Violetta Batynkov flees war-ravaged country to settle in Standerton
They spent 21 days underground while she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant.
Violetta Batynkova remembers to this day the exact time the war in Ukraine began. Russian soldiers and Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting since February 24 at 4am.
This mother of two fled her home country and joined her husband, Nikita, in Standerton a month ago. Nikita had been in the country for two years and is a manager at Cofco.
The family is staying in a guest house in town. Her daughters, Veronica and Alexandra, were with her on the Turkish Airlines flight to Oliver Tambo Airport.
She waited in Romania for four months to get visas before going to Poland. “It is important for our family to be together,” this young woman said.
The couple hails from Mariupol, but both of them were born and lived in Herson. The family moved to Mariupol after Nikita returned to Ukraine in 2020.
Violetta described the war as a catastrophe. They spent 21 days underground while she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant.
When first hearing the sirens, the Batynkovas went underground. Nikita was then on a visit to Ukraine.
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Mother and her child slept on a mattress, while Nikita slept on the floor. He brought pillows and blankets and the temperature dropped to a freezing minus 10.
Cooking was done on an open fire, no electricity and no water. They got water from the melted snow.
“The bombing was terrible and it was chaos. We prayed daily for God to save us. We could die any minute,” she said.
New people arrived at the shelter when their houses were damaged and food was exchanged. The noise was terrible and when it rained and lightning struck, their stress levels reached immense proportions.
Her husband assures her regularly that she is now safe. Violetta also worries about her two cousins who are in the army. She believes that her husband played a pivotal role in the events.
“Nikita saved us. I am proud of him. I am proud to be a Ukrainian as well. It is a beautiful country with amazing and strong people,” she concluded.
