30-year-old Fedor Barkalov arrived in Belarus after the outbreak of war in the Donbas. Now, together with his family, he lives in the village Viraŭla that Haradok district. Forced migrant from Ukraine kindly answered questions of our correspondent.
Fedor, share, please, your vision of the situation in Ukraine after the Maidan.
For example, I do not for Ukraine. Changed power on lawlessness – started. I do not like the new government, I do not support it, I am for the Donetsk People's Republic!
When caught up with technology, they started firing at the neighboring villages. This is our village sartans [Sartana – small town 17 kilometers north-east of Mariupol – Ed.] Had not touched, and generally attacks, shots, explosions were terrible. All this I have seen.
My mother recently told me on Skype that Tolokovka village, which is two kilometers away, DPR volley is blocked. It can be seen, they are already in answer fired. Usually, almost every day noise. Sometimes a couple of days a week of silence, and then start again.
Someone fills his pockets with money on this war, and someone dies. How much are they in this war of money laundered! Billions! Once in the village people were buried grandmother. And they only went beyond the cemetery – one of the shells hit the group of people: seven people to death. Among them – and my cousin.
Perhaps the threat of death, and was the cause of your family's departure from the village?
Yes, it's true. When shelling shells began to lie down next to our village. Perish could easily. The fact that we were almost at the demarcation line, and in our area housed a large number of military vehicles and personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mariupol defended. The city with a population of half a million people is of strategic importance for Ukraine: only steel plants there are three.
After frequent attacks on my mother began to persuade us to move to Belarus. My wife and I initially hesitated, did not dare to take such a step. In the end, the decision was made in favor of the move.
So you're his wife and daughter left, and his mother stayed at home?
Yes. We lived with her mother, but she did not dare to leave in such a difficult time the house unattended. She had come from these places. Parents mom left here in Mariupol, when she was three years old. I live in Haradok relatives grandfather and grandmother's line. Gender-Borough relatives.
To move since we need not only commitment, but also some information and some of the funds for the first time.
We lived normally, not in poverty. Before leaving, I worked as a welder-fitter. Before the move, we contacted through Skype with our family out of Haradok. Pre probed about the work. We have not yet made a final decision – and work here, we have already found.
We arrived in Viciebsk November 19, 2014, and December 4, I went to work. Wasting time target was not, in fact we went here not to rest, but to live and work. I work in the branch "Viraŭlanski" of foreign company "Dzieckasielski-Haradok" cattle breeders. Salary suits me. Wife receives child support, already born here. Who does not work, it is on maternity leave.
As you thought: Is there any difference in the way of life of the Ukrainians and Belarusians?
Everything, in principle, as we do, but here the more the spirit of the USSR lives. It is as if unnoticed, but I think so. Prices are certainly higher than ours. Bite. While prices in Ukraine are now rebounded. And what about the work, I will say this: who wants to work, find a job anywhere, anytime.
On arrival in the Haradok, you appealed to the relevant authorities to obtain refugee status, or have issued their stay in the country any other way?
Upon arrival, we checked into the migration department of the Borough. Now, most likely, we will renew the registration for another year, although inclined to to issue a residence permit. If decorated residence – will change the right of Ukrainian tractor Belarus, and I want to get the rights to the car. As refugees we have not comprised a single day, so no financial assistance had been received. On aid, we did not even think.
How satisfied are your family provided housing?
To our arrival in the house no one lived. We make a small repair: glue wallpaper, something embellishing. The house was built recently, it satisfies us. All the amenities: telephone, Internet, bathroom, toilet, central heating. Heated with firewood. The main thing is that the heat in the winter.
Tell me something of a home environment you have taken out of Ukraine or to settle in here already?
With the motherland we arrived with three bags, a hundred dollars and 15 thousand Russian rubles. Grow roots are here, on the spot. As they say, everything that you see, is acquired by back-breaking labor.
A farm, garden, vineyard, do not want to start? By the way, the grapes growing in our latitudes.
With regard to the economy – rather no than yes. But in Ukraine, I grew roses, and I had a vineyard. If you had just seen: huge clusters; Grapes, like plum; colors – from white to almost black. Here, in Belarus, much cooler. In Mariupol we already spring. And in the summer The local Ukrainian does not. The heat is not enough. And the summer – no matter how the summer.
What did you locals? How was the process of adaptation you, my wife, my daughter?
Local react normally: for people – all people. In the village a few young families. With some we have already made friends.
My wife has adapted well: it is here already and does not want to leave. The daughter, too, goes to school. True, she had thirty people in the class in Ukraine, but here the whole school will not be so much.
S. Horki
