The criteria of horror changed every day: story of the survival in Mariupol
Pavlo, a resident of the blockaded Mariupol, said he had been in the city for a month.
For safety reasons, we only mention the first name of our guest.
«There, there’s my home, my friends»
Pavlo: All the news about the reaction of the global community to the blockade of Mariupol I heard was about concern. It did not help Ukrainians to survive, to look for food, to find shelter from Russian shells flying into houses.
I arrived in the city on a business trip from safe Lviv on February 25. I knew where I was going. I was asked:
“Why are you going back? What are you going to do there?”
I answered:
«There, there’s my home, my friends, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay warm.»
I was there, under siege, for over a month.
Where did you get water?
Pavlo: Technical water was found near the house, in the basement on the construction site. At the beginning of the war I learned that there was a well with drinking water 15 minutes from my house. People from our district gathered there, stood in line, helped older men and women. When the snow fell, they drowned it, because it was unknown what awaited us next. We have a dog that also needed to be watered and fed. Strategic water supply was still in the boiler.
The sky of Mariupol
Pavlo: At first I thought the whistling sound of shells flying towards you was the scariest sound: you don’t know for sure where a mine or something else will fall. The sound of an airplane dropping bombs on you turned out to be more horrible. The criteria for horror changed daily.
Also listen to: «Russia erases Mariupol from the face of the Earth with people:» a resident who managed to escape
Where did people hide?
Paul: Some hid in ordinary basements. These were not bomb shelters. Some basements were not opened because they had expensive equipment, they were afraid that it would be taken away.
I slept at home between two walls with my mother and dog. When the shells started coming near our house, the residents came out and decided to break down the door to the basement to hide there. Someone decided to leave his hometown.
Service disappeared after 5 days
Pavlo: There was no mobile communication on the 5th-6th day. It was possible to miraculously catch the signal of Kyivstar on the higher floors, but it was unstable. It’s scary when, from your window, you see that bombs are falling in the area where your loved ones live. But you can’t call them to see if they’re safe. The next day you go there under shelling, the whistling of shells, the roar of bombs dropping. Finally you see that your aunt is still alive. She cries, hugs you with the words:
«God, when will it all end?»
You have to encourage her, assure her that everything will be fine. However, you know that this is only hope. There is no certainty.
The streets of Mariupol
Pavlo: Devastation, bursts of explosions, hail stuck in the ground. Steel gates 4 mm thick are pierced through — if there was a man, there would be nothing left of him. But we had to go further. Past garbage piles, computer parts that will not help anyone. People left them, saving the most precious thing — their lives.
Evacuation
Pavlo: My aunt had an old “Lada.” It was repaired three times a year. She had the maximum range from Mariupol to the country. There was no talk of longer trips with this car. When I came to my aunt’s house again, her house was on fire, she was getting dressed and deciding what to do next. I offered her to leave. She objected:
«Where are we going? There’s glass everywhere.»
People had an irrational fear. They thought they were relatively safe in the basement of their city. They were afraid to go abroad. I persuaded my aunt to leave. I brought her «Lada» under the attack of mines. My aunt, my mother and sister, another relative, three dogs and a cat were taken out of the city. My sister’s husband and I walked to the village of Melekyne. This is how we evacuated from the blocked Mariupol.
Also read: Mariupol is trying to be taken by 14 thousand Russian troops — almost 10% of Russia’s forces to invade
We cannot forget that in Mariupol, which was under siege since March 1, 90% of the city was destroyed by the Russian military.
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