"I will not find my old age at home." The stories of summer Ukrainians killed by Russia

Journalist Natalia Naidyuk gathered the stories of the elderly who died because of the war that Russia had sold against Ukraine. The text is prepared by the Memorial Memorial platform, which tells the stories of Russia killed by Russia and the victims of Ukrainian military, especially for NV. Video of Kharkiv resident of Boris Romanchenko was 96. He survived the maintenance in several concentration camps: Buchenwald, Penumunda, Bergen-Belsen.

He was the Vice President of the International Committee of Buchenwald-Dor, worked with the Memorial Memory Foundation for Buchenwald and Dora-Mittelbau. The man devoted much of his life to preserve the memory of Nazism and tell the world. And despite the experience, he was able to enjoy life. On March 18, 2022, an artillery projectile hit a high -rise building in Kharkiv. Romanchenko burned in his own apartment. Boris Romanchenko was born in Sumy region.

From the very beginning of life, he tested him for strength. At the age of seven, the Holodomor survived. At 16 - he got to the Nazi concentration camps . . . “My grandfather told me little about life in the camps. Apparently, I did not want me to be upset, ”says the grandson of the dead Yulia Romanchenko. After moving to Kharkiv, Boris Timofeyevich became an engineer, worked at the enterprise where agricultural machinery was produced. He was happy: he had a favorite job and relatives nearby.

When Natalia's wife died, he was difficult for the loss. He found consolation in communication with his relatives and his numerous hobbies. “My grandfather was so able to! I remember somehow made high stools with steps to make it convenient to reach the top shelves of the cabinet. Repaired and sewed clothes. Loved to work on the ground. He has always been perfect: no weeds! And he planted potatoes and onions under the ruler. He loved to be beautiful, ”Yulia recalls.

My grandfather adored his only granddaughter. He often took her on weekends and vacations. Even before school he taught to write, read, and later - sew. “I always admired him. The grandfather lived such a difficult life. And despite this, he was able to rejoice in all circumstances. When a full -scale invasion began, he reassured me and convinced that everything would be fine, ”Julia says. Boris Romanchenko lived on the eighth floor of an apartment building in Northern Saltovka.

Since February 24, the Russians have constantly fired at the neighborhood. The last Julia saw her grandfather on March 8 - she came to visit him under fire. “There was no light in his house at the time, so I left Paverbank so that he could recharge the phone. The grandfather said that day that he had enough food and asked not to take risks, not to come to him. I live in another area of ​​Kharkiv, so I asked him to go with me. But he refused.

You know, it is difficult for people at this age, to leave their own . . . ” - she recalls the last meeting. And in 10 days, in the evening of March 18, at the local telegram-channel, Julia saw that the balcony and apartment of Boris Timofeyevich were burning. After a curfew, the woman was able to go there only in the morning. "Everything burned there . . . Only the bones were left on the iron bed from my grandfather," the woman says with tears.

Boris Romanchenko almost never spoke with his granddaughter about death. He heard badly, had joint problems and other "age -old" diseases, but always stayed. He loved to repeat that life was a movement. Boris Timofeevich was buried in the Bezlyudov Cemetery near Kharkiv. Now the Russians continue to fire the city and the surrounding area. Julia cannot often come to her grandfather's grave. “I still could not believe what happened. Grandfather survived famine, concentration camps, post -war recovery.

In spite of everything, he kept the ability to enjoy life . . . To live such a life and die with such a terrible death is so unfair! ” - says Yulia Romanchenko. Always neat, stylish, with a permanent high hairstyle and a powerful charge of creativity. This was remembered by a resident of Mariupol Natalia Kharacoz relatives and friends. By profession, the woman was a design engineer. But she considered literary activity. In 32 she became a journalist, also wrote works of art.

In life, nine books and seven volumes of Natalia poetry collections have been published. Her works were also published in Greece, Georgia, the USA and Russia. Natalia Kharacoz was killed in unknown circumstances on March 29 in the basement of the high -rise building, which stood near her house. Most likely, the woman stopped her heart. There was no access to medical care nor in Mariupol. Ms Natalia had no children. But she adored a single nephew Dmitry and his three children.

At one time, the woman brought his granddaughter Anna Kotykhov to the school newspaper and helped to start her creative path. “Grandmother was optimistic. Even in the most difficult situation, she could see something good. She did not always understand the decision or choice of young people, but was able to make it. And she was very fond of being modern. In 86, the grandmother used a computer perfectly, she led a literary blog on the Internet, ”Anna recalls. Ms.

Natalia adored the sea - he dedicated many works to him. But in recent years, it has not been possible to visit the coast often. To him from the house of the writer about four kilometers. Transport did not go there, and on foot to overcome such a distance. The last Anna brought her grandmother to Pierce last year. Ms. Natalia looked at the wave for a long time, as if she wanted to inspire them. Anna Kotykhova says her grandmother lived an interesting life. “She didn't stop for a moment.

Although her grandmother stopped working in a local newspaper a few years ago, she continued to write poetry and prose, ”says Anna. For 2022, Ms. Natalia had a lot of plans: to publish a collection of short stories, to hold a literary competition, to develop Azov's literary blog . . . February 24 - on the first day of a full -scale invasion - grandson called her grandmother, said that it was necessary to leave. But Ms Natalia disagreed and even refused to do it.

The argument was just as dangerous, because they shoot all over Ukraine. In addition, she believed - Mariupol will definitely stand. The shelling became more intense and selected to the city center. On March 5, Anna left Mariupol. What happened to Natalia Kharacosis is unknown. On March 14, the windows were already knocked out in her apartment, so the woman lived in neighbors several floors below. Anna's relatives left that day, and they wanted to pick up Ms. Natalia, but she refused again.

On March 17, the part of the house where Ms Natalia lived, collapsed due to the hit of shells. But the woman survived and settled in the basement of a nearby high -rise building. On March 29, Natalia Kharacosis died. "I do not know exactly what happened there . . . As much as I remember, my grandmother was constantly taking medication. There have been no medicines in Mariupol. So my grandmother's heart could not stand, ”says Anna. The locals buried Mrs. Natalia in the yard near the high -rise building.

The neighbor put a note in her pocket with the name and date of death. When the Russians exhumed the bodies in Mariupol, they made a name from that note. And then the relatives who remained in the occupied territory were able to find the place of burial of Natalia Kharacosis in the mass grave at the Starokman Cemetery. “Grandmother was a believing person. Therefore, I order her service in the church.

On July 13, this year, on July 13, traditional Greek dishes (Natalia Kharacosis from the family of the Greeks of the Azov - Ed. ) And treated them with acquaintances. And she bought her favorite biscuit roll. I tasted him as once with her, and mentally said goodbye, ”Anna shares. Once upon a time, her grandmother helped her publish her book. Now the last manuscript of Natalia Kharacosis is the novel of the Azov coast for printing Anna prepares.

But most of all, the girl wants to come to Ukrainian Mariupol and be near the grandmother's grave. 75-year-old Bogdan Slyushchynsky was a writer and scientist. In the post of the head of the department of culture of Mariupol City Council Bogdan Vasilyevich contributed to the fact that the city returned its historical name (in 1948-1989 the city was called Zhdanov). He started a celebration and a carnival course for Mariupol Day. He opened the Art School, the Hrushevsky Historical Library.

After the collapse of the USSR, he supported the revival of the ethnic traditions of the Azov Greeks. Subsequently, he plunged into scientific activity - started the department of sociology at Mariupol State University. He wrote textbooks, published books of his own works, created music. On April 1, Bohdan Slyushchynsky turned 75 years old. He would still have time to create, teach and live if the Russian projectile did not kill him on April 9. Mr. Bogdan has a wife, children and grandchildren.

Bohdan Slyushchynsky's life was interesting and full of events. A man originally from Lviv region, between 1972 and 1983 lived in Sakhalin (Russia), worked as a teacher of a music school, and later became its director. Then he headed the district department of culture. In Sakhalin, he married and became the father of two children. In 1983, he moved to Mariupol, his hometown Natalie, together with his family. Bogdan often traveled to Ukraine.

"Dad loved to say," I will not find old age at home: I'll be on the way. " He often came to colleagues in Kyiv. At least twice a year he visited Lviv, I was staying with me for Christmas. With a grandson, the poppy for the corner, they arranged carols, ” - says Mr. Bogdan's daughter Victoria Slyushchynska. Bogdan was principled, honest and extremely hardworking. He had no greater hobby than science and culture.

"As far as I remember, Dad constantly wrote something: articles, textbooks, poems, music . . . He never stopped. Recently, he worked on an autobiographical novel, but did not have time to finish it, ”the daughter says. On February 24, 2022 in Mariupol had to print another textbook on the sociology of Bohdan Slyushchynsky. But the invasion began - and all the materials of the author were burned. Victoria says that before February 24, Dad felt the smell of war in the air.

But he could not leave the city - his wife looked after an old mother in the city, he could not leave his family. Moved from his apartment to the mother -in -law. There they all experienced shelling of the city. There was little food. The invaders gave products only to those who registered. Bogdan Vasilyevich did in principle refused. Therefore, they lived with what the local church helped. On March 30, Mr. Bogdan's mother -in -law died of a heart attack when a projectile was broken near the house.

Bogdan buried her in the garden. At that time, the territory controlled by Ukraine was not able. And to go through Russia seemed extremely dangerous: because of the civic position, the chances that the Slyushchynsky would pass the so -called filtration were scanty. “On April 9, Dad scored the windows - the windows flew through shelling and in the house it was cold. Mom went behind the nails . . . Something here came to the yard. The last thing my wife heard: "Natalia, I'm dying", "Victoria says.

Bohdan Slyushchynsky's body lay in the yard for almost a month - because of shelling he could not be buried. When the Russians fully established control of the city, it was taken to an improvised "morgue", and later buried in the Old Krimean cemetery next to other victims of the war. Mr. Bogdan's wife was able to go to Poland. “When Ukraine returns Mariupol, I want to bury my dad. He dreamed of resting in his native village of Streptiv in Lviv region. I planned to move there and live there.