Olha Korniichuk
Olha was born in Yaremche, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, but lived in Mariupol for ten years. She studied at Mariupol State University and then worked as a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature at Mariupol Secondary School No. 33.
On 5 March 2022, as the war escalated and the humanitarian situation in Mariupol deteriorated, Olha, her partner Oleksandr Hostiev, her mother and stepfather came to the Drama Theatre. Olha’s stepfather worked as an administrator at the theater, and therefore, he advised the family to use the theater shelter as a safer option than others. In the Drama Theatre, Olha and her family lived on the second floor, in the banqueting room. Her mother was the only nurse in the theater, so she communicated a lot with the volunteers in the building.
On 16 March 2022, when the Russian Federation army attacked the Drama Theatre, Olha was in the room where she lived. A blast wave partially damaged the room, causing a wall to fall, but Olha and other people nearby were not seriously injured. She was able to leave the city after the attack, but later, she had to return to help her partner leave the city.
This is a short version of a three-hour interview with Olha, which was conducted using the methodology of spatial testimonies. Olha talks about life organization in the theater, volunteering, the work of the first-aid post, and the aftermath of the theater bombing.
The interview was created with the financial support of European Union, International Renaissance Foundation
This publication/interview was compiled with the support of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation within the framework «European Renaissance of Ukraine» project. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation.
