In March 2022, shortly after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,
Liliia Vasylivna set out with her daughter-in-law and four grandchildren to meet the
unknown. She lived in a city to the east, forty kilometers from the border of the
aggressor country, where military vehicles traveled in long columns, and missiles
were in the air. The risks brought by the war were too high. If not for herself,
then for the children—there was a need to shield them from the dangers. Two thousand
kilometers away from home, in Berlin, lived her daughter with her son-in-law. In
that new location, Liliia Vasylivna was going to discover a different life—void of
sirens, explosions, and the threat of occupation. However, the idea of leaving her
hometown still stirred fear.
Three generations found themselves in one apartment. The distance that once kept
them apart allowed each person to live freely. Disregarding advice, avoiding
uncomfortable topics, and making decisions without convening a council used to be
effortless. However, family ties, which seemed archaic, proved stronger than
temporary inconveniences.
