Barefoot and without flowers

How did Nadezhda Savchenko meet in Kyiv. Report "Medusa"

On Wednesday, May 25, the Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko, convicted in Russia for aiding in the murder of employees of the VGTRK, was pardoned - on an airplane of the President of Ukraine, she returned to Kyiv. At the same time, former fighters of the GRU special forces Evgeny Erofeev and Alexander Alexandrov, pardoned by the President of Ukraine Peter Poroshenko, flew to Moscow from Kyiv. In Moscow, only wives met them, while Savchenko in Kyiv was waiting for hundreds of journalists and the first persons of the country. Poroshenko awarded her the highest state award - the title of Hero of Ukraine. At the request of Medusa, Nadezhda Savchenko at the Kiev airport was met by the local journalist Alexander Milonov.

In the past few days, Nadezhda Savchenko in Kyiv spoke especially a lot about the liberation of the Ukrainian pilot; Doubts were only about the exact date. As a result, she was released on the second anniversary of the election of Petro Poroshenko by the President of Ukraine.

Hundreds of journalists who learned about the liberation of Savchenko and that she flew to Kyiv from Rostov-on-Don, went to the Kiev airport Borispol-suggested that she should be met in the hall of official delegations. However, it suddenly became clear that it should be waiting in the old terminal “B”, which is now practically not used.

The exit from the terminal was surrounded by journalists from Ukrainian, Russian and Western media. It was impossible to pull out a word from the airport staff: smiling mysteriously, men in fluorescent vests replied that they knew nothing. “Usually this terminal does not work at all,” the young employee of the airport said carefully choosing the words.

In the very building of the terminal "B" they did not allow anyone; It was fenced by barriers. Shops, baggage carts, suitcases and even garbage tanks were assigned to the fence - just to see what was happening before everyone else.

One of the first to come to Borispol was the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Igor Lutsenko; Under his slightly unbuttoned jacket, embroidery was visible. He reached the fastest because he went on a motorcycle - but wet to the thread under the storm. Smiling radiantly, the deputy asked if there was by chance inside the hair dryer - and retired inside; He was missed. A gray -haired man who was walking with a deputy told him that Mother Savchenko, Maria Ivanovna, did not know that her daughter would be released today. According to the man, the motorcade of the leader of the Fatherland Party Yulia Tymoshenko (according to the list of this party, Nadezhda Savchenko in 2014 was elected to the Verkhovna Rada) with Maria Savchenko and her sister Vera should wait a minute, because they, “absolutely shocked” - are taken straight from the house.

It does not pass even ten minutes, as the same man indicates in the direction of parking. “Look! So they drove up, ”for some reason he reports in a half-whisper.

Yulia Tymoshenko came out of the Black Mercedes of the representative class, she neatly led Maria Savchenko dressed next to her in the festive embroidery. She kept a huge bouquet of white roses, two guards carried the same on both sides of women. As they approach the crowd of journalists Tymoshenko, the mother of Nadezhda Savchenko, who looked frightened, pushed more and more confidently. Women whispered about something, the ring of journalists gradually closed around them.

Correspondents vied rushed to ask questions, snapped cameras.

- What do you feel, Maria Ivanovna? Is she already landing? - The first shouts a blonde in a pink jacket.

- What first words will you say to your daughter? - the male voice intercepts the initiative.

Maria Savchenko answered the questions monosyllabic, said that she was worried and tries to restrain tears with all her might.

- I saw my daughter for the last time on December 24 last year, in March and May I was not allowed to go to her. I don’t know what I will say, I will cry, ”she said with irritation and confusion.

Savchenko’s mother also went into the terminal, after an hour shetalked with a just mundane daughter on the phone.

Journalists again took waiting positions from the fences, but the most interesting thing happened without their participation. Unnoticed right onto the flight field, the motorcade of President Petro Poroshenko drove. A message appeared on his Twitter that the plane landed. Then, on Facebook by Vera Savchenko, a joint photograph with her sister was published. Finally, Yulia Tymoshenko and her comrade -in -arms in the "Fatherland" Alexander Kuzhel came out of the door of the terminal.

Tymoshenko was ready to speak for a long time, but then Nadezhda Savchenko appeared. She was barefoot, in tight jeans and in a white T -shirt with the coat of arms of Ukraine. Stopping in the crowd of journalists, Savchenko loudly demanded to free the space around her. Either from respect, or from fear of her scream, people took a few steps back.

Having a pause in a few seconds, Savchenko made her first speech at large: “It is very profitable when the heroes are dead, it is bad when they are alive. It is bad for everyone, but we will live, and the heroes will be in the VP [Verkhovna Rada] of Ukraine. They will be in the WP to envy the Russian Duma, and they will be for the glory of Ukraine, for gratitude to the Ukrainian people. Thanks to those who talked about me well, thanks to you I survived. Thanks to those who talked about me badly, I spent you, I survived to you. Thanks to those who were indifferent, you did not interfere. Thanks to everyone. Happily".

Having sharply cut off the speech, Savchenko left the crowd, brushing away from those who tried to get too close, as well as ignoring the hands, holding out her bouquets of flowers. They shouted to her: "Why are you barefoot?" She did not answer.

Nadezhda Savchenko was almost hiding in a minibus, in which her mother and sister were already sitting - and who was supposed to take her to the presidential administration. She was shouted that Yulia Tymoshenko wanted to spread with her a couple of phrases. Savchenko left, briefly talked with the leader of her party and sat back in the minibus. Tymoshenko remained to answer questions; She said with sympathy that every nation in difficult times should have hope, about Savchenko’s “power and uncompromisingness” and that her liberation is not the assignment of the Kremlin, but the “personal victory” of the pilot convicted in Russia.

“I saw her for the first time. For the first time in my life, I touched her so that you understand. Her strength and energy demand that she began to work for Ukraine today ... A strong leader has come home, ”said Tymoshenko.

At a joint press conference, Petro Poroshenko said that Ukraine would “return the Donbass and Crimea” just as Savchenko returned. The Ukrainian president handed Savchenko the Order of the Golden Star, who are awarded people awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine; In response, she shook his hand without unnecessary emotions.

Alexandra Milonov

Kyiv