When we arrive at Makariv in the Kyiv region, we are welcomed by an autumn drizzle and clouds covering the grey sky, but, after all, at this time of the year, such weather is hardly surprising. We got to Makariv in the morning, but it already felt like dusk was approaching and the day was coming to an end. Gloomy rain and a bitter wind. During the occupation of the Kyiv region, Makariv suffered a lot: houses were destroyed by Russian airstrikes, forests and fields were mined, and it is still dangerous to wander around there.
In March 2022, one of the shells hit the home of Olesya and Serhiy Shepelev.
Our washing machine flew all the way to the backyard; the refrigerator was practically squeezed. There was nothing left in the house — everything burnt down. Although some walls are still standing, they are all cracked and beyond repair. The house’s foundation is the only thing that survived. But the greatest fortune was that none of us was at home then,” says Olesya.
Olesya meets us near their estate fence by the road with her husband, Serhiy. This fence is new because Russians destroyed the previous one. When they were retreating at the end of March, they destroyed everything in their way. When Russians couldn’t start Olesya’s car, they smashed it out of spite. They stole her husband’s car. Russians left behind piles of debris and boxes left from shells. These boxes still stand in the yard as ominous artefacts.
Serhiy is a civil engineer; before the war, he worked in Kyiv. Olesya stayed at home to raise their children. She has a disability. Six months before the full-scale invasion, the couple started their own business: organising express holiday greetings on demand. They loved this work very much. The couple invested their own funds in this business and bought a car to cater for the on-call trips. “Writing holiday scripts, travelling and performing — it was a great joy”, says Olesya.
Their daughters, Anya and Amina are ten and seven years old, respectievly. Their faces peek at us curiously through the window. “Our daughters’ personalities are so different”, Olesya explains. “Anya is a calm, creative girl. She loves drawing and sculpting. Amina is a restless kid; she has to cover dozens of kilometres in a day. She adores gymnastics. She is such a positive, cheerful child. Both of our daughters go to school, even though classes are often cancelled due to air raid alarms”.
Since June this year, the family has been living in a modular house donated by an American charity donors. They placed it in the yard — not far from the place where their former home was and where the family spent their last peaceful night before 24 February. Serhiy finds it difficult to talk about the morning of 24 February. He woke up around five; he had to leave early for work. He went outside to warm up the car’s engine. Then, he heard explosions coming from all sides: Kyiv, Borodyanka, Hostomel. He immediately realised something had happened. He called his colleagues and his mother and brother living in Kyiv. That was the moment when he knew – they had to leave immediately. He saw documentaries about the Russian war crimes in Chechnya. Serhiy knew fully well that unarmed, he couldn’t protect his children and his family. He did not lose hope though; he believed that they would return – sooner rather than later.
They lived in evacuation until the end of March – the family came to the city of Ternopil to stay with their friends. There, they accidentally (through a random video posted online) found out that their house had caught on fire.
After the liberation of the Kyiv region, Serhiy was the first one to return home. He was looking for the dog, which, unfortunately, they couldn’t evacuate. Until the last moment, he hoped that their alabay, the Central Asian shepherd, had survived; maybe he just ran away. Sadly, they later found out that the dog didn’t make it. The rest of the family returned to Makariv in April 2022.
“On the first day, Anya didn’t want to go to the yard because she was afraid to see the ruins of her family home. All her drawings, her favourite toys and books were all left behind in the children’s room. It hurts the children as much as it does us, adults. Amina showed more courage: she went in with us. She walked to the yard and looked around. “We will be okay”, she said. She always encourages us. She sees the positives in everything.
At first, it was very difficult for everyone. “You remember everything. Every item was important. You know, each of us keeps something as a memory. We have no such memories left”, sighs Olesya. “There are no videos, no wedding photos. No photos of our children when they were little. I even took my own childhood photos from my mother shortly before the war started. I wanted to create a family archive. Who would have thought that it would all be gone”.
Upon their return, the family lived in a neighbouring village. A stranger responded to an advertisement made by those seeking housing and offered them to stay. In April of this year, they had to vacate it. Olesya explains that it is fellow support and assistance, especially offered by complete strangers, that helps them keep going. Some people donated clothes, and some brought food and money. “When we applied to participate in the Polish-Ukrainian project ‘Family to Family,’ we were truly desperate”, recalls Olesya. “We had no job, no place to live. Those funds have significantly supported us all this time. Thanks to the project’s support, we could send our children to school and buy clothes; we could buy dishes, an electric kettle, and many other essentials. Nevertheless, we had to start everything from scratch. When we left, we took almost nothing with us. But I keep saying this – so be it; now we will build something new, something better. Life taught us not to postpone anything and appreciate every moment in life”.
Unlike his wife, Serhiy did not always react to this situation easily. He struggled with depression and had been taking tranquillizers until recently. He couldn’t comprehend how to move forward. “How will we rebuild all this?” he would repeat. “No job, no money. Children are growing up. It was very difficult. At some point, we almost separated”, admits the Serhiy. The decision to build a new home next to the ruined one became a lifesaver.
“We were slowly earning some money, I found a job. Yes, construction involves immense resources. But I kept telling myself, that I’m a builder, and I do most of the work myself. We were able to obtain some materials with the support of charitable funds, and the beautiful large windows — through the ‘Reconstruction’ program of the Religious Mission ‘Caritas-Spes’ of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine”, explains Serhiy.
And so, step by step, they are approaching their dream — a new home. “It gives us strength”, smiles Serhiy.
We talk in the modular house. It has everything they need for now: several rooms, a bathroom, furniture, appliances, and kitchenware. Most of these items were donated by donors, including a potbelly stove, which is seen as an alternative to central heating. The family have also stocked up on oak firewood. “The house is designed for electric heating, but electricity is very expensive now”, says Olesya. “So, of course, we worry about how to survive the winter. It was too hot in the house in the summer, so what can we expect in the freezing cold?”.
At the forefront of their module house are icons gifted by Olesya’s mother. There are also Anya’s paintings. A small dog cuddles around their legs. ‘This is the friend of our eldest”, Olesya smiles. “And the other dog is temporarily kept outside while we have guests. He is affectionate but big, so his size can be intimidating. Amina missed our alabay a lot. But we have a new one now. Life goes on”, she says.
The couple has returned to their favourite activity: organising express greetings events. “When you congratulate children on their birthdays and hear their laughter full of joy, it really lightens your mood”, says Olesya. “And adults, too. Recently, we congratulated a grandmother on her 85th birthday. Relatives brought her – the elderly lady could barely stand on her own feet. But when she heard the music, she tried to dance herself”.
“We often travel to areas that were occupied”, adds Serhiy. “Recently, we came to congratulate a child on their birthday, and it turned out that the girl’s grandmother lost her son, the girl’s uncle, on the front on that day. And the grandmother said, “Don’t cancel the child’s holiday. The child survived the occupation — she should have some joy in her life”. This makes you think: okay, so you lost your house. A house. But these people lost their loved ones. And watching them holding on, trying to create a holiday for their loved ones, gives you hope. You see how they don’t give up and it makes you stronger”.
Olesya’s brother has been defending Ukraine on the front lines from the first days of the war. He suffered a grave injury near Bakhmut in September. He underwent several complicated surgeries and is currently undergoing a lengthy rehabilitation. “But God preserved my brother’s life. The enemy destroyed our home, but all of us stayed alive. What is a preserved life compared to lost property? Life is a great gift”.
I hold a symbolic paper heart in my hands — a gift from Amina. The little sisters wave their hands cheerfully in farewell and shape their hands into heart forms. The unexpected rain has stopped. And even though the sun is not visible behind the clouds, we know for sure: it is there!
