A resident of the village of Horenka describes the horrors of the war and her attitude towards the Russians.

The mass grave at the Temple of St. Andrii the First-Called in Bucha became the last refuge for Ukrainians who suffered from Russian aggression. Currently, an installation on the temple territory has the names of about 500 innocent people killed. How do we overcome discord and hatred? Is it possible to overcome them? We talk with the rector of the temple — Archpriest Andrii Halavin.

Valentyna Vdovenko is a resident of the Korolivka village, Kyiv Region. She dreamed of a quiet retirement, growing flowers and relaxing. In early March, the woman and her family found themselves in the epicenter of hostilities and were forced to evacuate. When they returned, neither her house nor her farm were any longer there.

I used to hear the expression: “Your blood runs cold,” but now I feel what it means. This is how Tetiana Vasylenko, a resident of the village of Stoianka, recalls the first days of a full-scale war. The woman could not evacuate and spent almost a month in a village blocked by Russian troops.

Hanna is a resident of the Kherson Region who survived the Russian occupation and the near-complete destruction of her native village. According to the mayor, 80% of the central part of the village was damaged or destroyed. A woman says the Russians bombed her barn and proudly reported that they had blown up an ammunition depot.

Maksym Klymenko is a resident of the village of Velyka Dymerka in the Kyiv Region. When the village was occupied, the man came under fire. Two bullets hit the shoulder, and one hit the head. A Russian drove near, pulled a machine gun, and started shooting through the window. Then he chased Maksym’s car and tried to throw him off the road.

Olena Mishchenko is a resident of the Korolivka village in the Kyiv Region. The woman survived bombings, shelling, and murders of loved ones. The Russians destroyed Olena’s house, and she had to bury the dead in her yard.

Even now, it is impossible to talk about the atrocities of the Russian military in Bucha without tears. Dmytro Hapchenko, the manager of the affairs of the Bucha City Council, remained in the city throughout the occupation. In an interview with KHPG, he shares his memories and talks about what has been done to return to the townspeople at least a little peace and confidence in the future.

Before the Russian invasion, Olena lived in Sloviansk with two children and a disabled husband. In April, when the fighting was going on 15 kilometers from the city, the family evacuated to the Lviv Region. After a year and a half of migrant life in Ukraine, they decided to arrange their life abroad.

Rostyslav Pashynskyi and his fellow traveler were captured when they tried to evacuate from Bucha alone. They were beaten and threatened to cut off their ears and fingers. The Russians simulated shooting his fellow traveler, forcing him to admit he was a lookout. Our report shows how much terror two civilians had to endure and how this story ended.

A resident of the devastated town describes the first weeks of the war.

The son of Viktor Petrovych voluntarily joined the National Guard and was wounded near Bakhmut. Vyktor also wanted to defend his homeland, but he was not accepted due to his age. Then the man decided to help to the best of his ability: he prepared Molotov cocktails and knitted camouflage nets.

Bucha resident Iryna Solova, along with her husband and grandchildren, hid in a bathhouse from Russian bombings. Her husband saw something burning on the street and decided to go out to help people. Like many civilians in the city, the unarmed pensioner was killed by Russian soldiers for no reason.

When the Russians shot him, Viktor Nesterchuk was riding his bicycle to the Vorzel maternity hospital to buy formula for his six-month-old baby. He lay with no other help but a tourniquet for three days because the Russians did not allow the wounded to be taken to the Bucha hospital. Despite having his leg amputated, Viktor considers himself lucky compared to other victims of Russia’s ruthless aggression against civilians.

Yurii Hryhorovych from Vyshhorod witnessed a rocket hit his house. His wife was seriously injured, underwent several operations, and almost lost sight. If she couldn’t care for herself, he would have to terminate the employment contract with the plant. But despite everything, Yuri does not lose hope.

Iryna Sokolova and her daughter were evacuated from Mariupol via Berdiansk. They had to walk to the outskirts because the Russians stopped buses from entering the city. Everyone was carefully checked at Russian checkpoints: they stripped them and examined their necks, shoulders, and tattoos.

She witnessed the destruction of Mariupol, saw neighbors killed by a sniper, and heard the screams of people burned in their houses. After being wounded, Halyna Yevhenivna, on principle, did not want to receive help from the occupiers. Her wound has healed, but homesickness haunts the woman who left her hometown.

Valentyna Mykhailivna lived with her husband, daughter, and three grandchildren not far from the famous Chornobaivka. Together, they survived the occupation, the Kakhovka dam’s explosion, and celebrated Kherson’s liberation.

Viktoriia was born and lived all her life in Kharkiv. A full-scale war found her and her small child on the city's eastern outskirts, coming under attack in the first hours of the invasion. Viktoriia's father believed that the fighting would not affect the civilian population. After two weeks of living in a basement, they drove to the station through deserted Kharkiv to evacuate to Lviv.

After the invasion began, Viktor Marynchak continued to serve in the Church of St. John the Evangelist, although he blessed everyone who decided to leave Kharkiv to evacuate. Military funerals are often held in the church now, forcing Father Viktor to ask himself difficult questions.