It Is Not About Material Things — It Is All About Spiritual Ones

For days, I did not hear anything about Zhenia, or Evgeny Sosnovsky. Back in Mariupol and later on, after I managed to escape the city, I checked his Facebook page over and over again, called him, texted him, and asked everyone I knew about him. Nothing. I was terribly worried, aware that Zhenia was under a double threat — as a resident of Mariupol and as a zealous photographer documenting historic events in our city’s life. I imagined him moving around Mariupol under the relentless shelling to document the crimes of Russian troops and the heroism of Ukrainian fighters, and I was terrified even to think about what would happen if the occupiers detained and questioned him. I prayed for him silently, but I had no idea that while I was hurrying to the volunteer center or delivering supplies to our soldiers, one person in Mariupol did an incredible thing for me. For me and for all the children from Mariupol.

Zhenia tried…to save my books.

I assume that Zhenia was trying to save not only books but also some local souvenirs — as artifacts of the happy, fulfilling life all of us in Mariupol used to have; as a part of Mariupol itself. Before February 24, you could buy all of it at “Вежа — Vezha Creative Space”. Seeing their doors thrown open by a blast wave, Zhenia decided to rescue the most precious things, hiding them in his own house.

Zhenia couldn’t do it, though: his house, shelled by Russians, burnt down just like the homes of thousands of other residents of Mariupol. But this heart-rending story will stay with me forever.

Do you know how one feels hearing that someone else was trying to save their books from bombs? Moved and happy.

But it’s not about books. It’s all about people whose stories save me from losing my dear Mariupol. My dear Mariupol is made of wonderful people. Like Zhenia.

P.S. Going back to the books. I hope — no, I am sure! — that the main book in this series, “Mariupol’s Homecoming,” will come out very soon!