Mariupol. Photo: Azov.org.ua
Mariupol is a city blockaded since the war started. It became a trap for hundreds of thousands of civilians and it is almost impossible to get out of it. Those who managed to escape call it nothing but a Genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Today we want to show you the letters of a mother who stayed in Mariupol with her husband to her son living in Kharkiv. They describe in detail the whole disaster happening in Mariupol.
March 2
“My son, I’m writing to you in case there is a bit of connection and I can send a message. We’re okay, but there is only gas left. They say soon they’ll turn it off, too. They’re bombing heavily. We don’t have water and light for two days in a row. Yet, we can cope with it. The sister came today and we shared our food with her. Not knowing what’s going on is most horrific.
We love you so much, we hope you’re doing well”
March 4
“Good morning, my son! It’s the 4th of March, 8.20 am. We survived another night. We had little sleep tonight, they’re bombing mercilessly and seem to be near us. I’m terrified to die and leave you alone. Yet, now it’s morning and we’re alive. Thank God we have gas – but nothing more. We love you so much, take care, our dear son.
My son, it’s 9.33 am. We are okay. It was 15°C in our apartment, but we did our chores and got warm. And were glad at our thrifty again. We found a torch and a box with garlands with batteries in them! Now we have light. Let’s make a deal: if our phone batteries die, try to call grandpa at the noon and at 9 pm. We’ll turn his phone on at that time.
I went up to the 12th floor. Maybe, I could send the messages there. It’s evening, 4.35 pm.”
March 5
“Good morning, my son! I’m catching myself thinking I’m writing my diary just like Anne Frank. We are alive. Every morning first we check our gas and water supplies. We have gas, thankfully, and four big bottles of water. We’re turning off our phones and allowing ourselves to read a bit only in the evenings. There is a battery left, but we’re saving it. Yesterday we went up to the 12th floor with a phone and a tablet and turned on the connection. There seemed to be a bit of it, but we couldn’t send messages or call anyone. Yesterday people didn’t find any water and were going back with empty bottles. We saw a man drawing water from a puddle with a scoop. That’s horrifying.
How are you, our dear son?
We love you so so so much!!!”
March 7
“We’re alive…
My dear son, it’s been two days since I wrote to you. Things got worse again. The rocket hit our house, the attic just above the 12th floor, it broke the windows, the blast was terribly strong. Yesterday they turned off the gas, it’s total hopelessness.
The people are mobbing and robbing the shops, and I’m scared that soon they could rob the apartments, too. It’s a mess, the piles of litter and no order in the city. Yet, we’re alive. We go to the 12th floor every day hoping to catch some connection. We love you, take care, our dear son”
March 8
“Today is the 8th of March – it’s the happiest day because we heard your voice! Thank God, you’re okay! We will survive. We’re enjoying small victories every day: we got water near the water utility from 9 am to 4 pm standing in the queue and hearing blasts. We found the patriots – just like us – and had a nice conversation. We managed to charge our phones a bit, made friends with people in our house, and now go out together to make fires, gather wood, and cook food. We’re trying to make food supplies in case there’s a shooting tomorrow and we don’t manage to. First, we boil water and pour it into a thermos, then make food. Everything with ash on it, but we’re glad it’s hot. We come and wrap it in a blanket, it’s our supply for a day and it shall be warm. It’s cold in our flat, we’re living in a corridor on an inflatable mattress. Dad is reading in gloves, we’re sleeping with our hats on.
Today a man gave out a branch of flowers to every woman who cooked food together with us. The militaries broke into a flower shop and gave it to everyone. That’s what a holiday we had!
I want to wash so bad, but we have water only for dishes and food.
Thank God we have food supplies and can share them with our family. Today we got to know heartbreaking news, our neighbour *** was killed. He was killed on the Left bank in his house and they say they can’t dig him out. Such a horror. I’m scared every day, scared of tomorrow. I’m frightened to go to sleep, I have a fear that they’ll be bombing again and we can’t hide standing in a queue to get water.
We love you so so much! Take care, our dear!
More than anything I’m waiting for the moment when I can embrace you, hug you, and hold you tight, and when the hell is over! I and dad are kissing you, my dear!”
March 10
“My son, my dear son, hello!
We are alive and the hell continues. Today is the 10th of March. We spent a night in the basement of ****. I’m so grateful they sheltered 4 of us. Yesterday there was a terribly strong blast and a plane dropped something on a maternity home of the 3rd hospital. It broke our kitchen window and a balcony door. At that time we were lying on a sofa in the living room. A radio later said it was a bomb with a 10-m-crater. We jumped out into a corridor without our clothes on. Then we thought: “What’s happening in a granny’s house when even ours is damaged?”.
A dad ran out on the street to look at their windows. No windows were there, they were all smashed with frames. We grabbed bandages and ran to them in horror. Thank God granny and the sister were alive, but they were freaking out and standing ready to leave the ruins of their apartment. The blast was terribly strong, it smashed all their windows, their loggia, their lock, and their balcony. All the bombs flew in their direction, thank God they are alive. We grabbed their bags and led them to our home. We’re shaking in fear, our houses had yawning black holes instead of windows. A door of mom’s neighbour was blown out.”
March 11
“We understood that the corridor was too small for 4 of us. Indeed, we’ll freeze to death because of smashed windows and a balcony door. The temperature had already been 11°C.
We had to go to *** It was a shame for us to ask to shelter 4 people, but we had no choice. We returned to take our stuff, grabbed the nearest things quickly, sat in the car, and when hearing blasts drove on the road covered in broken glass. We spent a night in an extremely cold basement, all of us were shaking, sleeping on styrofoam and a thin blanket with our clothes on. We grabbed some blankets, too, but they weren’t enough for 4. We also took a little food cooked earlier. Our loggia was all swamped with glass. Today we wanted to do some groceries and take our other stuff, but the planes were flying, they were bombing again and we couldn’t. We can’t even cook food, we are only sitting in a basement. Such a terror. Today the rocket hit a 9-floor-house near us. The 8th floor. It’s too cold to sleep in a basement, dad is afraid to hurt his kidneys. I don’t know if we survive. I hope that you are okay, take care, my dear.”
March 13
“My son, my dear son! Writing to you with a dad’s phone, my battery died long ago. Today is the 13th of March, we are still alive. I wasn’t writing for a long time saving batteries. I don’t know where to start. You know what horror we are going through. The city seems to be fully destroyed. There’ve already been salvos and other things, and now a plane flew and is dropping bombs. We’re having guests who come and tell us the news. The bomb fell on the main post office yesterday and split it into two parts, there were people in basements and we don’t know if they’re alive. Nobody is to get them. Risking our lives we ran to our home twice to take food and blankets. We even took 2 bags of potatoes, the boxes with biscuits, tea, and sweets. We want to thank at least a bit for our shelter. There was a massive shooting yesterday, we ran and dropped the bags hiding in an entrance. Such a horror. We ran, my hands were shaking for a while and I cried. Cried out of fear, out of hopelessness, out of pity for the apartment. It’s in a pickle, we have nowhere to return. The windows are smashed, and the frames are unscrewed. A kitchen window glass scattered and broke through our microwave. Our favorite kitchen is all cut with glass. We have no windows on the balcony and in the kitchen, no balcony door, some other windows are smashed and we can’t close them. The robbers can easily steal anything.
Anything is dangerous, we grabbed our groceries and ran. So that was it. I have no idea what we’d be doing if it wasn’t for our friends. It’s 0°C in our apartment, they weren’t arriving water for two days and it’s dangerous to go there and stand in a queue, we have no wood to set up a fire. Few go out to cook food, all are horrified.
Going to write about how we’re living here. There are 11 of us, here’s a young couple who seems to be friends’ children, my colleague friend ***, a rocket hit her house and made a hole in her ceiling. We’re all sleeping in a basement – indeed, we’re spending here all day long. We haven’t been going outside to cook dinner for the last 3 days, too scared, thank God we brought something already cooked, all have come in handy!
We have already eaten our frozen sausages and meatballs from our fridge, yesterday we brought a saucepan with boiled potatoes in it. We had boiled it when we still had had gas, I dag it out of piles with broken glass. We heated it on a potbelly stove, shared it and each had one potato. That stove can be heated with wood and we can heat some tea. It’s such a blessing! We pour porridge with water for a day and it’s almost prepared then. We have a radio here!!! and we can listen to the news! And *** has lots of candles, and we have garlands and batteries.
I only wish we won’t die and I can hug you, my dear, and I’m desperately waiting for the end of the war!
I and dad love you so much, always keep that in mind and take care, our dear son!”
March 14
“Hello, our dear son! How are you? Are you okay? We’re worrying so much about you, we heard about airstrikes near you. We’re hoping you are safe.
We’re still alive. Today is Monday, we’re all sitting in a basement. Every day it’s getting much worse. We risked running home yesterday and the day before, but today it was even scary to go to the bathroom upstairs. They’re fighting near and the sounds are horrifying. The Russian planes are flying. Such a horror. We have almost no opportunity to cook food, we need to do it outside near a garage, and it’s dangerous to go there. We’re running out of water and everybody is scared to go for it. We’re all eating little, one my-size portion is divided into two. Dad is hungry all the time. After every meal, I give everyone a biscuit or candy. We have a lot of potatoes, but we can’t cook them, and we don’t have water for them. We drink peach juice in the morning to save water. We’re listening to the news all the time and hope they could help us. There’s nothing too good to survive! It’s very cold, we took blankets and my fur coat from home and are lying here wrapped in them. We haven’t been washing for over 2 weeks, wearing too many layers, sleeping with our hats, coats, 5 sweaters, and socks on. We’re talking little, we’re more often listening to the news and some of us play cards. Yesterday we turned our garland on and read a bit. The time is going slow, everyone is half asleep. Yesterday dad helped *** to strengthen the door and windows on the third floor. I have almost gone mad from waiting for him. I want to survive and hug you so badly. Yesterday *** hugged her daughter and I was silently crying. But I’m glad you’re not here now. I really want that you were alive and happy. We’re all begging God to stop them from bombing and that everyone could hug their family. Take care, my dear, you’re the most precious thing we have.”
March 15
“Hi, my dear son. Another night has passed we’re alive. *** are truly the kindest, they sheltered another family yesterday. They were a mom with an 18-year-old son and two dachshunds. Their house is nearby, it’s still unhurt, but they’re terrified. They came with no food and now we eat even less. But that’s okay, we’ll get through anything, the most important is not to die. They’re bombing and firing salvos, we’re scared even to go to the bathroom upstairs. We’re all extremely horrified and have no hope to be rescued. We listen to the news every day, but it all seems to be endless. We’re scared to go home and get water so we’re saving it. It’s very cold, but we got used to it, we were at home twice and took lots of blankets. The uncertainty is terrifying and we’re scared to leave you alone. If something happens to us, your godmother will take care of you. The battery is dying, I can’t write anymore. I love you and dad loves you. Take care!”
March 17
“My son, my dear son! It’s the 17th, my phone battery was a bit charged. We’re still alive, but many times we thought that we would die soon. We’re in hell. They’re firing salvos, bombing, and mining. No building remained unhurt. The whole city is on fire. We’re even scared to get out of the basement, the whole town is hiding here at night. We have almost no sleep, the whole crowd is just standing in the corner and praying. We’re horrified. A back window in our car was smashed by a shock wave, and there’s a huge crater behind it so we can’t get out. We don’t know what tomorrow brings, will we survive? My God, why did we get this? We’re praying to God that the basement could hide us. We’re eating less. Dad is hungry all the time. We have to cook in the garage and we’re so scared to do it. The windows and doors in our house are smashed, dad and *** are constantly trying to repair them while they’re shooting. It’s very cold, 5 degrees in the basement, and complete darkness. We’re praying that you’ll be safe and happy. You’ve always done well and will manage anything. I desperately want to believe that we’ll survive and meet you. We love you so so much. Take care, our dear.”
The family managed to escape later, but they can hardly remember the nights spent in basements with no food and water. There are green corridors, but not everyone manages to use them. Some people have no vehicle, have old or sick relatives to take care of, or simply don’t want to leave their hometown.
We remind you that Mariupol has been blockaded for 40 days. Thousands of civilians are falling asleep and waking up hearing blasts and artillery noises. Azov Regiment is defending the city from occupation, but thousands of civilians are living under the ruins of buildings and can die in basements because of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Translator: Valeria Molderf
