The Dobrolezha family was trapped when the invaders entered their native Hryhorivka in the Kharkiv Region. Every day at the beginning of the great war was filled with fear. Home searches, interrogations, document checks, constant pressure, and intimidation began.

Lydiia was so afraid for her son Artem, who served in the Presidential Regiment. At any moment, he could be taken “to the basement” where the occupiers tortured people, or they disappeared altogether, as was the case with many victims of the Russians. Fortunately, thanks to volunteers, Artem managed to get to Europe. It was a decision on time because, a few weeks later, the Russian military came for him.

Those seven months of occupation were like an eternity. Lidiia remembers with elevation how all her fellow villagers cried for joy when the AFU liberated Hryhorivka.

However, peace turned out to be fragile. In April 2024, new shelling began. The house was partially damaged, and the family had to flee to Kharkiv. But even there, due to the constant city shelling, they had to seek refuge in other regions of Ukraine.

Save Ukraine volunteers dispelled the family’s confusion and uncertainty. The charitable foundation helped the family with evacuation and also gave a start to a new life. The Dobrolezh family settled in a cozy modular house under the Fort Home project in the Sniakhiv village, Chernivtsi region. There, for the first time in a long time, it was possible to fall asleep without the sounds of explosions.

We continue to support the family. The coordinators of our foundation helped daughter Lilia, a primary school teacher, to find a job at a local school. Such moments and the constant Save Ukraine support give the family a chance to start over a full-filling life.