THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Lidiya Tarash is the chief editor of Our Word publication from Volnovaha, Donetsk region. She stayed with her children and parents for three weeks in a damp basement measuring 2 by 3 meters. As the shelling subsided, she took the risk of traveling to the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) to live there temporarily, planning to make her way to free Ukraine eventually. She shared her story with NUJU correspondents.
“There was a long queue, and at that moment, an airplane flew over Volnovaha and dropped a bomb.”
— It was hell: everything was in chaos! We were being bombarded with artillery, tanks, and mortars, — Lidiya Tarash begins her account from Volnovaha. She still shudders when recalling her three weeks in a cold basement, seeking shelter from the shelling. On the first day of the war, the journalist moved with her children from a multi-story building to her parents’ house. There was both a basement and a well there.
— We were always in the basement – the whole time during the active combat operations. From February 24th to March 12th. How did we keep warm? We drank hot tea and ate hot soup. We lay under blankets, dressed warmly. We kept each other warm, — the journalist recounts.
At that time, the people in Volnovaha didn’t quite understand what was happening and didn’t know whether to flee or wait. Mobile communication and the internet disappeared almost immediately.
— One night, a shell landed in the building opposite ours. The shell hit the basement nearby. They shelled both during the day and at night. In the city, only one store was open, where the owners themselves baked bread. There was a long queue, and at that moment, an airplane flew over Volnovaha and dropped a bomb — our interviewee shared her horrifying memories.
That’s when Lidiya started thinking about evacuation. But her parents were against it, citing the significant risks.
— When communication was restored, I read about the possibility of evacuation on social media. But we saw that firing was happening all over Ukraine and didn’t know where to go with the children, — the journalist says.
“I packed my seal, statutory documents, locked something in the safe… Hoping I would return soon.”
Still, just in case, Lidiya gathered her belongings and waited for news about leaving the city. The news never came… And there was no backup plan either.
— We didn’t think it would be so brutal, — Mrs. Tarash admits. — We remembered how it happened in 2014… My sister was in Donetsk, and we were close, so we knew everything. Armed people entered back then, took over the city’s main building, and said there would be a ‘republic,’ but there weren’t any significant battles. So, on February 24, 2022, I went to work. Our driver was supposed to bring the newspaper we printed in Mariupol. We had just finished the latest issue. But then the driver called and said the mail wasn’t working, everything was closed. So, our pre-war issue remained in Mariupol… That day, I told everyone to go home, took the seal, and statutory documents, locked something in the safe… Just in case. I hoped I would return soon.
The seal and the folder with documents were all that remained of the editorial property. Everything else was either destroyed or stolen by the occupiers.
— When I saw Volnovaha after being ‘liberated’ by the Russian occupiers, I didn’t notice a single intact building… Destroying and looting was their motto, — the journalist is convinced.
And so, the journalist sat in the cold basement for three weeks with her children, parents, and a neighbor. They arranged makeshift areas to not only sit but also lie down. Only after the active combat operations and shelling in Volnovaha came to an end did Lidiya decide to leave – there were no stores to buy groceries, no electricity, and no water – nothing essential for life.
“I felt like a human being, inspiration emerged to continue working in journalism.”
The path to free Ukraine went through the so-called DPR, where Lidiya lived with relatives for a while. But she didn’t intend to stay, as Russian FSB agents were tracking her.
— They called and ‘invited’ me to return to the editorial office. They said, ‘Wait, don’t refuse because either Russia or an atomic bomb will happen right here,’ — the journalist admits.
However, she refused the occupiers and paid no attention to the threats. Although the publication of the newspaper, or more accurately, the propaganda materials, was orchestrated by the Russians. But Lidiya tried not to dwell on it – she pressed on toward free Ukraine. She settled in the capital with her eldest son, a student. Later, thanks to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, she even spent a few days in Poland – if only to recover from her ordeal.
— I thank Serhiy Tomilenko for making it possible to go there. I felt like a human being, inspiration emerged to continue working in journalism, — Lidiya Tarash says with a smile.
Now the journalist is seeking opportunities for self-realization, as the newspaper is currently not being published. The website is also inactive due to a lack of funds to support its operation. But all of this is temporary, according to the chief editor of Our Word newspaper. Everything will return after victory over the enemy.
Lidiya Tarash, a journalist from Volnovaha in Ukraine, endured three weeks of shelling and chaos, sheltering in a cramped basement with her family. She recounts the horrors of war, the destruction of her city, and the threats from occupiers who warned of Russia or an atomic bomb. After the worst of the conflict subsided, she ventured to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic but eventually returned to free Ukraine.
Lidiya’s determination to resist pressure from occupiers and her commitment to her family’s safety shines through her story. She witnessed her city’s devastation during and after the conflict and sought refuge in Kyiv with her son, where she found support from journalism organizations. Despite her publication and website challenges, Lydia remains optimistic that Ukraine’s future will be brighter once peace is restored. Her narrative reflects the indomitable spirit of journalism in the face of adversity.
This series, titled Executed Free Speech, is created as part of a project Drawing Ukrainian And International Audience’s Attention To Serious Violations Of Human Rights And Crimes Against Journalists And Mass Media By The Russian Federation, which is performed by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, with support from the Swedish non-profit organization Civil Rights Defenders.
JOURNALISTS ARE IMPORTANT. Stories of Life and Work in Conditions of War is a cycle of materials prepared by the team of the NUJU with the support of the Swedish human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.
#CRD
Discussion about this post