After spending five days in captivity for his pro-Ukrainian position, he miraculously left the occupied Primorsk in the summer. 19-year-old Artur Yaroshevskyi now lives in Slavske, Lviv region. At home, he was a public activist, engaged in the development of youth policy in the city, and repeatedly participated in all-Ukrainian events. But the full-scale war destroyed all his plans. He tells: “Russians occupied Prymorsk, where he lived all his life. Since the end of February, they began to hotly persecute activists - some were kept in basements while some were taken to Berdiansk.”
“I remember that people were anxious back in the early 20s of February. There were such predictions that the war would break out on February 22, 2022. However, it was totally unexpected that it would happen on the 24th. I went to bed very late that night; I woke up to the fact that my mother and cousin who lived with us were already awake. I was surprised because it was half past five... My brother said: "See the news published on the Telegram channel and you will understand everything.” Of course, the whole family was scared. We didn't know whether to pack our bags, run somewhere or what to do at all. My mother told us to run to the ATM to withdraw money. Just when we were on the way, a loud explosion rang out...”
“People were already lining up in long queues for shops and ATMs. And then, - says Artur, - such queues became commonplace. People wrote their turn numbers on their hands and used them to get in accordingly.
But the worst thing, - the boy notices, - was that since the occupiers captured the city there was no freedom of speech.
You are prohibited either to say anything or express your own opinion, or even publish anything. But I still supported the Ukrainian spirit in my news audience on Instagram, so that they knew: our city will never fall on its knees!" – Artur is convinced.
They were unable to leave Prymorsk, because no carrier wanted to take two young guys, who were 18 and 20 years old at the time, in their car - neither for free nor for money.”
Of course, people were persecuted for taking an active position. The first kidnappings began. When his friend was taken away, Arthur was forced to hide, and live away from home. Then this became common for many people: to stay with friends, to change their appearance, to look around while on the streets, striving to be invisible.
“At the end of May, somehow they began to pick up fewer people, and we relaxed a bit. On the morning of June 9, I went with my brother to another area to catch Wi-Fi. And when we came back home at 11 o'clock, a collaborator from the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” came and took me to the police station. He promised my mother that I would come back in an hour, he even gave her a guarantee as a policeman," - the young man recalls.
However, he was interrogated for a long time, and then locked up in a cell for 5 days. Finally, 2 weeks after his release, the family was taken away by representatives of the “Ukraine in the Heart” Charity Organization.
“We only had an hour to pack our things. We just took our documents, the most necessary clothes, and our cat, because no family member can be left behind," - Artur adds.
They spent the night at the checkpoint in Vasylivka. He says: “While we were driving, our biggest dream was to get to the Ukrainian checkpoint.” The Russians took him and his brother out of the car several times, checking their tattoos. Fortunately, their tattoos were neutral, so the invaders had nothing to find fault with. He says that in their car, they only checked people’s passports and the luggage compartment, however, as his friends later said, in most cases all their belongings were rummaged through, and everything was shaken out of their bags.
“After looking at that tricolour rag hanging everywhere for such a long time, we were just overwhelmed with emotions when we finally saw the Ukrainian flag,” - the young man says.
He notes that they knew where they would go since the full-scale war broke out. After all, Artur’s mother was born in the Lviv region.
“We came to the Lviv region in early July. Of course, we felt freedom immediately: you can say what you want, do what you want, and feel like an independent individual. We registered as IDPs, received humanitarian assistance several times, and settled down here. In general, it was not a problem for me to switch to the Ukrainian language, because we, in our family, communicated in Ukrainian with my mother and brother,” - the young man says.
He was recently offered a job related to acting. At the same time, he participates in various trainings on youth policy, because he plans to develop himself in this professional area in the future.
“So far, we are in Slavske... But I believe that over time, we will go back to our homes and develop our activities already in Prymorsk,” - the young man believes.