Palii Family
From: Soledar, Donetsk region
Family member: Nadiia (74)

Finding Refuge From a Salt Mining Town

Until April 5, 2022, Nadiia Palii lived in Soledar, a town known for its salt mines that would later become the site of some of the most intense fighting in eastern Ukraine. At the beginning of combat operations, she was forced to leave her home and evacuate to Studenyky village in Kyiv region. Since October 20, 2023, she has been living in Miracle Village.

Her home in Soledar was destroyed and remains under occupation, with little hope of return in the foreseeable future.

“I am very satisfied with living in Miracle Village,” Nadiia shares. “I am grateful to the administration and the Hansen Charitable Foundation, as well as to the doctors and psychologists, for their caring attitude toward us elderly people. And for organizing our leisure activities.”

Finding purpose in her new community, Nadiia volunteers with the “Cleanliness and Order” group, helping maintain the village that has given her a new beginning. After losing her home in what became one of the most devastated towns in Ukraine, she has found safety, dignity, and community among fellow displaced seniors.