A strong tough woman

While documenting Russian war crimes during the early stages of the Ukrainian-Russian war, just east of Kyiv in a village that had been under Russian occupation for a month, I met a lovely grandmother. She yelled at us asking what we were doing then said come back for lunch I’m making borscht. She prepared borscht for us outside, as her kitchen had been destroyed, and she apologized for the outdoor setup being messy. Alongside the borscht, she served about five lovely homemade dishes and her own vodka. She was an absolute delight—a strong, tough woman who had survived Russian artillery that blew off her roof, collapsed her ceilings, and destroyed her kitchen. Despite everything, she maintained optimism and thoughtfulness. She was gracious to the core.

Yesterday, I visited her again. We ate together and drank at her new house. She reminded me that I had given her the contact for the people who helped build for free her new home, and it truly warmed my heart to see her in a lovely, clean house. The house was built by the Wasatch Commercial Company; who planned to build 600 fully furnished modular homes in Ukraine, intended for individuals whose residences were destroyed due to the war, and now she lives there with her grandson and his dog. It’s a beautiful home, complete with a proper kitchen, refrigerator, and bathroom. What a remarkable transformation and a testament to resilience. A heartfelt thank you to all who made it possible!

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