When enemy fire intensified over Mariupol, Olha Stasiuk and part of her family moved to her son's house near the sea port. There was no more light or water in the city — water was extracted from heating pipes, hidden in basements, cooked directly on bonfires. 13 people lived in the house. We were literally on the verge — once a russian missile hit the kitchen as soon as everyone got out of it: "We ate. Just left the kitchen, and a missile arrived there. Everything failed."

Olha's husband stayed at home and believed that his wife was dead. The absence of communication and constant shelling only increased fear and despair. Two weeks later, the family decided that it was deadly dangerous to stay in Mariupol. They began evacuating cars by columns. On the windshields there were pieces of paper with the inscription "Children", as the only protection against the occupation army and aviation.