Peter Porub

76-year-old Petro Porub from Kherson has experienced a lot. As he says, life has “taken him all around the world.” The war has only added new, often painful chapters to his story. However, the man remains optimistic!

In his youth, Petro was energetic and ambitious. After graduating from the Kherson Cooperative Technical School, he went to Kamchatka, where he worked as a commodities expert and later as the head of a bakery. The work brought him satisfaction, but his mother insisted he return home as her heart couldn’t bear to have him so far away.

When asked about marriage, he jokingly says, “I sold my freedom for 14 rubles” (money from that time — ed.).

Once, while having lunch at the canteen, he forgot his hat. The next day, he returned to ask if anyone had found it. The girls told him that one of the workers had taken it but would return it only for a chocolate bar. Petro bought a box of chocolates with that money, and that’s how he met his future wife. Together, they raised four children, but eventually, they divorced.

Now, the children are spread out across different parts of the world. One son lives in Russia, but they haven’t been in contact for a long time. Another son lives in Canada, and two daughters are in Poland. The girls share that life abroad is not easy: rent and work-related problems are challenging. Despite the distance, they all try to stay in touch with their father and are glad that he is in safety.

Petro Porub recalls occupied Kherson with pain. People were forced to take money from the occupiers, or they would have starved.

“The lines for money were enormous. Everyone was given 10,000 rubles, and we had to take them to buy food,” says Petro. “I was suffering from diabetes, and on top of everything, I faced a personal tragedy—my wife passed away. The stress and the uncontrolled blood sugar levels led to irreversible consequences. Pharmacies were closed, and it was impossible to buy medication, so I developed gangrene and had to have my limb amputated,” he adds.

Staying in the city was dangerous and terrifying, so I looked for volunteers to help me leave safely,” says Petro. “First, I managed to get to Odesa, and later, thanks to a volunteer named Oksana, I made it to the Прихисток, where I found care and attention.

“The girls here are incredibly kind: they take care of me, feed me, change my bandages, and give me medicine. I am very grateful to them!” — says Petro.