The war came to my new home - to the city of Irpin’

Today Ukraine is at war. In fact, the war has been here for 8 years already. I remember as if it were yesterday when after burying my mother I had to leave my home in Donetsk. Fleeing from war, fleeing from the so-called Russian world – the embodiment of evil, I hoped for a peaceful life in front of me. Ironically, war came to my home once again, to my dear town of Irpin, a beautiful, quiet place where I began a new life raising my daughter (born after my relocation from Donetsk). There I was raising bees and growing medical cannabis, that helped me live the life of a healthy person, despite the fact that since my birth I had been suffering from kidney failure, and in the recent years lived off hemodialysis. I have a first group disability. So until recently, my biggest problem was the legal prosecution of cannabis cultivation, resulting in an exhausting 2,5 year-long trial. Ironically once again, war descended on me on the day the trial ended when I had to hear the court’s verdict. Instead I listened to the bombing of the airport in the nearby town of Gostomel…<br><br>My family and I spent 10 days in a cold underground garage that served as a bomb shelter (on the second day gas and electricity were cut). I sent out my family into western Ukraine, and myself moved to Kyiv, closer to the dialysis center. At that time, Irpin was already being heavily bombarded. The massive iron gates of my underground garage were shaking like paper, windows got blown out in the house. I was opposed to the thought of leaving my house again for the longest time, but I had to do it – the evacuation of Irpin’s population began.<br><br>Now I am in Kyiv, and I hope very much that I won't have to run further and we will not give Kyiv away. We will win this war, and Ukraine will live a peaceful life again. For this we all must do our job in helping our country as much as possible wherever we are. Considering my health conditions, all I could do is to help Ukraine by transferring part of my family savings in support of the Ukrainian army. And if each of us contributes in this way, we will certainly defeat the enemy!<br><br>Glory to Ukraine!<br>Viktor Ruchko

Viktor Ruchko