Story 27: Anastasiia

A 15-year-old, Anastasiia, was deported from Kherson to temporarily occupied Crimea in September. Her schoolteacher, a collaborator, organized a trip to a “health camp in Crimea”. Anastasiia’s mother, Lyudmila, didn’t have much time to think on the proposal as the teacher rushed her to sign documents. Lyudmila was surprised to see about 100 buses filled with children of all ages when she bid farewell to her daughter at the station. It was as if collaborators were taking away all the children from Kherson.

In three weeks, when Anastasiia was supposed to return from that camp in Crimea, she did not. Neither she returned in a week, nor in a month. Lyudmila was told the return was postponed. It was then she understood her child was kidnapped and deported.

Anastasiia recalls the kinds in the camp were all from Kherson, they had to sing the Russian anthem every morning. They were also shown Russian propaganda films to brainwash kids.

Lyudmila searched for ways to return Anastasiia back. She found volunteers who organized a trip to Crimea and helped to bring Anastasiia back home legally. The mother and daughter finally reunited and live in liberated Kherson.