Part 1: Bogdan on his time in captivity: Part 1
Українською мовою: Богхан про свій час у полоні: Частина 2
B: What else is interesting from 2022 that really stuck in my memory, and now I think I probably wouldn’t do something like that again. When the road was being heavily shelled and the last checkpoint we had was at Henkyl, there was, between the occupied and the controlled territory, a kind of barrack for five families. We went there with our acquaintance to pick up their dog. Her parents wanted to go in to take their belongings out, but they were shelled and returned to the controlled territory. And then Natasha, who later worked with us, spent about four days looking for someone who would go there with her to pick up the dogs, but no one went. I went.
I: [Interpreting into English].
B: It was about 250 meters from the russian checkpoint [derogatory term in original]
I: [Interpreting into English].
B: Well, my story with them didn’t end there. So, when the city was already closed off, there were still two children in our city who needed protein-free infant formula.
I: Protein-free?
B: Yes, protein-free. And of course, the city was occupied, so you couldn’t find it here. Somehow, through volunteers, we managed to find this protein-free baby formula, and it was brought to us in Donets. And then it was necessary to go to their checkpoint and reload the goods.
I: The same checkpoint? Alright, go on.
B: And, well, basically, the relatives of these two children… One girl — it’s, let’s say, a family, very good acquaintances of ours, who for certain reasons couldn’t leave, they simply couldn’t leave the city. And later it was closed off completely — and that was it, they were basically trapped. Their only remaining option was to leave the city through ‘rashka’ [derogatory slang for russia]
P: Were those the mothers of those same children?
B: They stayed here with their families. The children were on the occupied territory, and they ran out of food. The mothers from the occupied territory found this food and sent it to us in Donets. The question arose who would take it there, to go to the checkpoint and transfer it. And that was me.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: Yes. For about four days they would come out to the square where there was a mobile phone signal, and they would call and ask for help. They said: “We know you can deliver this” — they already knew about the story with the dog, because I had been there before. So they were asking me again to do it, to deliver the children’s food.
We had an agreement: I would go in and come straight back out, not stay there. And when they loaded everything, I arrived at the checkpoint, I drove in and suddenly saw the same people who had held us captive.
I: How unlucky can you be?
B: Well, what can you do? As they say, you can’t take words out of a song, right?
I: [Interpreting into English]
P: Did you reach an agreement with the russians that you would go in and come back out?
B: Look, I didn’t make that agreement.
I: Someone else did, right?
B: Those families who asked me to go there… I told them I’d already been held captive and had no desire to end up there again. “You need to arrange it so that I can drive in, unload, and return to government-controlled territory.” And that’s exactly what they did — they made the arrangements.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: And they… it’s not that I was surprised — they were more surprised than I was. When I drove in, well… they let me through: the entrance had already been blocked with a tractor, they moved it aside, I drove in, and then they put it back again. They had built this kind of tunnel out of sandbags, where you would stand and transfer the cargo. In case of shelling — they had made it as a safe spot for themselves. And when they saw me, they started calling me “Bezsmertny” [immortal]. They said, “Oh, Bezsmertny is here!”
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: [In English] So it was a pile of sandbags that was put by the russians, which was deliberately used to allow supplies to enter the area — in other words, a place to drop off and load them?
I: [In English] I’ll just clarify once more. [In Ukrainian] So, this sandbag structure — was it built by the russians to ensure safe loading and unloading?
B: Well, let’s put it this way: since it was the last checkpoint, they built it primarily for their own safety. Very few people went there to transfer supplies — just two of us: me and one other person. Later, another guy started going there as well. No one else went. Vitalik went once, to pick up a car.
I: Did they take his car, or did he take it?
B: He was driving the car out of here; he was helping to drive it out. So, it turns out that we…
I: Is that the grey Mercedes or something?
B: Probably, yes.
I: OK.
B: There weren’t many people, but a few of us did go there to transfer supplies. And when I first arrived and saw that structure, I just thought, “okay…” Over the entire period of occupation, I went there six times to transfer supplies at that checkpoint.
There was a system in place: they would arrange a pass for me, and on the occupied side they already knew I would be coming. I would simply transfer whatever was needed. Most of what was sent was medicine, as there was a severe shortage. Eventually, everyone knew they could send medicine to me by post.
I: I remember — you were the one delivering it, right?
B: Yes, that’s right.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: When the city was eventually de-occupied, we returned and started working here again — something you’re already a bit familiar with. As soon as we came back, we set up our own humanitarian hub, where we mainly distributed… sorry, let me just put my IQOS on charge.
I: Is it completely dead?
B: Yeah, basically — I need to charge it.
I: Got it. Can I use your IQOS later? I got a bit nervous.
B: What?
I: Can I use your IQOS later?
B: Of course.
I: Thanks.
B: And I would say that from 2022 up to the present day, the organization “We Wish for Peace” has been operating, and now it has mainly shifted its focus to supporting the military. This includes vehicles, drones, medical supplies, and all the other related things they need to maintain defence capabilities.
I: [Interpreting into English]
H: Is this one at [redacted]? (H is an English-speaking volunteer in the room)
I: What exactly is at [redacted]?
H: Is this hub at [redacted]?
I: He’s asking if that hub at [redacted], belonged to you? [Answering] That’s not it, because that one was over by [Redacted].
B: No, no, no, ours was right across from [redacted].
I: Right, right. [To H in English] No, it was that one, remember, where we were sorting through clothes? [In Ukrainian] Yes, we were there, I remember. On [redacted], but a bit further that way, right?
B: No. It’s further down that street.
I: Oh, further down the street?
B: Yes, yes, yes.
I: I think I’m getting lost.
B: Just below [redacted].
I: Oh, right, below [redacted]. [To H in English] Below [redacted].
B: You know, we had these moments where, for example, people would go to [redacted] to ask for help. And it was very convenient for them because their windows looked right out onto our hub.
I: Yes, they could see how long the line was.
B: And the people would just point and say: “Go over there, they’ll help you.”
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: Does he know what happened to the border guard from Luhansk?
I: Do you know what happened to those guys from Luhansk at the checkpoint?
B: Let’s put it this way: there were four of them; two are definitely gone. Definitely.
I: How do you know?
B: Well, I know because I help the military.
I: And what about the other two?
B: Nothing is known about them. When the liberation of our city began — the Kharkiv counteroffensive — it actually started with Balakliia. They entered Balakliia first, then…
I: Izium?
B: No, then Kupyansk, and only then they moved towards Izium.
I: I see.
B: Yeah.
I: [Interpreting into English] [To Vic in English] Regarding that question, he doesn’t know what happened to the other two guys.
B: Let’s just say, it’s not quite right to say we are all equal before God; I hope those two are also gone by now.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: Let me tell you a bit about the history behind this organization. Right now, we are in the premises of the “Civilian Prisoners” organization. I’m one of those who went through captivity, torture, and CRSV. Do you know what CRSV is? It stands for conflict-related sexual violence.
Sorry… let me gather my thoughts… [pause].
We found out about certain benefits — or support we are entitled to — almost by accident. The information simply isn’t out there. It just doesn’t exist in the public space.
I: I didn’t know about that either.
B: Exactly. While military POWs are talked about in every possible media outlet, when it comes to civilians…
I: No one is interested.
B: Yes, because you can’t build much “hype” on it. The trend has changed. When we got together — or rather, when they helped us gather our thoughts—a lot of work went into it. The “Andreyev Family” foundation brought us together, and it was all funded by the IOM (International Organization for Migration), a UN structure.
I: They funded the creation of your organization?
B: It wasn’t so much that they funded it directly—they conducted several focus groups and used women’s organizations as an example. They showed us: “Look, if women are being talked about at all, it’s because organizations have been created and people know about them. If you don’t create an organization and speak up for yourselves, no one will talk about you. Don’t wait for someone to come and bring it to you.”
I: That’s true.
B: Well, that’s how everything is done here; it’s no secret.
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: Do you also support the troops directly? I see you have soup, dehydrated food. Do you provide food and supplies for soldiers?
I: [Interpreting into Ukrainian]
B: No, this isn’t for soldiers.
I: But do you still continue to support the military, as you mentioned — drones, cars?
B: Yes, yes. I said that the “We Wish for Peace” organization is still active to this day. We just switched our focus from civilians to the military.
I: You don’t help civilians at all anymore?
B: No. Here, I don’t see the point in helping civilians anymore. You know, there’s this thing—it’s popular now — what you might call a ‘displacement mindset’. I’ll explain what it is. It’s a person who lives with the conviction that everyone owes them something. When we arrived in the city after de-occupation, we saw that people, for example, had reverted from 2022 back to the 1960s; even their appearance was just horrific. Back then, yes, help was needed. And I believe that was right. When it’s needed, it’s provided. But after that, people need to start…
I: Moving.
B: It’s not just about moving on, but about breaking the habit of having everything brought to you and simply sitting back and doing nothing. You can walk around now — even where we were just standing, there’s a sign saying “looking for a shop assistant.” Do you think anyone will apply? No. Because there are some foundations that find it convenient to continue delivering humanitarian aid — since it’s the cash they make from it.
We made a decision not to provide assistance to civilians. This is mainly because there were cases where we gave individual aid, and one of the conditions was that we would deliver it to their home. We did this as a small experiment — to see whether people truly needed help, or whether things were as bad as they described. And then you enter a three-room apartment, and one of the rooms is entirely filled with humanitarian aid — just piled up with supplies. You open the door and there’s barely any space left. It’s completely packed.
Why would you need so much? And will that person go to work after that? No. They register for benefits, food is delivered, as well as clothes, bedding, cleaning products, hygiene items — everything is provided. Will they go to work? They won’t. That’s it.
I: There’s no point, they’ve settled in fine.
B: Exactly.
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: Has a relatively normal life returned here, so people have jobs, electricity, and everything is happening more or less regularly?
I: Can it be said that people here have returned to their normal pre-war life? Has everything stabilized and normalized? No problems with electricity, everything’s okay?
B: Well, it’s the same as everywhere else.
I: Scheduled blackouts?
B: Scheduled blackouts. Also, in the last month, they’ve been targeting us very actively—the front line is about 47 km from here, so they can reach us with a lot of things. We sit without electricity more than other regions of Ukraine.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: As for whether the city has returned to how it lived before — no, it hasn’t. A lot of people went abroad, and most of them don’t plan to return because they’ve already set up their lives there. Those who stayed here and wanted to — they work and live. Those who don’t want to, they walk around and whine that there’s no money and everything is bad. Also, an important factor — the local authorities, who were here both before the war and now, have started doing more projects specifically for the people. For community cohesion, so that, for example, children can gather in different hubs, socialize, attend workshops, or even just watch a movie. They’ve finally, let’s say, started working. That was a “wow, finally” moment. Not just earning for themselves, but thinking a bit about the people. Of course, there are people working there who are still hardened by the “Sovok” [Soviet union]. For instance, I and guys like me have a slightly different vision of how things could be done in the city. Naturally, no one is going to let us in there, and before, our opinions weren’t listened to. Now, I’ll tell you, they are listening a little bit.
I: To you?
B: Yes.
I: In what sense? Can you give some examples?
B: Look, in 2023 we had a joint trip to our sister city, Vinnytsia.
I: Was that when the airborne troops came here, right?
B: No, that delegation came later. In 2023, we went to Vinnytsia to see how the city was coping during the war — as an exchange of experience. We saw a lot of interesting things there.
For example, with these hubs: how a single building can host several different clubs, how groups of people with shared interests can come together, and how the authorities provide premises free of charge just so people can gather and address their own issues.
We saw it there — and now we have the same thing here. And it’s really inspiring when it feels like: “If they managed to do it, why should we be any worse?” Especially now, it’s a time of opportunity, and our local authorities essentially have their hands untied.
I: Because many people have left and there are unused premises?
B: There aren’t any.
I: None? Is everything taken?
B: Even this building is under question; there are plans to take it back.
I: Right, I’ll translate and then we’ll continue on that. [Interpreting into English]
[to Victoria] So, what was the question again?
V: We started with “Has life returned to a normal state here?”
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: Was Bohdan born in this city?
I: [Interpreting into Ukrainian]
B: I’m originally from Vinnytsia.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: Originally from Vinnytsia. Do you guys have time?
I: Yes, we do.
B: Hold on. It’s just that my brother was mobilized.
I: Just now?
B: No, imagine this. Four days ago in Vinnytsia, he steps out of his apartment building at 8 AM. Basically, they [Military Recruitment Office] chased him around the yard for twenty minutes, then they threw him in a van. And the next day, he was already here with us, in Balakliia.
I: Is he already serving?
B: No, just look — no one arranged anything. They picked him up there and brought him to Balakliia. He says, well, at least it’s here…
I: Yeah, you can help him somehow. Damn, what a coincidence.
[Interpreting into English]
V: [In Ukrainian] TCC [Territorial Recruitment Center]?
I: Yes, the TCC. [Interpreting into English]
B: Actually, my life story is very interesting.
I: Oh, really? Don’t tell me [laughs].
B: Yeah… I have experience being in a boarding school that was more like an orphanage.
I: I’m already counting the layers on my fingers.
B: Well, let’s just say, from the 7th grade, I was already working for myself. I studied at the boarding school until the 7th grade, and then I just ran away — literally. I went back to my parents’ house and started working. I took my brother in, and since then, we’ve survived on our own.
I: And your parents?
B: My father has been gone since ’99.
I: Was he still around at that moment?
B: No, he was already gone. As for my mother, that’s a different story, I wouldn’t like to talk about it.
I: Okay, understood. So you and your brother lived alone in your parents’ house, just the two of you, right?
B: Yes.
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: Was he the older or younger brother?
I: [Interpreting into Ukrainian]
B: The younger one.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: I started working in the 7th grade. I don’t regret being in the boarding school, because that “survival school” taught me how to live and how to survive. I have that experience; many people are even surprised by how I did it. You know, everyone has this stereotype: if you’re from a boarding school or an orphanage, it means you’ll end up being “troubled.”
I: Not always. Many believe that, but I personally think it’s actually a very tough school of life.
B: You’re looking at an example right here.
I: It hardened you and gave you the strength and understanding of how to behave, how to get out of any situation that seems impossible. I’m sure of it.
B: Yes.
I: [Interpreting into English]
B: And how did I end up here? Let’s just say, we also have a sister, but we only share the same mother. We met her in 2007. It wasn’t a very pleasant occasion. I came for her husband’s funeral. That was the first time in our lives…
I: The first time you met?
B: Yes.
I: What a twist of fate. [Interpreting into English]
B: And so I stayed. I came here to visit Balakliia. And I just stayed here.
I: [Interpreting into English] Just you, without your brother, right?
B: Just me.
I: [Interpreting into English]
V: Does he feel like the situation is repeating itself now, like when he was a kid and was forced to look after his younger brother?
[Interview interrupted by someone entering]
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