Leaving home in a single day — a story shared by many Ukrainians
Raisa now lives in Kryvyi Rih after fleeing her village, which is currently under occupation. At 66, she was forced to leave behind her home and everything she owned in a single day.
“Who would have thought that at my age you could leave with nothing? I didn’t hesitate — I just grabbed my handbag, my passport and my documents. I had to leave that same day,” she says.
As an internally displaced person, she was offered accommodation in a communal flat, but conditions were extremely poor — the apartment had previously been used as a warehouse.
“With help from my neighbours, I did some basic repairs. They also shared some furniture with me,” Raisa explains. Still, she frequently speaks of the home she lost — larger, comfortable and entirely her own.
To help her settle, the DRC replaced the windows and front door in her new flat.
“Even the neighbours are delighted: ‘Oh, brand-new windows!’ The old ones were so draughty. I thought about patching them up, but now it’s completely different. The flat is warm and cosy. I’ve even put flowers on the windowsill — I’m starting to feel at home,” she says.
Dressed in a red long-sleeved top reading Hola Bonita (“hello, beautiful”), with matching red lipstick and hair, Raisa radiates strength.
“My son always told me: ‘Mum, you’re strong — you can get through anything.’ There are still good people in the world. Even when it feels unbearable, you have to keep going and hope for the best,” she says. She still dreams of returning home one day.
