The couple hastily left Sevastopol when the Russian Federation annexed Crimea, and this time they had to leave Kyiv region
Vasyl Kabanenko and his wife Maria are immigrants, they have a cozy room for two in the Pidbuzy geriatric boarding house, where they feel safe. “From the shores of the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea, from the Baltic to the shores of the Pacific Ocean” – this is the way, according to Vasyl Hryhorovych, the couple traveled.
Mr. Vasyl remembers his childhood years, barely holding back tears. He was born in a large family, so from the age of 8 he started working in a collective farm, which is called slavery for short. Despite working at such a young age, he was thirsty for knowledge, in 1945 he went to primary school, where he successfully completed the 4th grade. Then there was the 7-year-old. After finishing school, the young man, thanks to a lucky coincidence, entered the Caspian Higher Naval School, which he graduated with honors.
After that, the cold far north awaited the boy. When he left for the Arctic, his bride was waiting for him. Later, in the Arctic, where they had already arrived together, their firstborn was born. The man served in naval aviation in the North Atlantic for 12 years. He recalls that he had to work in difficult conditions: first in the 9th Rocket Regiment named after Safronov, later in the Separate Far Divisional Regiment. During the Cold War, Mr. Vasyl worked as a scout, flying a Tu-16 bomber. Due to the difficult northern climate, the couple decided to move to Sevastopol, so Mr. Vasyl started working at the Sevastopol Forestry Institute.
I had to leave my home unexpectedly. The couple hastily left Sevastopol when the Russian Federation annexed the Crimean Peninsula. They settled in Irpen, where for the first time they lived without water and electricity, but were grateful that they were given shelter.
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian troops, residents of Irpen began to leave their homes en masse. “There were just the two of us and one other woman left in the 10-story building,” recalls Vasyl Hryhorovych. Later, the granddaughter and her husband took the old women to Kyiv. “What they were in, that’s what they came for,” they admit. After that, another move was waiting for them, because it was dangerous to stay in Kyiv. It took 16 hours to get to Drohobych.
On March 16, they arrived at the Pidbuzka geriatric boarding house. The couple is satisfied with the care and their accommodation. “It is necessary to pay tribute to all the staff, led by the director of the institution. Nurses and staff always have a good word to say. And a kind word heals better than medicine,” emphasizes Mr. Vasyl.
Last week, Mr. Vasyl celebrated his 86th birthday, and on September 10, it will be 65 years since the couple got married.