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12.02.2025
Threats Because of Her Father’s Military Service, an Escape Through 17 Checkpoints, and New Colors in Life: The Story of 14-Year-Old Nastia from Melitopol
When you’re 14, you love drawing funny and touching things, the color pink, and taking a break from school.
This smiling girl with bright hair is Nastia. Her father is a serviceman with over 30 years of service. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, the family lived in Melitopol, near a military base that was under a massive missile attack on February 24. That day, they were genuinely terrified.
Nastia’s mother, Tetiana, fled with her two children to a village outside the city, where they spent two months under Russian occupation. At that time, Russian soldiers were actively searching homes for the families of Ukrainian soldiers. They came to Tetiana’s house with rifles—and even fired into the kitchen floor.
Nastia’s mother, Tetiana, fled with her two children to a village outside the city, where they spent two months under Russian occupation. At that time, Russian soldiers were actively searching homes for the families of Ukrainian soldiers. They came to Tetiana’s house with rifles—and even fired into the kitchen floor.
The next day, the family set off for Zaporizhzhia, passing through as many as 17 checkpoints. From there, they traveled to Lviv and then to Lithuania, where they lived for a year.
Missing their home and usual way of life, they decided to return to Ukraine. They settled in Ivano-Frankivsk, where Nastia began attending the "Voices of Children" Center.
Missing their home and usual way of life, they decided to return to Ukraine. They settled in Ivano-Frankivsk, where Nastia began attending the "Voices of Children" Center.
It was hard for her to make new friends for a long time—the long period of online schooling had taken its toll. But little by little, things started to get better: she transferred to a local school, fell in love with the color pink again, and even dyed her hair pink. The psychologist says that by doing this, Nastia is trying to reclaim her childhood.
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