Mary: 

I’m wondering if we could start by, you’re talking about where you grew up.

Alexandra:

Oh, I was born near Kyiv and all my childhood was spent in a city. I know everybody now knows it’s it’s butcher. So born. Yeah, it was grew up there. And then when I was, I guess, 12, we moved to Kyiv. He needed to leave, but still in Bucha, lived my grandparents from both sides from my mother, from my father.

Mary: 

Wow. So tell me about where are they now?

Alexandra: 

My grandmothers both have died several years ago, so actually in 2014, so they not see this horrible situation. And, but, and my grandfather actually died at the end of March. We couldn’t evacuate him. Yes. We couldn’t evacuate him from Bucha. And so sorry, when there was starting liberating Bucha and they get, because my bowel not prepared, so he’s a neighbor called us and they’ll send you.

Mary: 

Oh, I’m so sorry. How about your other grandfather? Is, is, is he still alive?

Alexandra:

I only have one.

Mary: 

You have one. And what has it been like to watch what has happened to your hometown?

Alexandra:

Oh, it’s horrible. Seeing those. We used to live with a child and they are now full of destruction and full of, I know, armed to its machines. It’s horrible thing, but I had flat, I mean, old building there and neighbors told us it, it’s fine. It’s not broke and fuzzy grandpa’s house. So, okay. Our guests, he died because of lack of electricity and to medicine. So it was this. We can now not say anything because we are not allowed now to go there. Unfortunately.

Mary: 

How, how far is your hometown from where you live now?

Alexandra:

I’m now in the west of Ukraine.

Mary: 

How far is it from Kyiv?

Alexandra:

Let me say it’s I guess 60 kilometers.

Mary: 

Okay. So quiet distance.

Alexandra: 

Yeah. It says the place where we had summer summit with doxy.me.

Mary: 

Will you tell me what life was like for you at the beginning of 2022, when you had a sense that something might happen?

Alexandra:

We had talks, of course. And we all listen to news and to talk in family talk with friends. We are still not believed there the time was it happened, but before two weeks, I guess I started bringing with myself all documents just as I go somewhere. I get my backpack with documents. It’s just was from, for me, it was safe feeling so documents, I suppose before a week before my husband told me to put a backpack with the needed callers for me at my son. So it will stay in the near as a door.

Mary: 

So,

Alexandra:

Yeah. So I was,

Mary: 

When, when did you, when did he suggest first suggest that

Alexandra:

A week before? Yes. I know maybe he had a sense or something.

Mary: 

And so where were you on the morning of the 24th?

Alexandra:

I was with my apartment. We live in the left bank of Kyiv and I heard explosions. Applied is quite in a high place. As I heard that a huge explosions it’s was not as fireworks. So I woke up and I asked my cousin what to do or what we should do. And so I phoned my parents, firstly, they’re not here in any scene cause they’re in a lower place. So no sound is good to them, but they understand what’s happened. And we wake up and then I phone to the Olga, my coworker. So she, he, she was a contact person in our company in, in any case. So I woke her up so, and ask what to do they do. And she asked her, you can go to the leaf, to our hub and stay there. And to husband to tell, told me, pick up our son and go to the west.

Mary: 

So you left, you had to leave your husband.

Alexandra:

Yes. He told me he won’t leave. And he also told me that before the war happens, he won’t leave because he had a mother he’s not working very well. So he told me I can’t leave here, but I want to protect our country. So I won’t leave. It was a, you must leave. And he was, it was really nervous situation to, he gave me our, all our stuff before he was son and I was less, but I can can’t handle it as the first day. It was a huge traffic. So I’ve, I went to his brother’s home and to stay for one day, then, then I will

Mary: 

Say, where does his brother live?

Alexandra:

He’ll live on them. Right bank. It’s co their road to

Mary: 

Okay. A little bit closer to the highway, but still in Kyiv.

Alexandra:

Yeah. It’s actually almost on the highway, but I wasn’t able to get him on the ordinary roads. There are cars up there. So I, I, as I know the right bank, better than left, I’ve choose smaller roads. And to even, it was some kinds of fields, not in the road. So I wasn’t able to get to his home yet because I have an off-road car and I can go on the bad roads and without roads,

Mary: 

Tell me what it was like to be, to come to a different decision than your husband. Was it hard to leave him?

Alexandra:

Yeah. I’m still missing.

Mary: 

Yeah.

Alexandra:

So stays there near Kyiv, not in Kyiv, but near Kyiv in the country house, but still it was hard. I don’t know what to expect, this was a hard decision.

Mary: 

How often are you in communication with him?

Alexandra:

Oh, twice a day. We had a chart in a child’s and sending images was really going what we are doing. So

Mary: 

Alexandra, how old is your son?

Alexandra: 

He’s almost eight. 

Mary: 

How was the transition for him?

Alexandra:

He was scared. Firstly it, first, today he was really scared and he not leaving me for a second. Yes. But when we get to here in the west, he starting to come down now, now, now he’s excused as a child right now doing his stuff, not wanting to eat something. So

Mary: 

Has he, have you been able to find him to school

Alexandra:

Now? We are learning online. Our school is off and teachers to provide right now.

Mary: 

Hmm. Is that, was that in place because of COVID do you know? Was virtual already in place?

Alexandra:

Yes, it started because of COVID and now I guess it’s, it’s helped to now for it’s they’re able to do online.

Mary: 

Yeah. So can you tell me a little bit about how you found a place to live and what that has been like?

Alexandra:

This is a place of friends. We are visiting the west Ukraine, the Carpathian mountain twice a year on a vacation, usually it’s from, I guess, so we have a friends here and I’ve called them and said eight in the morning, on the first day of the war. And So they, of course they agreed. Yes, of course you can come, please be safe to come. So, and as soon as I can I get there it’s oh, it’s took me 16 hours to get from Kyiv to us because we need to choose a road. Whereas no, No airports, no any other building military. To be safe.

Mary: 

Did you know the back roads? Well, enough to feel confident about how to get to this home?

Alexandra:

Yeah. I’ve traveled around Ukraine a lot. So I, I choose to small one small roads instead of highways, so we, it was, it was a lot of fuel, but we made it here.

Mary: 

And how about food? How did you handle food in your transition? Did you have plenty?

Alexandra:

We buy food on gas stations. So it was available and some of the stations also offered a free tea or coffee.

Mary: 

So it’s been about six weeks. What, tell me what it’s been like to be in Western Ukraine with you and your son and your friends.

Alexandra:

It’s good to cause it’s quiet here. Only some air raid sirens. I settle fun, I guess they switch it on when their whole Ukraine, But it’s, it’s, it’s safe here and they have, they have subs, people start working here. We are trying to support local businesses Here. And it’s also a lot of volunteer organization here who helped, well they helped armies, they help refugees. So yeah, I’m feeling like Life is going on here.

Mary: 

And do you have energy and time to volunteer?

Alexandra:

On the weekends, we go to nearest school at refugee center. So I’m trying to help her, how we can

Mary: 

And are most of the people in the refugee center on their way out of Ukraine.

Alexandra:

So they have different situations. Some of them go out to, and some of them want to stay here because they don’t know nothing about how there is, there is some on the broad. So they’re comfortable. You stay here.

Mary: 

Yeah. So during the week, are you still working?

Alexandra:

Yeah.

Mary: 

And has that been helpful? It’s been helpful. Yes.

Alexandra:

Yes. It’s helpful. It’s I’m not looking at a news service and time. I’m trying to concentrate on work. It’s meant to do and knows like in that case I can support my family.

Mary: 

Good, good. How close to the border are you?

Alexandra:

And I guess it’s 50 kilometers to Romanian border.

Mary: 

Okay. Have you ever considered leaving?

Alexandra:

I was a few weeks ago, but I know it’s there is not good choice to leave now. I know there’s a lot of people that go in there and they in the worst situations that I, so I don’t see any now I don’t see any reason to go there. I’m leaving safely here. Yeah. And besides there is my parents come to me. So yeah. No.

Mary: 

Are your parents from you?

Alexandra:

They, no. No. They firstly go on our summer house near Vicki, give and spend there a week or so. I don’t remember. And then after the electricity was kept off, I told them to get to the west actually. So then I’ll live in the same houses. I helped me with the child.

Mary: 

And are they still with you?

Alexandra:

Yes.

Mary: 

Oh, lovely. So you have your parents and your good friends and your son?

Alexandra:

Yes.

Mary: 

So Alexandra, what, tell me, when have you felt the most fragile, do you think it was hardest when you first left?

Alexandra:

I guess a yes. Was that a hard decision to have, but I know that I must to get

Mary: 

So many hard, impossible decisions to make, right?

Alexandra:

Yes. It’s really hard. But I understand that my son couldn’t be safe there and couldn’t I guess stay calm and keep his mental health. There is that time. I know they say it’s safe in Kyiv right now, everything is calm, but my husband told me don’t come back.

Mary: 

Right. Right. And tell me about what your husband has been doing and how he is

Alexandra:

Trying to go territory defense. But they not accepted them because they were full people. Yes. Then he called friends in the army. But they also reject him, cause he had no previous experience. So caring about the mother and to carry about the people around to, you know, you know, home. So the wait, what do we do with them? No, but they’re not needed right now. People without any experience.

Mary:  

So what has helped you besides having contact with your husband and working? What other things have helped you during this time?

Alexandra:

I guess so, so walk, walking in the mountains. We can go, We can walk in the forest to not far from village, but still there is a waterfalls. There is a he’s ever since that to be green. So it’s like a relief, it’s spring. It’s helped me. Cause I like

Mary: 

You have that. That’s so wonderful. Alexandra, what do you, what do you imagine about the future?

Alexandra:

I want to imagine every single day okay. To contribute to that will be living much more than we were I’m to people all around the world. So see our country rebuilt.

Mary: 

Yes. Well I think the world is on your side

Alexandra:

And we thank that the world, a lot,

Mary: 

Your people have shown such an extraordinary example of cooperation and solidarity and dignity. I, it it’s very moving. Is there anything that you want to share that we haven’t talked about?

Alexandra:

I guess we talked about everything in this situation and thank you doxy.me, it was such a wonderful thing to do. The world will hear us.

Mary:

Well, Alexandra, I really appreciate your taking the time and I’m so glad you feel safe and that you are close to nature and your parents and your son. That is makes me very happy.

Alexandra:

Thank you.