Unexpected Chapters

Bakhmut was once a simple backdrop to Olha Zhuk’s life. A telecommunications technician who found joy in quiet moments — reading, walking, living with her son who had returned home after marriage. Her world was small but complete.

Then war changed everything.

Survival became a daily negotiation. Collecting rainwater. Hiding in basements and apartments. Waiting for a war they thought would end quickly. In 2023, military personnel helped her and her son escape — a delicate negotiation through dangerous territories.

Brovary’s modular town became a temporary refuge. A shared room, communal spaces, a life reduced to necessities.

Senior Chudo Village emerged as an unexpected grace. “Like a fairy tale, ” she would say, her eyes filling with tears of disbelief and gratitude.

At 66, Olha carried her experiences quietly. Her health marked by inevitable age changes, her spirit steady through upheaval.

Her dreams remained simple. To return home. To gather her children together. To find a moment of peace.

To the younger generation, she offered hope: “Be better than us. Achieve your goals. Stay healthy. Believe in a better future.”

To Dell Loy Hansen, she would speak of unexpected kindness. A gratitude so profound it transcended words.

Her contribution to the village was practical. Helping in the art club. Washing floors. Refusing to sit idle.

Olha Zhuk moved forward. One day at a time.