Life under bombing in Belgorod

How they live under bombing in the Belgorod region

Briefly

In the spring, Olga Garkushova, the head of the children's art school from the Belgorod Region, led her husband to war. In the summer she was informed that he was killed, but officially not recognized as dead. Olga refuses to believe in the death of her husband and, together with the director of the school, Oksana Vakulenko, is trying to find out about his fate. Vladimir Sevrinovsky went to the border village and tells how local residents are looking for a missing soldier and what they have to deal with on this path. This is a joint publication of the "features" and "people of Lake Baikal."

Conflicting feelings

Roads in the Grevoronsky district of the Belgorod region are full of indicators to Kharkov and Sumy. Older residents recall: "Belgorod used to be a provincial town, to study went to Kharkov." Until 2014, Russians from border regions repaired cars in Ukraine, and Ukrainians purchased cheap gasoline in Russia. There are a lot of mixed families, a surzhik sounds on the streets.

On the morning of February 24, 2022, Olga Garkushova, the manager, called the boss, the director of the art school village Golovchino Oksana Vakulenko: “Oksana Viktorovna, the war began!”

She opened the window and heard shots. Russian troops went through the village to Ukraine.

Oksana, just in case, ordered employees to collect things, but by dinner she still went to work. Olga’s husband, Andrei, habitually bustard the household. The former military man, who had fired from the army in the hungry nineties, was repulsed by the broken, drew, thought and even worked as a watchman. Oksana’s children went out for a long time, and she belonged to Andrei and Olga in Materinine. All three were scared, and most importantly - incomprehensible.

- Such conflicting feelings were. At first: how is it, my country ... - recalls Oksana Vakulenko. - Then it began to lay out on the shelves. Since 2014, we giggled: oh, some kind of ditches they dig, defend us from us. And they did not defend. They were preparing.

A girlfriend from the DPR helped to find solid ground under her feet: she convinced Oksana that it was impossible otherwise. And the woman calmed down. Fortunately, soon it was not up to ethical problems: an endless stream of Russian troops walked through the village. They were supplied with no matter, and the inhabitants helped the soldiers. Even opponents of war were fed hungry - such, according to Oksana, in the village of about a third.

“It doesn't matter for you or against,” Oksana is sure. - These are our children. They need to help. Pamper homework, warm socks ...

Explosions rumbled somewhere far away in Ukraine. Having recovered from the shock, the villagers gradually returned to their usual life. But on April 19, the war came to Golovchino.

- They shot at the remibaz. Cassette is so scary! - recalls Oksana.

The house of Andrei and Olga was almost not injured. There was a hole in the fence and scratches on the walls. And Andrei’s mother miraculously remained alive: the fragment broke the window and stuck in the bed mattress. Olga still stores a chipped piece of metal covered with a melted green cloth. She is convinced that it was on that day that Andrei decided to go to war.

Warrior by nature

The art school of a large village Golovchino is empty. Due to bombing, children learn remotely. Next to the festively shining rainbow in the center of the Hall hang instructions on what to do when shelling and detecting mines “petal”. On October 3, a woman died 300 meters from the school. Now teachers themselves go home to adolescents: it’s hard to teach music on the Internet. Children are prepared to participate in competitions - also distance.

Clay soldiers hang clay soldiers in the hall for drawing over the dusty prayers: with a parachute, with orders, with an old woman ... The children pulled them out before the war. The school carefully store Putin's photos: he was here in 2011 at the forum of the rural intelligentsia. He said almost nothing, asked more.

Oksana Vakulenko-a burly, strong woman of 56 years old with a monumental shock of light brown hair-sits like a schoolgirl, behind a desk next to the piano. Nearby is Olga, a chubby brunette of about forty.

The husband did not tell Olga about plans to go to war . But she immediately suspected something was amiss. When Andrei unexpectedly traveled to Belgorod, his wife guessed - he was in the military enlistment office.

On April 26, Olga celebrated her birthday at work. In the midst of congratulations, the phone rang. Seeing her husband’s number, Olga felt: she is waiting for the wishes of happiness and not a chic bouquet that her husband always gave for the holiday. She went out into the corridor to talk.

- Olya comes in, there is no face on her. He says that Andrei is taken to his own, ”recalls Oksana.

The director immediately rushed to call the Golovchino administration - she thought that mobilization began. As in the Great Patriotic War, when more than 12% of the villagers died at the front. But Andrei signed up voluntarily. At first they did not take - age, 43 years old. He insisted on his own.

“I'm to his house, tears are strangling,” says Oksana. - "What have you done?" He in response: “Viktorovna, I cannot differently. Tired of sitting under fire, afraid, hide. Everything will be fine. I will definitely come back. We must fight, adult men. And the young should give birth to children. "

Tears and persuasion did not lead to anything.

“He is a warrior by nature,” says Oksana. - His patriotism is not imaginary. I must protect the homeland - and that’s it. I put it before the fact: I’m leaving tomorrow.

Olga opens up photos of Andrei on the phone. A sports, short -haired middle -aged man smiles, hugging his wife. The muscular torso is naked, a silver chain on the neck. Olga strokes her finger. In the next picture - a close -up of a husband’s wrist with expensive watches. Once Andrei was in the place of a car accident and saved his mother with a child from a burning car. The woman's father came to Golovchino and gave him a clock. Andrei put them only on special occasions. With this clock and a chain on April 27, he went to war. I left my friend to look after a friend.

- A real man. The hero of our time, - admires Olga's husband.

Until May 3, Andrei trained at the training ground in Valuyki and called his wife every day. On the morning of May 4, he called at 7 in the morning and said that he was leaving. When asked where, he answered - "For the ribbon." So the military call the border with Ukraine. From there, Andrei called another 16, 20 and 23. And no longer got in touch.

“He was killed. Smile off "

Since the end of April, the villagers began to get used to bombing. Golovchino, according to them, was shot from degrees and mortars. Window windows rattled menacingly, the inhabitants sealed their cross with a film or painted tape. The administration paid for the repair when it was possible, and relocated people from two destroyed houses.

The shells lay close to military facilities. Now they tried to distill the equipment at night, and rumors crawled about the gunners who secretly transmit the coordinates to the enemy. They suspected anti -war residents, but even more - Ukrainian refugees who flooded the Belgorod region. More than six hundred were located in the PVR, others settled with relatives and acquaintances.

“They are allowed to stay here in vain,” Oksana shakes his head. - One goes with a pure heart, and the other ... We are Russia, a kind country. They are ready to warm everyone, but many use this, pursuing their ugly interests.

However, she herself hired refugees - a Russian -speaking resident of Ukraine. Relatives took her out from under the bombing to Georgia, but there the woman did not take root. Everything seemed to her alien. Either Russia's business is all the more, from its destroyed Ukrainian house to Golovchino only a few tens of kilometers. A woman of Olga settled. According to Oksana, the refugee is the happiest resident of the village. While the rest are afraid of shelling, she only shrugs - it was much worse at home.

On July 27, when Andrei had to end with a three -month contract, a volunteer from the neighboring area contacted Olga. He said that on June 3, Garkushov died - he burned in the BMP. Oksana and Olga began to write to all instances - to the Ministry of Defense, the military prosecutor, and military registration and enlistment office. The answers came contradictory: it was listed on his, was listed as missing ... Finally, Olga was offered to come to the military unit - to re -register Andrei's salary.

“We were brought to the club,” Olga recalls. -The soldier offered the tea-coffee. We are waiting for no one to come out. I think I'll go see what is in the unit.

She stumbled upon a room where the mourning portraits of soldiers hung. The dates of birth were different, the date of death was general. June 3. From one portrait, her husband Andrei looked at her.

What happened next, Olga tells with difficulty, often getting down. She found the commander, but he did not explain anything. Part did not even say to the military enlistment office that Andrei was gone. Then she went to the head of the club Olga Nikolaevna, who was entrusted with communication with relatives of the soldiers. She said in the forehead: “He was killed. Smile off. "

“Why were you silent before?” - Olga was indignant. And I heard in response:

“So that you have taken out my brain from June 3, where is the body?”

When asked whether they would look for Andrei, she shrugged his shoulders: “We are not obliged.”

Olga managed to achieve one thing - with her a portrait of her husband was removed from the stand with the dead and broke. She decided - since the military is not looking for him, she will have to find Andrei on his own. And at the same time, three other fighters of his crew, who are listed dead. In the mourning room, Olga managed to photograph portraits and record names: Roman Stecolnikov, Maxim Kitsyna and Yegor Khramtsov.

Relatives

Maxim Kitsyna's mother found in Astrakhan. She was sure that her son would never have surrendered. The units confirmed that the "Mad Max", as his colleagues called him, would rather undermine himself with a grenade. Oddly enough, this only strengthened the faith of relatives that Kitsyna will come out this time - he constantly came out of various troubles. Egor’s sister, a quiet girl from the Altai village, independently searched for her brother on the Internet. Only a fraudster responded, who tried to bred her for money under the guise of a Ukrainian commander. The father of the Petersburger Roman Stekolnikov fenced Olga the news that his son called him on June 5, two days after the alleged death. Soon, the father stopped answering messages. There were only women.

They went to the lieutenant, who was on June 3 in the same BMP with their relatives. According to his story, there were six fighters in total. They took a battle in the village of Vernopol, in the territory controlled by the Armed Forces. A projectile hit the car, the ammunition detonated. Only one soldier and the lieutenant managed to jump out, but his eyes were fallen. This gave hope - blind, in the thick of the battle, he might not notice how the colleagues were saved.

There were months. Women found new witnesses, but there was no clarity. Olga Nikolaevna, after a scandalous meeting with her wife, Andrei reprimanded - and now claimed that "90 percent they are captured." She explained such a change in the fact that the bodies were constantly exchanged. The boys, she said, would be especially valuable in the hierarchy of the dead, since they are the military military. Olga Nikolaevna claimed that the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces of Russian soldiers have a shortage, they even tear the burial grounds. If there are no corpses, then the guys are most likely alive.

The bodies and prisoners for exchange in abundance appeared in September, when the Russian army in disorder retreated from under the raisins. Thusified, battered troops returned through the same Grailoronsky district. And again, its inhabitants, regardless of beliefs, went out to help "our children." The soldiers drank borsch and asked the compassionate villagers only one question: "Why was it all?"

Oksana did not know what to answer. The idea that Putin pulled Russia into a long war by mistake was rejected: “If it was obvious to me, a simple resident of the Far District, that Ukraine could not be seized as easily as Crimea, what can we say about the presidential advisers!” The TV did not give an answer - to look at Solovyov and Skabeev was sick. Oksana considers them low -grade propagandists like those who "wash the brains of Ukrainians, nourished them with hatred of Russia." The woman says that she would like to listen to smart and honest people who will spread everything on the shelves and explain why both attack and retreat are the result of a wise calculation or at least a secret conspiracy. But where to get them!

Drowning her own doubts, Oksana tried to teach schoolchildren “with an even greater emphasis on patriotic education”, without excessive “deepening into European values”. And so other parents suspiciously looked at the rainbow in the lobby. Are there any inappropriate hints in her?

- If I, an adult, have such a gruel in my head, what about children? - Oksana throws her hands. - They must be directed. There must be some kind of ideology. Faith in something good, bright.

In search of support, Oksana recalled a happy childhood in the Soviet military town, the former confidence in the future.

- And now? She asked a rhetorical question.

One thing was clear - now that the army retreated far from Vernopol, looking for the missing ones is even more difficult. Oksana and Olga did not want to turn to the Ukrainians - "little confidence." In addition, they were sure that the stubborn Andrei, and, moreover, the “Mad Max” would be silent in captivity. And their documents and personal belongings remained at the headquarters.

The extreme point

On December 3, on the day of an unknown soldier, Oksana and Olga, we went to lay flowers to the memorial in Gravoron. This is a small cozy town with a population of about 6 thousand people. The Kozinka village adjacent to him rests on the border so that, according to the stories of local residents, during demarcation, one house remained in Russia, and the barn near it in Ukraine. To Lukashovka, the nearest Ukrainian village, from Kozinka about 500 meters.

On the pillars along the roads are empty storu nests, trees are in dark tangled puffs of Omel. Bridges are exhibited by the bridges. The city museum meets visitors with the letter Z in the colors of the St. George tape, but further, in the halls, a completely different war. On the poster, “A single blow to a single target,” Hitler crouched under a mighty fist with a red star, British and American flags. At a separate stand - Ukrainian costumes from the production of the play "Natalka Poltavka". The library on Mira Street shines with a new, recently restored roof. A bomb hit her. They say that from the Ukrainian drone.

In the park from the speakers, we are buzzing: "We wake up, and it rumbles over midnight either a thunderstorm or an echo of a past war." The Gravovorians take turns putting red carnations on dark granite. The head of the administration, Gennady Bondarev stands near the monument, wide opening his legs and clenching the mighty fists. To his left, a wreath with a Russian tricolor, on the right - in the form of a five -pointed star.

- Our guys are dying today. We have already buried five Grailorons. But this is not in vain - he hardly picks up words. -We must be worthy of those deaths that once our grandfathers gave to someone, so that we would stand here and pay tribute to our soldiers, our Russians. We have the only task - to survive, to win in this difficult, absolutely incomprehensible situation, but it is fair to the madness.

The old man, listening to the head of the administration, tremble his lips.

“It wouldn’t be us without his own,” Bondarev raises the voice. - Today our district is the beginning of our Russia. 83 kilometers of the state border that we have - outpost, a line through which there are plans to harm.

He assures that the Ukrainians will not be allowed, but “the sky is a completely different war”, and it is impossible to warn about bombing in advance.

“Everything will be fine, Andrei will be found,” an official wrapped in a yellow shawl encourages Olga with a long bronze bang. Sighs:

- All Russian regions live in joy, and we ...

Noticing the camera pointed on her, she speaks in a completely different, chanting voice:

“I have been living here for three hundred years.” Because my ancestors lived here. This is our land, and we will do everything to remain ours. Now even our children know what a shell is flying. We are here, we are Russia, we are an extreme point. Our faith Orthodox is held on Earth. In Gravoron there is not a single person who would not believe in our Lord, in his strength, in the cover of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the angels who keep us.

Bloody Easter

The church has darkened icons, a cozy smell of incense. Olga puts a candle for her husband's health. Recently, Andrei appeared to her in a dream and said: "Do not believe anyone, I am alive."

- Conducted - then he will knock on the window, call for a date. That will just meet me. Such was original, - Olga sucks. - I can't talk about him in the past tense. He was, is and will be. Always.

The tongue of flame over the candle shudders from the blow of the wind.

“Recently there was an interesting case,” the priest addresses Olga as a long -friend. - Next to an unbaptized person, two stretch marks exploded. Two died, and he was unharmed. He came on vacation, took baptism. And again he left for the tape. Why did the Lord keep him unbaptized?

The priest is still young, with a slight session in a thick beard. He grew up next to the border, Ukrainianisms slip in his speech. In Kharkov, he has close relatives. According to him, with the outbreak of war, the parishioners frequented into temples, as in Easter. He barely managed to replenish the notebook entitled “Warriors”. Then the stream subsided. Again, almost no one goes to church, and it is not clear to him what to do with this list. Either pray for health, or for the rest. Brother by faith, a monastery priest, said about the following: "They are between heaven and earth, neither living, nor dead."

- Everyone is lying, and Ukrainian propaganda and Konashenkov. I see how much it went, and how much it returned!

Father rewards the speaker of the Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov with an unflattering epithet. Like Oksana, the priest says that he dreams of hearing an honest explanation of the situation from the state. In the meantime, it remains to rely on the sayings of the Holy Fathers.

- It is said in the prophecy: at first there will be a bloody Easter, then hungry, and after it - the victorious.

Who exactly will win, the priest has no doubt. But the main miracle that he admires in a conversation with Olga is not at all about victories over Ukrainians.

“A column of tanks for a ribbon drove past us,” says the priest. - one had a caterpillar burst. Local crowded, help. The tanker is fussing. To no avail. So they left without him.

The eyes of the priest are expanding with delight and reverence.

-It must be the holy mother of this boy-tank. Monated her son from death.

“Many died,” Olga says quietly.

“The Lord replenishes the army of angels,” the priest instructively replies.

June 3

“We came to a standstill,” says Oksana. - In the part of the shutters. As soon as someone will delve into, as he goes on his.

Months of searches, dozens of evidence-and still neither live Andrei nor the body. The husband’s army salary was re-registered to Olga-39 thousand rubles a month, without any combat allowances. She asked the headquarters to return personal belongings. The documents were sent. A chain and a given watch - no.

Desperate women are going through the notes of conversations with the colleagues of Garkushov.

- The command of the command? Betrayal? - the soldier Vitaly (the name changed), to whom the Mad Max Kitsyna saved "nobody three times unnecessary life." According to him, he was in one of the two crews that went on the same route on the eve of June 2.

- We were told, “art” worked out, go boldly. As it turned out, there was not even intelligence ... We were met. Calculate and with knowledge of the matter. When we retreated on trot, we were escorted by everything that flies. From a machine gun to the RSO "Grad".

Vitaly is sure that sending a column there the next day was criminal.

- Yegor [Khramtsov] I personally said: Wait, asshole! His surname was not named. I wanted to fight.

“When they went on the attack, we kept a distance,” says the employee of the sanitary service Artyom (the name changed) . “There are only five doctors per regiment.” We were two kilometers from the battle center. If possible, we do not throw our own, pull out the two hundredths. But if not ... When to pull out five, they can lie down by twenty ...

His voice, distorted by the messenger, is rattling and interrupted.

- They pass only three hundredths. Two hundredth, if a severe situation is left. It was hot. The degree of melting is large, the body is boiling. There is simply nothing left. Kitsyn was posthumously presented to the Order of Courage.

After the explosion of the BMP, the drone was launched over the battlefield. According to Vitaly, the body of the "Mad Max" was visible in the burned car:

- So he sat. In the cap, and the headset in the ear. Even considered it.

“Understand correctly,” the doctor justifies before Olga. - I'm alone in the family. Mom does not even know that I went under a contract. I have two wives, a bunch of kids - however, I am divorced. Therefore, I understand you as a widow.

Apologizing, he mutters that he himself was finished twice, but he did not receive military payments, and now he is suing the part.

- They were sent to slaughter. It was one -way ticket, - Vitaly summarizes. - Commander, Gori, bitch, in hell.

But the mother, sister and wife of three soldiers refuse to believe in the death of relatives and the terrible mistake of the commander in chief. Contrary to everything, they hope for a miracle.

You also heard

"The family ensemble of the Garkushov-Strakhovs is acting!"

Son Maxim stretches the fur of the accordion, nods Olga, and she begins to tap the rhythm on the marats. Andrei in a white ironed shirt beats a wand on a plate, trampling to the beat. Everyone is alive, everyone is smart and happy, under the video Date: April 2021.

Women are sitting in an empty school of arts, watching old notes. Outside the window, something is silent quietly. Then again. And yet.

“After 11 in the morning it begins,” Oksana explains. - If from here, then "bang, bang!" And from there - "Bach, Bababababa!"

She gestures violently, showing the power of the roar.

- When ours work, we rejoice. We understand that we are protected. And there are hardly arrivals.

Olga shows pictures in Telegram. Against the background of the night sky - flows of fire:

- Yesterday in Shebekino. The first photo is phosphorus, the second is a chandelier, a lighting rocket, ”she explains with knowledge.

Oksana and Olga freeze, listening to the noise of the cannonade. There are no bomb shelters in Golovchino. When the village was covered with shelling and a woman died nearby, they hid together in the corridor of an empty school, sat on the floor and waited for the explosions to subside.

But in a calm time, Olga prefers not to walk along the streets. The mother -in -law disliked her. When Andrei disappeared, gossip crawled around the village, all -penetrating, like poisonous gas. People whisper that the husband escaped to the front due to the unbearable situation in the house. Olga's mother suffered from Alzheimer's progressive disease. She died in the fall - they buried an old woman under a downpour and shelling. In the cemetery, Olga met another procession. The first mobilized returned in the zinc coffin.

- I asked: “Andrey, how do you leave Olga, because she is here alone? You know her relationship with your mother. That her mother is sick, the teenage son is 15 years old, and she herself is insulin-dependent,-Oksana is indignant. - And he in response: “The wife is strong. She can handle it. " He went to defend his family to Ukraine.

- Supply along the way. Bababach was, ”Olga reports.

The sounds of the shelling only slightly overlap the noise of the village street, but the inhabitants of the village determine them instantly: sometimes life depends on this.

- We have many works of Ukrainian authors under the program. Ukrainian music is amazing, ”says Oksana. - And some children ... You say: we will teach the Ukrainian folk song. And they refuse. Children have incorrect associations. It seems to me that the music, on the contrary, should unite.

She takes her breath and sings:

- Misysk on the NEBI, ZIRONKI Shine, quietly on the sea of ​​choveen swim ...

“Mom loved this song ...” she explains. And suddenly this imperious woman, who grew up among the military, pulling on herself both the school, and her workers, and unfamiliar soldiers, closes her eyes with her hands and hardly pronounces through tears:

- Incomprehensible ... I can’t believe ...

“Information about the consequences on Earth did not receive,” Olga reads aloud news in Telegram.

“When it began, many families broke up,” recalls Oksana. - Children said terrible things to parents. Recently, relatives on different sides of the borders write to each other: hold on. And in response - and you keep there. They start somehow ... wake up, or something.

“In Kharkov, arrivals,” says Olga.

- We are signed for all channels. Both Belgorod and Kharkov, ”Oksana explains. - As we start shooting, they have arrivals at once. So and vice versa. In the meantime, we rattles, we do not know where. We just hear these sounds. We hear. Yes, and you also heard.