Our Story

War, occupation, deportation… Tetiana Dobzhanska’s family has been through many hardships. But the woman has not given up.

Tatiana Dobzhanska, dispatcher of Mining and Transport Shop No. 1 at Northern GOK, has suffered many heavy losses because of the war. Psychological rehabilitation helps the former Mariupol resident to forget all the horrors of war, occupation and deportation. The woman undergoes it together with her son within the framework of the all-Ukrainian Unbreakable Mom charity project that is implemented in partnership with Saving Lives and Metinvest.

Returning to the homeland after deportation

When the full-scale war broke out, Tetiana and her family – her son, father and mother – were in her parents’ house in Mariupol. It did not stand for long… During another shelling, an enemy shell hit the house. It burned to the ground.

“Thank God, we all survived and moved to the school building opposite,” Tetiana recalls that horrible day, “hiding there from shelling, we were waiting for the Ukrainian military to liberate us. But instead of ours, the occupiers came and put us in military vehicles.”
Tatiana and her family were deported to the village of Bezimenne at first, and then to Kostroma.

“We were brought to an IDP camp where we lived for two weeks. My father could not bear those hardships anymore and died of a stroke right in the camp. This tragic situation somehow also affected the enemies: they organized a cremation and a funeral and let us go.”

Tatiana’s relatives lived in Tver and agreed to take the Ukrainian family to their place. Tetiana could not stand it for long: “I could not stand listening to their nonsense about the special operation and its numerous “advantages”. So the Dobzhansky family decided to find a way to return to Ukraine no matter what. Through St. Petersburg they went to Estonia, and from there – to the Czech Republic.

“After a month abroad, I realized that I could not find a job that could feed us all. So I called Metinvest’s hotline to find out if had been fired from my MMKI and to consult about the possibility of finding a job somewhere in the company.” I heard on the phone: “You are not fired. Come back to Ukraine, we will find vacancies for you”.
In early June, Tetiana and her son were already in Kryvyi Rih, where her cousin lived, while her mother decided to stay abroad.

At the new place

The cousin had an empty apartment, which he had inherited, and he gave it to his sister for use.

“I am very grateful to him for his kindness and caring,” says Tetiana, “in peacetime, he and his family used to go to the seaside to visit us in Mariupol. And now he has given us shelter in Kryvyi Rih… I decided to apply to Metinvest’s Career Center, where I left my data. And the very next day they found a job for me.”

Gradually settling in, Tatiana and her son turned to the charity organization “I Am Mariupol”. They helped the family a lot with food, hygiene products and school supplies.

“Soon after, I was employed as a dispatcher in Haulage Shop No. 1 at Northern GOK,” says Tatiana, “I had also worked as a dispatcher at the plant in Mariupol, but in the BOF shop. The only thing in common is the job title. The production, though, is absolutely different – metallurgy. I, in particular, used to be engaged in logistics. My new job is not difficult, the main thing is to learn the ropes. My new kind colleagues and caring management help me in this. I would like to note the friendly atmosphere within the team. All colleagues are understanding and caring toward me. I have never felt that I was a stranger, that I was not welcome or that I was unfairly taking someone’s place. Even during downtime, we called each other. And it means a lot to me.”

“Unbreakable Mom”

Now Tetiana and her son are in Chernivtsi, where she is undergoing rehabilitation together with other Ukrainian women. All of them are participants of the Unbreakable Mom charity project by the NGO “Masha Foundation” that partnered up with Metinvest Group.

“I can’t believe that I am now in such a beautiful recreation centre with excellent living conditions, food and fabulous views,” says Tetiana enthusiastically, “aside from me, about 40 women with children, who came from Avdiivka, Mariupol, Pokrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, are staying here.

Psychologists and rehabilitation specialists, including foreign ones from Israel, continuously work with mothers and their children.”

“I have already discovered interesting and effective exercises,” Tetiana shares her new experience, “for example, it turned out that by relaxing some part of your body, you can “turn off” the nervous system for it to rest. Teachers and psychologists work with children, conducting games and art therapy. Interestingly, the children stick together, as if they are catching up with proper normal, easy-going communication, which they lacked for a long time.

Here we are all connected by a common tragedy. And at the same time we rest and accumulate strength and new energy for the next stage of our new life.”

Life goes on

“I am ready to work as never before! Actively, vigorously, a lot… I would like to get on with the job and be useful with what I do,” the woman enthusiastically says.

Tetiana plans to return to her native Mariupol, to her restored plant. In the meantime, she is waiting for meetings: “May my people – relatives, friends, close acquaintances and colleagues – be in my life again. If I dream about it, if I believe, then it must happen! After all, we are already winning with our unity, kindness and invincibility”.