Hello. My name is Natalia, now I am 35 years old and I live in Kyiv. I have a higher medical education, and until February 24, I successfully worked in a large pharmaceutical company. But now everything has changed. About a month after the start of the war, my colleagues and I had neither work, nor understanding of what to do next…
However, I’m not the type to lose hope so easily. We organized with our neighbors and created a medical center on the territory of our residential complex. We were even presented with an ambulance, which encourages us to do even more. We have also started round-the-clock duty at the medical center – now we can quickly provide aid to everyone who needs it, 24/7.
This terrible war showed me how many sincere and kind people are there around. We are all ready to unite and help each other. And this is very pleasing! We became a real family.
This is not my first experience of war. I already ran away from Donetsk in 2015. Then I moved to Mariupol, but there I came under fire in Shidnyi district. This happened in January 2015. Apparently, this is what prompted me to move to Kyiv in 2016. In the capital, I felt what calm and measured life is.
But everything changed on 24.02. In the morning, I woke up to a very loud explosion. I couldn’t even believe that this was actually happening and that the war had started. Then my friends started calling and texting me… Then it became clear that this was not a joke. This day passed in a daze, as did the whole next week. I immediately decided that I wasn’t going anywhere. Enough! I will be in Kyiv, and to the best of my abilities, I will help others in any way I can. I believed that there would be no large-scale military operations here, that the city was under very good protection.
However, everything has changed… Roadblocks have appeared on the streets, and documents are being checked. During the first days, stores were closed and necessary products, even bread, quickly disappeared from the shelves. I was very afraid that the connection or internet would be turned off. I was literally saved from panic by playing with my cat, my favorite hobby and work.
I also found a lot of new activities that help to get rid of obsessive thoughts about the war. Now I help an animal shelter: I visit, walk and feed the dogs. I also revealed many creative ambitions in myself. I do decoupage, draw, and recently started studying at an icon painting school.
needlework. In addition to knitting, I am fond of embroidery. Creativity gives me inspiration and peace of mind.
24.02.22 my first experience of war began. It was on this day that the bombing of the airport in Lutsk took place. However, despite the sense of danger, I did not leave my hometown. For this is our home, our land… Let the invaders run away! Yes, now it is very difficult for me: I was left without a job, without income. But these are small things. I am motivated to move forward by my faith in victory, and reassured by confidence in our Armed Forces of Ukraine. With such defenders, the war can only end in victory. And I truly believe it.
With the outbreak of war, my main activity became custom knitting. This allows me to provide for my family and help the army. At the same time, such work brings enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure.
I became interested in needlework at the age of 5, when I saw a neighbor knitting something. I’ve been literally living it ever since. Knitting is my way of self-expression, a kind of demonstration of my own inner world. This is my creativity and my earnings. I like to create something new. I especially like to knit dressNow I am already fully working. If necessary, I continue to be on duty at the medical center. I also help get food for the shelter for dogs and cats. To do this, I established communication with volunteer organizations.
I don’t forget about knitting. I think I’ve been doing this all my life. I can’t even remember for sure… I’ve always tried to do something with my own hands. But, like all craftswomen, I had a big break in needlework.