Czech criminologist Petr Pojman conducts an interview with a witness to the shelling of the restaurant-spa “Dubrovskyi” in Kharkiv – a local resident. Local residents suffer from constant explosions and destruction of their own homes as a result of shelling of Kharkiv by Russian troops.
The building of the restaurant-spa “Dubrovskyi” is located at 75 Kromska street, Kharkiv, was completely destroyed on September 4, 2022.
Videographer – Yevhen Tytarenko. Photographer – Yuliia Gush.
– If you could describe what you heard at nighttime and explosion, what was it like? So that people who do not have such experience understand what it means
– Well, I only heard an explosion
– One or more?
– There were two, one here and one there
– Of course, because there were two hits, here and there too
– Well, I heard one was here
– And the time? When was that?
– At 12 o’clock, five minutes to one, that’s right, at 12 o’clock at night
– Is everything okay with you there? Or…?
– Well, the windows in the kitchen are slightly damaged, broken a little, flown away. And the entrance door to the house.
– And how far are you [your house] from this place? How far?
– Well, here is my house
– Ah, is it near here?
– Yes.
– And will you have to make new glass there?
– No, the windows are intact, it’s just that the door will be needed there, probably the frame, the lock jumped up
– Yes, thank God, everything is intact, as I say
-I thought that everything is finished here, and the house will fall in, see you? There was such a roar! Oh…
– And your blood pressure didn’t jump after that crash?
– Well, how is the pressure [could be normal]? But I already take handfuls of pills! I took cardiac drugs, sedatives
– You have to go with this, you have to go to the doctor with this, absolutely. You should have a piece of paper [medical certificate].
– There is constant shelling here.
– You should have a piece of paper that you have…
– And after the start of active hostilities, did you have a feeling that your health has worsened with these hits, these roars?
– Well, all the time, I take these drugs so that the pressure does not rise.
– But it was before the war, or with the war?
– It was before the war also. Because I worked in a military hospital, and the head of the department told me: “Nesterovna, you have to take it constantly, at least half a pill.” I drink lipril [lisinopril], and so…
– There are impacts! – And here it is an incessant rumble.
– So often, during the day also?
– Yes. Two days ago… Yesterday, a little, and there was more. And two days ago it thundered there on Tsyrkuny, apparently, on Dergachi…
– Have you thought about leaving for a while?
– Oh, and where could I go? Where? We… When the war started, I went to the city for a month, to my daughter. That’s all. And then I came back here.
– But you’re here… It’s like a holiday village, but as far as I understand, you are here all the time?
– I have been living here for more than 50 years.
– Well, in the nature, of course, it is beautiful, especially here is so…
– Yes. It was good here. Well, until there was no “Russkyi Mir” [“Russian Peace/World”]. Oh, scumbags… I say, I’m fed up with all this…
– What, it is like this all night long? This… Well, I don’t know, I can’t stand it psychologically
– Hey, look at how much trash we took out of the yard. Come in, Jack, Jack… Come in!
– You have a good dog! No, we are not afraid of dogs. You needn’t close it…
– The window on… also flew out from the first days, the upper one, that one.
– Well, it is already as that, it is not from this time, it is earlier.
– It was earlier, yes, earlier. And now there, you see, the glass…
– Is it today? Tonight?
– Yes, yes, today. Today it is damaged, the lock is knocked out, popped out like this.
– Oh, wait, so I misunderstood. So, the explosion – the explosion was over there, next to us?
– Yes.
– And the door opens like this. Did you find them open?
– No, as far as I remember, they were closed.
– Closed. So, see the details here. So, are they so…? Knocked out?
– Knocked out. Yes.
– This is interesting.
– And windows. Here it is moved away, from above. And that, in the kitchen, too. And it’s like nothing more. The window moved away, do you see? A little more, and it would fly away. Well, we will repair it. Moved away. Well, it seems that’s all. My daughter did not climb on the roof, the slate seems to be intact. The garage is intact.
This project has been funded by Crown Agents International Development.
