Author:
Yuliia Didenko
When he was nine, Zhenia woke up to explosions in Mykolaiv. At first, he thought it was a nightmare. But when his whole bed jolted into the air, he knew it was real. Three years have passed since that day, yet the memories of the first hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion are still vivid. Now Zhenia is 12, and he is able to talk about them calmly.
Three Days in a Bomb Shelter
When the bed jumped with me in it, I knew I had to do something. Later that day, we left for a bunker—it took about 20 minutes to get there,
The next three days underground were a true ordeal. The sounds of war echoed all around—tanks rumbling, gunfire, the roar of aircraft. It was all too much, too fast for a nine-year-old to process fully, but the impressions stayed with him.
During those three days, I just heard tanks, shooting, flying planes—everything you can imagine,
Inside the bunker, Zhenia was afraid Russian soldiers might come in and do something bad. But the exhaustion was stronger than fear—he still managed to fall asleep. When he got sick, his mom decided they needed to escape to his dad abroad. Her husband had been planning to return to Ukraine that very day—but she begged him to stay somewhere safe.
One Last Glimpse of Home
One of the most striking memories from that time was the moment they left Mykolaiv.
We were heading out, grabbing our things. The gates opened—and I saw a tank on fire. Right in front of me. A massive machine that could have easily crushed our car,
The Path to Understanding
Zhenia spent eight months abroad. At times, he felt like he no longer had a home. And in a way, that fear was justified—a missile struck their house in Mykolaiv. Fortunately, his grandparents had already made it to Poland.
I don’t know how we got so lucky. The windows were blown out. The house was hit, but we were not there. It was one of those missiles that spread iron pellets. I saw the holes in the gate in a photo,
That’s when Zhenia truly grasped the gravity of what was happening. He felt scared. It seemed like Mykolaiv might no longer exist for him—that he’d have to keep on. But somehow, it all turned out okay.
Now living in the Lviv region, Zhenia attends our regional center. He took part in the Voices Camp—a program designed for such children and teens who are most in need of recovery—especially psychological recovery.
The program combines creativity, sports, psychological support, and intellectual development. Through it, children explore their interests, build self-expression skills, and slowly regain a sense of stability.
Learn more about Zhenia, Tetiana, and Andrii in a special video from Suspilne Chernivtsi. The teens share what life was like during the camp in the Chernivtsi region, where they received support from our Foundation.
Now living in the Lviv region, Zhenia attends our regional center. He took part in the Voices Camp—a program designed for such children and teens who are most in need of recovery—especially psychological recovery.
The program combines creativity, sports, psychological support, and intellectual development. Through it, children explore their interests, build self-expression skills, and slowly regain a sense of stability.
Learn more about Zhenia, Tetiana, and Andrii in a special video from Suspilne Chernivtsi. The teens share what life was like during the camp in the Chernivtsi region, where they received support from our Foundation.
Behind every number in the statistics on internally displaced people are the real stories of children. These children need more than material aid. They need emotional support to heal and resume normal life.
In our regional centers, teens can find community, take part in creative workshops and games, and receive expert psychological support. You can support our work with a donation.
In our regional centers, teens can find community, take part in creative workshops and games, and receive expert psychological support. You can support our work with a donation.
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