Then he made a cup of tea. “It was wild oh oh wow,” said Mrs. Morchatka, with happiness spreading across her face. Throughout the siege of Chernihiv to prevent the Russian invasion, the 40-year-old mother of two had been hiding with her small family in their cellar. During this period, the city of northern Ukraine received relentless air strikes, often for days at a time, causing extensive damage. As the Russians closed, the inhabitants could not leave the area. Morhatska’s family ran out of water and had to go above the ground looking for food and something to drink. During these hours of tension, she made sure her children stayed in the shelter, away from danger. He said that in those sad days “there was no light or connection”, so talking to relatives or being able to move around easily at night was almost impossible. Russian troops have recently retreated, though their tanks are not far behind – they have apparently abandoned their efforts to bomb and smash the city. On Wednesday, the electricity finally returned to their home. “The children were happy and I was crying,” Morhatska added. However, the happiness that her family has experienced by being able to communicate with the outside world offers little relief from the devastating shock to her city, which is near the border with Belarus. By the time of the invasion, Ms. Morchatka had sent her children to School No. 21 in Chernihiv. Now, all that is left of it are piles of rubble, mixed with remnants of what life was like before the invasion, after the Russian forces dismantled it. CDs, textbooks and children’s winter coats lay on the ground, crammed into dust and mud. It is noteworthy that a few paintings have been preserved on the walls, which in some way have not been damaged by the explosions.
