the way, follow our Instagram!
Thank you very much for your time, Viktoriya!
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