‘When we cook porridge, the Russians shoot us’.
… and that was the life of a villager in Tsyrkuny (Kharkiv) summer 2022.
It was a warm day, June 2022 when we went to Tsyrkuny, a town east of Kharkiv - once occupied by the Russians, but now in the hands of the Ukrainians.
Although the town was just outside of the city, it took a while to get there as the Russians were still only 5k away and there were countless checkpoints to get through.
All around the road there was the detritus of battle, wrecked cars, destroyed tanks and levelled buildings - the fighting was still a recent memory, but the land will always be scarred.
In the fields were corpses of grad rockets, resembling more of a sculpture than agriculture.
“Park your cars under the trees so the drones can’t see you'“ was the advice we were given - I’ve never been in a war zone before, let alone what can be described as a front line situation, so any advice was adhered to!
As we drove down through the streets and made our stops, the local people came out and greeted us with big smiles and open arms, they showed us the animals that they had and we handed out enough food for a month and re-assured them that we would be back.
Every now and again you would hear a thump followed by a terrifying scream as an artillery shell whistled overhead - we learned quick that, when it landed if it went thump it was not near enough to be dangerous, but if it went crack then it was time to duck or get out!
But the most wondrous and intimidating sound was the grad rockets, a cacophony of sounds - from launch to flight and then the crump when their deadly intent is unleashed.
We came across a man who was eternally grateful that we came by, not only because we brought aid but because of a simpler reason, a haunting reason, a pitiful reason - ‘we have no food other that porridge, we have no gas or electric to use our ovens, so we build fires outside, but the Russians see the smoke and they shoot us’.
Black and white, there are no frills to life here, it’s a simple trial of existance - eat to live and run the risk of the artillery … or don’t!
The food we brought, the food that truly wonderful people donated made this decision a little easier.
Inspiration can be found everywhere, I feel both humbled and privileged to have met such a man. His existence is one of gratitude and resilience, his simple approach to life in this world of chaos and confusion … is pure.
I like that.
Why these photo’s exist.
I spent 11 months in Ukraine with K9 Rescue Ukraine myself, my friend Tom Bates and with help from our colleague Rebecca Renmant-Oliver in the UK, rescued and fed thousands of animals across the Ukrainian countryside.
With your help we will carry on.
