Because they died, they are like angels. One is my grandfather
YEHOR KRAVSTOV started a journal while sheltering in a basement in Mariupol as the invaders closed in. It begins with his recollection of March 26, eight days after his family fell victim to a Russian attack.
APRIL 3
‘I HAD a good sleep, woke up, smiled, got up and counted to 25. In addition, my grandfather died [March] 26.
‘I have a wound on my back, torn skin, sister [has a] head injury, mother had flesh torn out on her arm and a hole in her leg. I am 8. Sister [is] 15 years old. Mum is 38 years old. We sing. Need to make a bandage, Mum first, me second, third is sister. By the way, I have a friend Vika. Cheerful. And she is our neighbour, she has good parents.’
APRIL 4
‘I WOKE up, well, like yesterday, I smiled. Grandma went for water. By the way, my birthday is coming soon.’ An accompanying picture shows a birthday party with family members. Some have wings ‘because they died, they are like angels. One of them is my grandfather’.
A FEW DAYS LATER
‘WANTED to sleep alone but I was afraid of the noise. Therefore, of course, I slept alone, but on my grandmother’s bed. I would like to leave so much. By the way, our ceiling is collapsing. Sister got the cat out of the rubble.’
Accompanying picture shows destroyed houses, dead bodies in the street, a tank and soldiers with the caption: ‘I saw all of this with my own eyes.
‘I have a cat Kuzya. Sorry for my handwriting. My friend and sister and I built a cat house out of cardboard. He felt good at his house but it broke down.’
‘By the way, I counted my two dogs died :( and my grandmother Galya (a neighbour) :( and my beloved city of Mariupol during this time, starting from 24th [of February, when Russia invaded].’
MID-APRIL
‘A STRAY dog [came] to us. We feed him and give him drink. We name him Beam. By the way, my grandmother at the time when we got wounds, she was sitting and worried about my grandfather and my great-grandmother. I built a house for Beamy from 1 Cardboard. 2 Boards. 3 Slate. We have rain the whole day and night. There are no thunderstorms (shelling).’
MAY 19
‘I HAVE A walk. Mum is painting a picture. Sister reads. Grandma too.
‘My birthday is in three days. Mum promised to teach me how to make scrambled eggs.’
MAY 22
TO MARK his ninth birthday, Yehor draws a self-portrait.
JUNE 12
RECALLING their escape from then Russian-controlled city on May 30: ‘We left Mariupol via Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia and to Kyiv. By train. It was scary. I chose a place on the top bunk for the first time. We were in the very last car.’