Story 9: Tetyana

Tetyana, 25, together with her mother and brother were forcibly deported to Russia from Mariupol in March 2022. The family was hiding in bomb shelters from the start of the full-scale invasion, but they were evicted from there by approaching Russian troops. Tetyana and her relatives had no choice and obeyed the orders.

They were first taken to filtration camps in Bezimmene village. The road took very long because the Russian soldiers didn’t know the route. Having finally reached the destination, Tetyana’s family went through filtration. Their phones, bodies, and documents were meticulously observed by Russians.

Then, Tanya’s family was forcibly deported to Russia. Luckily, they had distant relatives who helped to reach the Russian-Estonian border. It took a couple of days, but Tanya’s family finally reached Europe, where they stay now. Tanya continues studying in a university, but the memories of filtration camps and forcible deportation still haunt her.