“They came with rifles and pointed weapons at the children”: the story of Nastia and Nikolas from Melitopol
On February 24, 2022, when missiles hit the military base near their home in Melitopol, 15-year-old Nastia had no idea she was about to face a long journey through seventeen checkpoints of enemies—and would have to erase her entire life from her phone. The daughter of a Ukrainian serviceman, together with her mother, Tetiana, and 7-year-old brother Nikolas, lost their home but found the strength to start over.
When the Occupiers Came Searching
After Russia’s full-scale invasion began, the family hid outside the city with friends. But even there, they were not safe. Russian soldiers conducted thorough searches, trying to find the families of Ukrainian servicemen.
They came with assault rifles. They pointed weapons at the children and fired into the kitchen floor,
recalls mother Tetiana about the day Russians stormed their temporary shelter.
The family was lucky—they were only intimidated. But Tetiana knew that other families of servicemen faced brutal repression. Some young women she knew were taken to basements and forced to call their husbands, demanding surrender.
My husband always told me we needed to leave, because we were his weakness,
she says.
A Story for Survival
Three days after the Russians raided their shelter, Nastia’s family found a carrier who agreed to take them out. Ahead lay at least seventeen checkpoints with strict inspections. To avoid drawing suspicion, Tetiana came up with a cover story.
We traveled with an elderly woman. For the Russians, I was her niece, and together with the children, we were going to a hospital in Zaporizhzhia. To avoid looking like refugees, we took very few belongings. We didn’t even bring slippers,
Tetiana recalls.
The hardest part was for Nastia—she had to delete her whole teenage life from her phone: photos, apps, and contacts with friends.
I remember I had so many interesting things on my phone. But Mom made me erase everything. It was tough to do. That was my life, and I had to wipe it away,
the girl shares.
A New Life through the Light of Psychological Support
From Zaporizhzhia, the family moved to Lviv and then to Lithuania, where they stayed for a year. Missing home, they eventually returned to Ukraine and settled in Ivano-Frankivsk.
The children struggled to adapt. Nastia was afraid to make new friends, while young Nikolas reacted with panic to every air raid alarm. Both kept their emotions inside, as if their lives were on pause.
For a long time, they didn’t talk about their feelings. They kept everything inside,
Tetiana explains.
Sessions with a psychologist helped Nastia finally make friends. Today she draws, attends a theater studio, and learns English. She has even dyed her hair pink.
The psychologist said that, in doing so, my daughter is trying to return to a time in her childhood that felt safe,
Nastia’s mother shares.
Nikolas goes to school, though he has few friends so far—the boy is still sensitive to injustice, so he can cry easily and often spends time alone with his thoughts. Loud noises still frighten both children, but they have learned to manage their fear.
The story of this family from Melitopol was also covered by the Ukrainian-Polish media platform SESTRY. The full text is available on their website.
Every family like this one needs support. Our Foundation works to ensure they receive it in time. At our regional centers, teenagers can find a community of peers, access psychological support, and participate in creative activities and games.
Anyone who needs it can also reach out to our free psychological support helpline for children and parents: 0 800 210 106.
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