Marc Moller

Four years ago, I packed the most essential things and went to war. Russia attacked the cities where I lived - twice. First in 2014 in Luhansk. Then in 2022 in Kyiv. I would have preferred to live a peaceful and happy life. But Russia left me no choice. Walking out of the house that morning to the sound of sirens and explosions, I stepped into a completely new reality. Somewhere nearby, a woman was crying. Fear and despair were written on every face. The roads were jammed - most people were evacuating their children and families to safer places. I was heading from the western part of Kyiv straight to the centre. While the majority were fleeing Kyiv in the opposite direction - west. But I saw lone men with backpacks walking the same way, toward the epicentre of the events. That gave me strength — I’m not alone. There are enough of us. It was clear: these were the most critical days and weeks. If we hold the line now, we will not lose. And that’s exactly what happened. Back then, I tried to memorise every detail of that day. But over these four years, so many events and losses have piled up that only fragments of memories remain. Yet we did what the entire world refused to believe was possible — we stood firm and have been fighting for four years already. We have entered history… even though all we ever wanted was to simply live a happy life.