It is simply unbelievable that today marks four years since the outrageous invasion of my homeland, our sovereign Ukraine, by a deranged usurper. No one thought, no one believed that this madness would drag on for so long, but the fact remains: the war continues, and there is no end in sight. Negotiations are, of course, ongoing, but for now, the word “peace” remains nothing more than a cherished illusion for all of us.

In my hometown of Kharkiv, located near the border with the aggressor country, life is extremely difficult right now, but I have many incredible stories that vividly illustrate the tremendous strength of spirit and fortitude of the people of Kharkiv. In general, every Ukrainian has a story of personal tragedy. My own story is just another stitch in the vast, sinister pattern that the war relentlessly embroiders with crimson threads on the canvas of our lives.

In light of all these upheavals, it was not surprising that the reason for our escape from Ukraine almost four years ago was the destruction of my business, and even now, the news from our homeland is far from rosy. A few months ago, for example, another rocket struck the car park where my beloved car was. Surprisingly, the car itself survived, but a large piece of shrapnel hit the windscreen, causing it to shatter into pieces.

Once again convinced that our escape was utterly reasonable, I asked my friends who had stayed behind in Kharkiv to move my car from the dangerous car park to the courtyard of my house. Oh, how naive I was! They had barely done so when the next rocket landed right next to my property. To my great relief, the car remained intact, and this time its windscreen, which I had already replaced, held up. Fortunately, the house also survived, but now its windows were shattered by an incredibly powerful shockwave. To prevent the house from freezing in the bitter 20-degree frost, my reliable friends decided to board up the windows with plywood, and now our lovely little house is blind. Yes, blind, but still alive — and that’s what matters!

To wrap up today’s post, I would like to briefly reflect on something that seems inexplicable. What do I mean? I am referring to the fact that sometimes I simply cannot grasp the logic of certain peculiar commentators. For instance, they see photos of Ukrainians marching through the streets of Plymouth on the anniversary of the war, proudly carrying the flags of their homeland. And instead of offering words of support, they write nonsense, claiming that such a mini-parade is unlikely to intimidate the enemy. But are we organising these marches to intimidate anyone? Surely it is obvious that the purpose of such events is entirely different. Are these would-be commentators unaware of fundamental concepts such as patriotism, unity, and solidarity? Or do these words mean nothing to them? Perhaps these key terms simply do not exist in their vocabulary.

As a final note, we are still surrounded by mysteries, even in our advanced 21st century! But let us not despair and let us stand united even more strongly, even more powerfully, in defiance of the oppressor and all his henchmen!