At the age of 77, Odesa resident Anatoliy Viktorovych lost his home. His house on Parkova Street was destroyed by a russian missile on the night of July 24, the same night another missile destroyed the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in the center of Odesa.

The last words he heard before the explosion were, “Father, come here”. Then something hit him hard on the head, and in the haze, his daughter’s cry rang out, “We’ve gotta run from here!”.

The family rushed outside, and at that moment, rocks started falling on their heads. Anatoliy Viktorovych fell to the ground and saw the sky turning red as our air defense continued to shoot down aerial targets. Before his eyes, the house they had lived in all their lives was destroyed. Miraculously, he and his wife managed to escape the building.

Where a 4-apartment building once stood, now only a hole 12 meters in diameter and 8 meters deep remained. Their 33-year-old neighbor did not survive that night, and another neighbor, Olha, was pulled out from under the rubble and taken to the hospital. Gas was cut off throughout the block due to the smell, and, at the request of the residents, the utility service disconnected buildings from the grid.

After the tragedy, the Romanenko family moved to a rented apartment. Anatoliy had worked for over 30 years alongside his wife in a hospital. He was the chief doctor of the “Zatoka” children’s sanatorium, while his wife, Polina Pavlivna, worked as a therapist. However, the combined pensions of 7000 UAH were insufficient to cover their housing expenses. Initially, they received help from anyone who could contribute, but sustaining this for an extended period became impossible. Moreover, the apartment owner promised to increase the rent by an additional 2000 UAH.

The Save Ukraine team initiated collaboration with the Odesa City Council to assist families affected by providing housing. They prepared the area where the destroyed house once stood and installed two modular houses. The Romanenko family moved into one of them. Currently, our houses have been transferred to the city’s balance.

When Anatoliy Viktorovych first entered the modular house, he immediately said, “It’s like a wedding gift”. They will live there with their daughter, 17-year-old grandson, and wife until they can restore their own home.

Mr. Anatoliy is very pleased that the burden on the family budget has decreased.

“This house is a huge help to us. It’s very convenient, and nice, albeit small. But now we have our own little nest. We’re running out of words to convey how satisfied and happy we are. Even dishes are provided, which I didn’t expect. The shower is great, there’s a refrigerator, a large washing machine, a stove…” — shares the hero of our story with joy. We are very pleased that our FortHome project helps war-affected people feel support and gradually rebuild their lives.