Boris Tishchenko

Borys Tishchenko is 76 years old. He laughs a lot and is eager to share stories about his life.

He is originally from Kherson. His mother was a medical worker, and his father was a military pilot. Borys recalls that his entire childhood was spent in various cities. Wherever his father was stationed, the whole family—Borys, his younger sister, and mother—would move there.

However, Borys also moved in adulthood. Over his 76 years, he worked in various positions in many cities.

He mentally transports himself back to his childhood, smiling. He recalls how, as children, he and his sister were sent to their grandmother’s house. Once, while picking mushrooms in the forest, they found an injured dog. Without hesitation, Borys brought some green antiseptic from home and treated the dog’s wounded paw. Later, he and his friends took the animal to the zoo.

“Later, it turned out that it wasn’t a dog at all, but a real wolf!” – the man laughs.

He fondly recalls his wife, telling the story of how they met on his birthday, May 1st.

“She passed away young. Cancer,” the man says.

Mr. Borys says that he first went from Kherson to Odessa. Later, he was sent to the village of Voynyliv in the Kalush district, where the Shelter is located.

When asked what he likes most about the Shelter, Borys Tishchenko answers briefly: “It’s quiet here.”