14-year-old Nastya found near Lvov “second home”/Channel 24
At the age of 14, Nastya Aleksikova was forced to leave her home and look for a new one in complete obscurity. She is one of those Ukrainian children whose lives were changed forever by the Russian attack and filled with the horrors of war.
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- 1″24 February I woke up and went to school”: how the war began for Nastya
- 2″My parents were in the store when the rocket flew there”: Nastya still doesn't know where her dad is and whether he is alive
- 3People were ready to give everything they have: Nastya I like life
- 4″People in Lviv are now my family, and the city has become a second home”
- 5″After the victory, I want to organize a concert about the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the center of Severodonetsk”
SVOI. Stories of those who left to return.
From her native Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region, Nastya rescued her wounded mother. The father remained in the hospital. What happened to him – the girl still does not know.
In Severodonetsk, from the beginning of the war, every day it became hellishly “hot” from enemy shelling. She and the other children had no choice. At such a young age, the only mission was to survive and be saved.
Among the description of this earthly hell, Nastya recalls a happy and carefree life before the war. The first picture about the city in her head is friends and happy walks with them. Nastya's favorite place in Severodonetsk is the central square and the sports school she attended.
Unfortunately, now for her these are only memories and dreams of returning. Fortunately, she was able to evacuate with her mother and find a second home in a safer area. About Nastya's difficult journey from home to home – read in Channel 24 project OWN.
Now the girl is safe/Photo provided Nastya Aleksikova
“On February 24, I woke up and went to school”: how the war began for Nastya
How did the war start on February 24 for you? What was happening in Severodonetsk then – people panicked, wondering what they would do?
I remember my last day before the war: I came home from school, everything was fine, no one had any premonitions. I thought it was all nonsense, the war would last two weeks and be over. And it continues to this day.
In the city itself, there was no panic before the war, and on the day of the attack, the siren did not sound. I didn’t panic either, I knew almost nothing about the war.
And February 24 was a typical morning for me: as always, I woke up and went to school. The next day, the panic already appeared a little, because everyone said that there was a war, you had to pack your things, leave the city.
What was happening in the city while you were staying there, what were your feelings?
Before I left, everything was relatively normal, everything worked. Mom and dad went to the store, there was everything you need. We lived not far from the center, but still very loud explosions did not reach us. In the first days there were shelling, we already heard how they were shooting, but we were sitting in the house. We were relatively quiet, so we didn't panic. When it was too loud, they hid in the toilet.
Day X for Nastya and her family was March 21st. Remembering these moments in conversation, her voice trembled. She could barely contain herself from crying. At the same time, what has been to this day, she also calls relatively normal conditions. With shelling and life in the basement. Apparently, Ukrainian children have become very strong and resilient because of what they had to endure.
“Parents were in the store when the rocket flew there”: Nastya still doesn't know where her dad is and if he is alive
What happened March 21st? Could you imagine that things will not be the same as before?
At 9 o'clock in the morning, the parents again went to the store far away from us. They just disappeared. I waited for them until 6 pm, but did not wait. It turned out that a rocket had landed there. The parents were in the store just at that moment. Mom was wounded by shrapnel, she lay and called dad. He heard her screams, but he was in so much pain that he could not say anything. He was also wounded.
Then everyone was taken to a hospital in Severodonetsk. Dad then in intensive care already began to say something. Now I don’t know anything about him, they don’t tell me where he is, whether he is alive, maybe he died. But I took my mother away and saved.
When did you realize that you no longer need to stay in the city because it is dangerous there?
Mom was in the hospital for 2 weeks. All this time I lived with a neighbor. There was no electricity, no water in the hospital, and all patients were discharged. At that time they started talking about leaving the city. While dad was with us, we did not want to leave. Although my uncle insisted on it and I persuaded my parents, they did not want to. But after this situation, they decided to leave Severodonetsk. There was no doubt. Let's take a bus with mom to get to the Dnieper.
People were ready to give everything they have: Nastya likes life
What does a 14-year-old child feel when he leaves for the unknown?
We first got to the Dnieper, we sat at the station for about an hour. I cried a lot because I was scared. I was afraid that I would not be able to leave, a feeling of horror seized me. I remembered how in Severodonetsk, when we were sitting in the basement, a shell flew towards us at 30-40 meters, it was very loud. I called my uncle so that at least someone would calm me down. I had a strong anxiety in my soul. In the Dnieper, we could have stayed longer, but they said that my mother was seriously injured. We were allowed on the train without a queue, and we went to Lviv.I have never been to Lviv before. I was immediately welcomed. I was amazed that everyone here told me that they were glad to see me, that is, a complete stranger to them. Everywhere they invited and were ready to give everything they have. Experiencing extreme care and support. I really like to watch some comedies and some of them were filmed on the streets of Lviv. And then I saw this ancient city in reality, plunged a little into history. The people here are very nice. And everyone says that there are good people in Lviv, there are no evil people here.
Nastya talks about the place where she lives, as if she had known it all her life. Only a few months later she found friends and favorite activities here. This war has thrown more difficult tests on the life path of our children. They had to grow up amazingly quickly.
Who and how helped you and your mother get settled?
My uncle found a volunteer in Lviv in advance, gave me his contacts. We phoned and he met my mom and me. Then we went to a village not far from Lvov. The volunteer took us in. He has a big house and he's just taking care of refugees like us.
They did not want to go to the city itself, because this village is very comfortable. It seems to me that people here are the same as in our Severodonetsk. We are very well received. I found a part of my city here near Lviv.
I have friends, they invited me to play in a children's theater. I also go to piano lessons, go out with my friends and even talk a little with my comrades from Severodonetsk. I dream of going back there soon. Although at the same time I still like it better here.
Nastya's village has become more comfortable for life in the city/Photo courtesy of Channel 24
Nastya remembered the most terrible moments of all that she had to endure. The girl says that the worst thing is to stay there in the unknown. You don't know when a rocket will fly into your house. She admitted that it gives her hope that their house is intact. This means that she and her mother have somewhere to return.
“People in Lviv are now my relatives, and the city has become a second home”
What do you think, the “second home” has now really become a home ? And the people nearby, who seemed to be completely strangers, became family?
The people I met here and next to me now have become very dear to me. I feel that some of them are like brothers and sisters to me. This place has become my second home and partly replaced my city. My mother felt better here after being wounded. She even runs and got a job.
Nastya with her mother/Photo courtesy Channel 24
What can you say to people who are afraid to leave their homes and move to safer places? What advice would you give them?
I can advise only one thing – urgently leave Severodonetsk or other occupied or dangerous regions. I know that now there are no hostilities in my city, it is captured, there are no alarms. But no one knows how things will turn out. The decision to leave is timely and successful, especially as long as there are no fights again. We must leave safely, because the remaining people are risking their lives. They should think about themselves, their family, and then about their home.
“After the victory, I want to organize a concert about the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the center of Severodonetsk”
What will you do immediately after the victory?
I have one idea . I want to organize a concert about the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the square of my native city. About our warriors who risk their lives for us so that we can win. So I want to raise some money for them.
Nastya's story is that the unity of our country has a miraculous effect. After all, thanks to this, people find new homes and friends and are healed of horror. They can feel at home, being in any corner of our state. Then no enemy can break such a people.
