Good afternoon! My name is Iryna Hladchenko. I am from Kharkiv region, from the city of Kupiansk. For 60 years of my life, I managed to give birth and raise two wonderful children who are now quite adults – 43 and 24 years old. I also received a real gift from life – two beautiful grandchildren (22 and 6 years old).
In my younger years, I received a higher legal profession and worked as a lawyer since June 01, 1985. This year will be 38 years since I have been doing my favorite profession – and this is really my life. That is why, when I survived the evacuation and moved to another city in Ukraine after the war, I did not give up my business. Yes, I can't work in the same rhythm as I used to before the war yet. And I am often bitter at this thought, but what can you do – life, fortunately, goes on, and this is the main thing.
February 24, 2022 is like a movie on the screen for me. A terrible film about the war. Terrible because it wasn't a movie. At 5: 33 a.m., I woke up to explosions coming from the border with russia. Once I immediately realized that it was a war that had begun. Although my brain refused to accept reality for some time, even after I learned from the media about russia's invasion of Ukraine. It was scary. Not clear. Terrible. Then there was the basement, which served as a bomb shelter. Phone calls from relatives and friends…
The decision to go immediately came to me on February 24. My children and grandchildren were far away from me and, as I believed, needed my support. But I tried to leave the city several times. At first, I had to return, because it was impossible to pass through enemy checkpoints. Today it seems to me that this happened not to me. It was so scary. I saw shot cars, without people. I heard gunshots. I knew I couldn't go any further. But I tried again and again to get to the station and take the train.
I was told about a large number of people who were standing on the platforms. I remembered movies about the war, evacuation trains... I had heard about evacuation before – as a child from my grandmother, who survived the Second World War. I also read literature and watched films about that terrible war. But I've never seen it before. But now it wasn't a movie. Now I'm writing a story and I don't believe it all happened to me. This shouldn't have happened to anyone!
On March 8, I still left the city. I am very grateful to the employees of Ukrzaliznytsia – strangers who helped everyone on the road, but especially small children. Thanks to them, I ended up in the train compartment, where there were 12 adults and children. In one compartment, designed for only 4 passengers, there were 12 frightened and confused people!
Now I'm gradually getting used to a different life in my life. I am sincerely grateful to the people who gave shelter to me and my family. From the bottom of my heart, I thank the VILNI project for its trust and warm welcome in the craftswomen community. Because now I'm a craftswoman. When I was a child, at the age of 8, I signed up for a knitting club. There I learned this wonderful business and got a hobby for life, and now also a job. I've always knitted a lot. During breaks at work, near the TV, in train cars, on the beach. Knitting is a part of my life, creativity that calms me down and gives me the opportunity to enjoy the result of my work. When the threads and stitches turn into products, the warmth and soul of the knitter settles in them.
I found out about the project from the ad and immediately called. In fact, knitting is not easy at all, but the pleasure of such a business is worth the time and effort. When I knit, I think about something good, kind, positive and actually feel how I want the war to finally end. I dream of peace in Ukraine and around the world. Corny? Maybe, but now I know for sure that peace and calmness are the most valuable things in life.