Secondo voi com’è vivere la guerra in prima persona?
Il 29 febbraio la parrocchia di Strada in Chianti, come anche altre parrocchie, ha iniziato ad ospitare delle famiglie ucraine fuggite dalla loro patria. Una di loro è composta da una mamma con tre figli: Timor, Damian e Angelina, rispettivamente di 14, 10 e 4 anni. Timor, il più grande, si è subito inserito tra i ragazzi della nostra età. Parla un perfetto inglese, grazie al quale riusciamo a comunicare. Ci ha raccontato del giorno in cui è scoppiata la guerra e noi pensiamo che possa interessarvi leggere la sua testimonianza.
“ Mi ricordo che il giorno precedente a quello in cui è scoppiata la guerra promisi alla mia mamma che la mattina seguente avrei fatto tutti i compiti. Così la sera andai a letto tutto tranquillo, ma nel cuore della notte fui svegliato da delle forti esplosioni, dato che vicino a casa mia, a Kiev, c’è una base militare.
All’inizio non capivo, credevo di sognare, ma ad un certo punto la mia mamma si fiondò in camera mia dicendomi che era scoppiata la guerra e intimandomi di vestirmi, di prendere lo stretto necessario che mi serviva per vivere e di caricarlo in macchina. Una mezz’oretta dopo eravamo in viaggio, o meglio, imbottigliati nel traffico. Tutti stavano scappando.
Noi ci eravamo prefissati di raggiungere la casa di nonna Alina, dall’altra parte dell’Ucraina, vicino al confine ovest, a 700 chilometri di distanza da Kiev. Meno male che avevamo il serbatoio quasi pieno, perché il benzinaio ci avrebbe dato solo venti litri di carburante. Ci vollero ventuno ore per arrivare al confine e da lì fummo portati qui in Italia, solamente facendo l’autostop, io, la mamma, mio fratello, mia sorella e la nonna. Il babbo è a combattere e non lo vediamo da più di un mese, non abbiamo sue notizie.
Qui abbiamo trovato della gente fantastica, gentile e pronta ad aiutare. In Ucraina non siamo così. Ho molta paura della guerra, ho paura per mio padre e per la mia patria. Tutto questo deve finire. Ma intanto io sono qui sano e salvo, certo molto scosso, ma almeno non morirò per la guerra. E mi sono pure fatto degli amici! Intanto i libri sono sempre lì sulla mia scrivania (sempre che la mia casa non sia stata bombardata) e studio in collegamento con la mia insegnante che è ancora in Ucraina.”
What we think of the war?
Since 24th February we have been experiencing a conflict between Russia and Ukraine: two powers of the former Soviet Union.
But, what do our classmates think about this war?
Are you scared of this war?
Valentina: “Yes, I’m scared”
Naima: “I’m not afraid of the war but of Putin’s actions. I am afraid that he might, for example, exterminate whole peoples or destroy cities all over Europe. I think NATO is blocking it, so that can’t happen.”
Alessandro: “the war doesn’t scare me, but if NATO decides to send the armies of the States against Russia, this latter would greatly increase the resource costs of its subsoil and every country would suffer from that. I think NATO will decide to keep calm in order to avoid economic consequences.”
Are you afraid that some of your relatives may go to war if Italy is involved?
Naima: “Until Italy decides to take part into the war, I have no fear, but if that happens, I do not want to lose the people I love”
Valentina: “Yes, I’m afraid that my father will go to war and I will never see him again.”
Alessandro: “As far as I’m concerned, my dad’s not going to war and I don’t think NATO is sending military forces to Ukraine so as not to create problems in the other countries.”
Do you think that NATO and the EU should help Ukraine more? If so, how?
Valentina: “A lot of humanitarian aids and more trucks on the border to allow the Ukrainian escape.”
Naima: “Yes to the humanitarian aids but not to a military help, otherwise the war – in my opinion – would expand and become worldwide.”
Alessandro: “I know it is not a correct behaviour but, in this situation, I would be indifferent, otherwise we will lose a lot of Italians.”
Our interview with a Ukrainian boy
On 29th February, the Parish of Strada in Chianti began to host Ukrainian families who fled their homeland. One of them is composed by a mother and three children: Timor, Damian and Angelina, respectively 14, 10 and 4 years. Timor, the oldest, immediately entered among the guys of our age. He speaks a perfect English, thanks to which we can communicate. One day he told us about the day the war started. We are happy to write his witness of life here below.
“I remember the day before the war broke out. I promised my mom that the next morning I would have done all the homework. So, in the evening, I went to bed quietly, but during the night I was awakened by strong explosions, since there is a military base near my house in Kiev. At the beginning I didn’t understand, I thought I was dreaming, but at some point, my mum rushed into my room and told me that the war had started and I had to get dressed, to take with me the bare necessities and to get in the car. A half hour later we were on the road, or better, bottled in traffic. Everyone was escaping. We were going to my grandmother Alina’s house, on the other side of Ukraine, near the western border, 700 kilometres away from Kiev. Fortunately, our car tank was almost full, as the gas station would have given us just 20 litres fuel. Luckily, we succeed to get to the border. It took us 21 hours to get there and from the border we were brought here to Italy. We came all by hitch-hiking. My father is still fighting and we haven’t seen him for over a month, neither we have heard from him. Here we have found some great people, kind and ready to help. In Ukraine we are not like you are. I am very scared of the war; I am afraid for my father and for my country. All this must end. Meanwhile I am here safe; of course, I am very shaken but at least I won’t die for the war. And I’ve also met new friends! My books are always on my desk, in Kiev (if my house hasn’t been bombed!) and I’m studying online with my teacher who is still in Ukraine”.
Gabriele Diani, Tommaso Masti, 2A secondaria