Lyudmila Krynychna

Ludmyla Krynychna lived in the village of Romashkove in the Kherson region. Before the full-scale invasion, she had her own house, farm, and garden.

During the hostilities, she actively helped the military and prepared food. The soldiers most looked forward to her delicious pies, pastries, and stuffed cabbage rolls. Ludmyla Krynychna would call the soldiers, and they would bring containers for food and take away freshly prepared dishes. In her hands, the dough came to life. Whether it was potato pies fried in a pan, cherry pies baked in the oven, or delicious pastries sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, everything she made was a treat. Anyone who tasted Ludmyla’s dishes would remember the flavor for a lifetime.

The people here are very kind and warm. I am happy and content. Right now, everything is fine with me. But my heart is unsettled. I hope that once the war is over, I will be able to return to my native home, if there’s anything left there…

When the village started being heavily shelled, the woman tried to hide in her house. Struggling with health issues, Ludmyla found it difficult to walk. She couldn’t even make it down to the basement. So, she could only rely on God’s protection.

The thought of her own safety became urgent when a missile hit a neighbor’s house, completely destroying it. Thankfully, kind-hearted people bought her a train ticket and called the “Prikhistok” shelter in the village of Voynyliv. Ludmyla had only one hour before the train to pack and get to the train station. She left in whatever she was wearing, and everything she had worked for over the years was left behind. She took only her documents and a small bag. At the Ivano-Frankivsk railway station, the workers from the shelter met her and took her to Voynyliv.

Ludmyla Oleksandrivna speaks with great gratitude about the workers at the shelter and is happy to have a safe place to stay, but her heart aches for her home. It’s uncertain whether she will ever be able to return, as constant shelling is destroying homes and claiming lives daily.

Unfortunately, at the end of April, her health worsened. Ludmyla was hospitalized with a stroke at the Central District Hospital. Once her condition improved, her family took her in.