Sasha
Oleksandra Antonenko, 12 12 y.o. Fled the unsafe Kharkiv and lost her father in the war. To overcome the unbearable heartache, she drew pictures.
Oleksandra Antonenko, 12 12 y.o. Fled the unsafe Kharkiv and lost her father in the war. To overcome the unbearable heartache, she drew pictures.
“
My father knew that there would be a war. He helped the Armed Forces of Ukraine and participated in the ATO, so he prepared Mom and me for the invasion. However, I still didn't fully realise what was happening or why I had to leave our home. Dad immediately went to fight, and he told us to go to Oleksandria, a town in the Kirovohrad region, to stay at our relatives' place. It is safer, and it doesn't really feel like the war here, although there are many displaced people. In the first few days in Oleksandria, I drew my first two pictures - with a bloody hand and two torn flags.
I used to study at an art school and draw in my spare time. Now I mostly do it to occupy my mind so that I don't think about all the bad things happening or when my heart grows heavy. My artworks are imbued with patriotic motives because
I love my country and want to support it even in my thoughts.
For example, Kharkiv is one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine, with many parks and fountains, historic buildings, cool people, and places to relax. My grandparents stayed there; I love them very much and talk to them every evening. But I can feel them getting sadder each day. The city has many hits of projectiles, and three buildings around our house have been destroyed.
My dad, Antonenko Dmytro, volunteered at the front – he launched drones. He died performing the combat mission near Kharkiv;
his comrade-in-arms said he didn't suffer.
Daddy was kind, generous, honest, and intelligent; we travelled a lot with him. He has many awards and certificates, and in order to honour him, people want to name the alley in Kharkiv where we live after him.
During the war, I became more mature and began to take some things more seriously. After Daddy's death, I started feeling more anxious. People must know that war is possible in the 21st century and should not be allowed because the consequences can be terrible.
In Oleksandria, I started my second year at school. I work out in the gym, study three foreign languages (English, French, and Spanish), and have also finished a course in web design and Python. I would like to return to my hometown after the war. I hope that it will happen soon.
We must hold on and believe in the future and our Victory!