Yurii Volik: A Story of Resilience

Name: Yurii Volik

Age: 74

Hometown: Vovchansk, Kharkiv Region

Before the war, Yurii’s life was a tapestry of simple pleasures. His small house with a large yard, greenhouse, and vegetable gardens was his sanctuary. Retirement meant tending to his garden, collecting mushrooms, drying herbs, reading books, and enjoying quiet moments by the fireplace. His days were filled with purpose — planting in spring, harvesting in summer, sipping tea on the porch in autumn.

When the full-scale invasion began, everything changed. A shell destroyed his home, reducing his lifetime of memories to rubble. He survived in a neighbor’s basement, eventually evacuating with volunteers, leaving behind everything he knew. Temporary housing in Kharkiv — first a borrowed apartment, then a crowded dormitory — became his new reality.

On February 19, 2024, Yurii arrived at the Senior Chudo Village. Despite having a third-group disability and health challenges like liver cirrhosis and cataracts, he found hope. The village offered more than just shelter — it provided a chance to feel human again.

His greatest joy now is working in the greenhouse, tending to plants, feeling useful. His advice to younger generations is simple yet profound: “Don’t postpone life. Love your family, cherish your home, value the little things. Think not just of yourself, but of those around you.”

Yurii is grateful to Dell Loy Hansen’s mission, seeing it as a lifeline that offers hope when all seems lost. He dreams of finding friends from Vovchansk and continuing to contribute to his new community.