The story of a man whose family was killed by two Russian bombs
I come to the cemetery five times a day, and there are five crosses: the story of a man from Malyn
I come to the cemetery five times a day, and there are five crosses with photos. All… ", - the whole family of Volodymyr Obodzinsky from the village of Yuriyivka, Malyn community, was killed by two Russian bombs.
Vladimir shows the last family photo shoot, taken on January 11, the first birthday of his little grandchildren: Denis and Nicole. The photo shows a happy family: 40-year-old wife Natalia, Ukrainian language teacher, 14-year-old son Volodymyr, 9th grade student, 19-year-old daughter Ivanna with twins. Everyone is smiling and cheerful.
And on March 8, two air bombs hit the two-story building of the Obodzinskis directly and completely destroyed it. Everything and everyone who was inside. There are no military facilities nearby. Volodymyr survived because he was at work that day.
"I remember our last conversation on Viber. It was just the 8th in the morning, I greeted them by video, and Natasha says, this is the only time when you did not greet us with flowers, this has never happened in my life. And Nick is standing with his hand on the phone: grandfather, grandfather, and Denis really loved to make a hedgehog, I say: Denis, make an evil hedgehog grandfather. The son greeted. And the daughter says: Dad, come back, I beg you, come back. And these are the words of my wife, which will remain in my soul for the rest of my life: if you were there, maybe you would have thought and left somewhere, ”Volodymyr recalls.
The man was informed about the tragedy by a neighbor, and later by his parents, who were the first to run to his son's house.
"The children were found 60 meters away, almost at the end of the garden. A wife and son and daughter were found on the other side of the house. Only the son could be recognized. Buried in closed coffins. We couldn't even find shoes for the children to put in the coffin, everything was closed. So he bought shoes and dug them into the grave, ”says Volodymyr without holding back tears.
The family built the house on their own for 10 years. Now there is a pile of bricks and children's things, books, clothes and toys are still scattered around.
"Everyone built it themselves. The yard was arranged, the garden. Natasha planted strawberries so that her grandchildren could be at home. And they planned to celebrate anniversaries: the son of the 15th anniversary, the daughter of the 20th anniversary. My wife also knew how to spend the holidays, always cheerful and smiling. Beautiful so. I didn't celebrate my 40th birthday, but went and bought myself a ring in memory. "
This ring was found under the rubble after the air strike. Documents were dug up almost undamaged. The cat also hid somewhere, the neighbors saw him walking on the rubble. Vladimir comes here hoping to find a pet. And he goes to his relatives every day. At the cemetery. With flowers and sweets for kids.
“I come to the cemetery five times a day, and there are five crosses with photos. All. And how do I live now? All mine here. For what?".
Volodymyr Obodzinsky still has the keys to his house in his pocket, which he no longer has. It is impossible to rebuild the house. The man appeals to all authorities to punish those responsible for the death of his family and wants the whole world to know how the Russians brutally kill Ukrainians and maim their fates.
The material was created with the assistance of the NGO Lviv Media Forum within the project LMF Support to the Network of Journalists.
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