The Journalist Who Stayed Too Long

Life had tested Natalia Rudchenko’s resilience long before the war. At 19, a car accident left her with broken legs and spine, requiring lengthy rehabilitation. But the former secretary of the “Forward” newspaper persevered, eventually securing her own apartment in Bakhmut in 1994.

When war came, the 60-year-old journalist’s instincts told her to stay and help. “I believed everything would work out, ” she recalls. “I donated and believed our help would be enough. Our city had been preparing for defense since 2014.” While others fled, she remained until 2023, watching as fragments of buildings flew through the air.

It took a miracle call from her niece about volunteers from Dnipro to finally convince her to leave. Over the next year, Natalia moved through six different cities, ultimately landing in a shelter. For someone with insulin dependency and vision loss, the crowded conditions proved especially challenging. “It’s difficult to maintain my specific routine with so many people around, ” she explains.

When her application to Chudo Village was lost, Natalia gathered her courage and called Oleksandra directly. The reassurance she received gave her hope, and on December 18, 2024, she moved into apartment 14.3A.

“I thought my heart would burst, ” she says of arriving at the village. “It’s a miracle that I received the opportunity to live here. This is ideal housing. Everything is clean and orderly. Here, I feel at home.”

Despite living with permanent disability from her physical trauma, type 2 diabetes since 1991, and complete vision loss since 2018, Natalia maintains her journalist’s insight. Her advice to young people cuts straight to the truth: “Don’t postpone life until later — war has shown that tomorrow may not come. Live today and value every moment.”

To Dell Loy Hansen, she offers words worthy of her newspaper background: “Your kindness and support aren’t just help — they’re hope for those who thought they had none. You remind the world that humanity and compassion are stronger than any adversity.”

Now, she hopes the village can help elderly residents find programs for treatment and medicine, particularly for her insulin and Forxiga needs. After years of staying too long in a war zone, this resilient journalist has finally found a place where she can, in her words, “adapt and finally find peace.”