I’m Victor Tanasov from Irpin, in Ukraine. I have lived in Ukraine for 24 years together with my wife and our two children. 

 

Over time, we had the opportunity to buy a small house. Gradually we renewed it little by little. We saved all our investments and savings went only to finish our house. It actually took about 17 years to finish it. 
We completed the second floor two years ago. Our daughter and her husband started living there after they got married. Last autumn their daughter was born and they continued living there.

I was involved in teaching music to the teenagers, raised children's bands.
My son also had a music band and still continues playing.
My wife has worked for 22 years in a "Christian Life Center".
 

On February 24, 2022, the war began.
We spent the first night in the basement. But on the 2nd day we decided to leave our city, Irpin. We quickly packed up and took a suitcase with some things we could put in there.

A month later, we were informed that a shell had hit the house and the house had burned down. Somebody sent us a video of our ruined house. It was terrible to see and hard to accept, but we are thankful to be alive, all of us and glad that we decided to leave Irpin before being too late. 

In the photo, which was taken two weeks before the war, you can see us all together. But unfortunately now we are not together, but we dream and we hope and we pray to be together again as soon as possible. And it will be possible only after we will have a house to live in. 
We love our country, we fell in love with the city in which we lived and we want to return.
We dream of rebuilding our house, but this is definitely just a dream.

Regards,

 

Ivan Tanasov