We won’t be here, but it will remind people that a Russian missile hit and killed half the village

ВБ: Vladimir Bespalyy

АП: Anna Pavlova

АП: Vladimir, hello. Thank you for calling. I couldn't somehow...

ВБ: Finally, finally.

АП: Yes, yes, finally we were able to talk with you. Thank you. I don't know if my colleagues told you or not. We are now recording follow-up interviews with some heroes of our previous conversations in order to find out how the situation has changed, what happened, what is happening now in those places where there were some serious tragedies. And, of course, what happened in Hroza village is one of such, probably, key points of the full-scale war. We are following what is happening now. I would like to talk with you about this: about how the village lives, almost a year after what happened. How in general, in what condition are the residents, what has changed?

ВБ: Good, yes.

АП: I understand correctly that you now live there or do you still live in the village where you work?

ВБ: Had to come here, to Hroza village. Wife's, turns out, parents died. And in this house we now live. Of course, at first very difficult. Everything reminds about relatives. Wife still cries at nights.

Very sorry. This [I], probably, as a man... Or maybe, they raised me in childhood like that, I don't know. I take all this not the same as she does. [She] almost every day cries.

What has changed in Hroza village? Well, naturally, those people you can't bring back. Need to... As they always taught us and teach. And everyone does so. Need to live further and remember about our relatives, acquaintances, friends who died. Right? And what does memory consist of? These are monuments. Very huge gratitude. All residents of the village every day thank our volunteers, project "Let's Do It". Right?

АП: Yes, yes.

ВБ: Thanks to them installed this memorial, memory of the dead. We won't be here, but it will stand further, will remind that a Russian rocket flew in, killed in one fell swoop half the village for nothing, for nothing at all. They weren't fighting.

Many people realized many things – [for example], how they behaved before this. That is, now more, probably, solidarity became. Not only in Hroza village. I'm not only speaking for Hroza village. Many places. In Kharkiv... I go to Kharkiv every day. And now I came to Kharkiv again too. People try to stick together. Most of them.

АП: You mean that you for work, yes, go to Kharkiv?

ВБ: Yes, yes, for work. And here, and there. People are not enough, of course. Many men serve. Well, we also serve – each in his own way.

What else changed? Put a little shop nearby. Some were against. Well, those were against who had a shop nearby. They were afraid of competition.

АП: So now there are two shops?

ВБ: Yes, two. But the main one is this, where everything was: where all people's childhood was, in this cafe. Weddings, birthdays celebrated in this cafe, shop.

АП: So they restored it, turns out?

ВБ: Well, not that they restored. The name remained the same. While they put it, where there was a fence.

АП: So they built under the same name on the neighboring...

ВБ: Under the same name they didn't build, but put a container. Ordinary container. Now, as is fashionable abroad, put windows, doors and everything.

АП: In the same place?

ВБ: No, no. Where there was a fence. Not in the same place. In the place where we found all [the dead], there is a memorial now. And we are now landscaping it little by little. The final result of landscaping I will show you. Turns out, for the anniversary, on the fifth [of October 2024].

АП: Will there be some kind of opening of this memorial?

ВБ: No, not an opening. Just we are hurrying to landscape it by the fifth. You helped us very much with its installation. Plus clearing. Everywhere where there were strikes, at the moment, they cleaned up little of these ruins. But here, as you helped us, your team.

АП: Nice to hear that we were able to help with something. As far as I remember...

ВБ: Not just help, but very much. This is enormous work. I was sending photos. All this from autumn, all winter, spring, all this was being worked on, cleaned out completely everything, taken away.

АП: Why was it so important to make a memorial? When I heard that first of all the village residents asked to help with a memorial, I was a little surprised. Because I thought about the fact that first of all, that first of all, as if people would ask for help, for example, for themselves. For some kind of personal help. Why was the memorial so important?

ВБ: Well, probably, they raised [us] like that in childhood. Probably so. Or, probably, I think so, why hasn't Putin captured Ukraine yet? Probably because of people, that is, what kind of people live [here]. He, probably, most likely, because of this. Because Western weapons, which partners give us, you also need to know how to use them correctly. Right?

[...]

АП: As far as I know, your wife is one of the activists who deals with the memorial?

ВБ: Well yes, we all little by little deal with it. Everyone little by little put at least a small effort. Everyone participated. And memory, this is – well, how can you remember all your life, yes? How can you remember? We put a monument to them, to our relatives, right? Same thing the memorial. You drive into some village there far-far away, stands a monument to fallen soldiers. Well, like in the Great Patriotic War they installed. People remember until now, lay wreaths, flowers. That is, so, I think, it will be right. And plus such a quantity [died] just in one moment. If the rocket had hit half a meter further, I think there, probably, 90 percent of people would be alive. But this way... If I'm not mistaken, five people survived.

АП: How did their life turn out? Those who were wounded and survived?

ВБ: Those who survived? Well, look, here, so, Nikolay also lay in the hospital for a long time. Returned here to work, here in the village he works. Recovered little by little.

Then aunt Toma. She for a very long time didn't come out of the house. She really needed a psychologist. Not only did she undergo medication treatment, for a long time then didn't go out on the street.

Then Galochka, the one who was in the kitchen, cooking. Who, turns out, they pulled out second in order from the rubble, from the living. She also recovered, here, in the village. She also participates. Helps with the memorial, beautifies it. Cleans, washes it, comes constantly. They throw out dry flowers, put fresh ones. Moves little by little. But to forget is impossible, of course, this.

АП: I remember there was a victim who had spinal damage. And you said then, it's unclear whether he will walk.

ВБ: Yes, that's him. That's Nikolay. He, imagine, everything is normal and he walks.

АП: Wow. And where does he work? You said he works – what does he do?

ВБ: And he is this, turns out, Tverdokhleb Anatoliy, yes? The cafe that was destroyed. He works as his helper. Something like that. He recovered and continues to work for the same guy.

And the saleswoman, whom we pulled out first from the rubble, she now works, imagine, in this shop in Hroza village.

АП: In this new one or in the old one?

ВБ: Yes, yes, yes, imagine.

АП: Incredible. Not afraid.

ВБ: Well, not afraid. Says, like, what is destined cannot be avoided.

АП: She says that?

ВБ: Uh-huh.

АП: I can't not ask, how, what was the reaction when they started talking about the fact that the spotters lived in the village and in general how do they relate to this?

ВБ: Half reacted – they wanted to burn their house there and everything else. Half don't believe that it was them. Like that.

АП: And they are still in the village or how in general? What, where are they?

ВБ: Well, their house, yes, remained.

АП: And they themselves are no longer in the village?

ВБ: They are in Russia.

АП: Do I understand correctly that there is still no evidence that it was specifically them?

ВБ: Well, they show correspondence on the internet.

АП: Yes, I saw the correspondence, but some...

ВБ: Well, again, there it's not these Mamons, but it's that Mamon-brother. Well, not by their father. And he didn't live in Hroza village at all. He worked for Russia in the police. That's his involvement. But not these Mamons. Although, you see, they accused both of them – both Dmitriy and Vladimir. Like they corresponded, showed their correspondence.

АП: But in the village there is no unified opinion?

ВБ: No, no, no, no. Each...

АП: How did the work on the monument go? How did you... Well, how in general did you think it up, yes? How did you decide that it would look exactly like this and not otherwise?

ВБ: Probably I thought it up. Then an architect in Kharkiv helped to implement all this. I drew it for him on a piece of paper, and he made it in 3D. And we started looking for who would deal with what.

First it was most important to remove all this. Because to drive by was unrealistic. Plus people brought flowers, icon lamps, toys. Everything there, to the ruins. Well, here not to the ruins, but to the children's playground nearby. This is wrong. A decision was made to remove all this. Again our volunteers, this project "Let's Do It", helped out very much, helped with this. There were very many nuances, through all this we went together with them. Thank God, everything is normal. Cleaned out, took away. Also found remains there. There everything was cleaned up.

Then who suggested – either I, or they – about the memorial? They [say]: "Well, calculate how much this will cost". Well, so, [it was necessary to make] first the visual this three-dimensional [memorial project]. We started looking for who could do it. And at a normal price, adequate. Not for all the money in the world, as they say.

We searched, searched. Well, of course, corruption is crazy. The highest such sum – they asked for a million hryvnias, imagine. For this that we made – a million hryvnias.

АП: Incredible.

ВБ: Well, we also, as they say, are not fools. We started looking, probing, studying prices. How much material costs, who does it, what price the work comes out to – all this. We found, thank God, normal people. With normal prices. And this came out to up to three hundred thousand.

АП: Three times cheaper, even more.

ВБ: Yes-yes, imagine how they heat up [prices]. And if, suppose, someone didn't want to, you know, there, bother, then – "we'll pay, and that's it".

АП: Good that you had enough patience, of course, to turn all this around.

ВБ: All this is trifles, compared to the fact that you can't bring anyone back and can't bring anything back. Only remembering remains.

The memorial is there, people remember. Many visitors come, look. Photograph, put flowers. Nearby is a little shop, someone buys cookies, candy, puts on the memorial. Children run by, take these candies, eat them.

АП: Seriously?

ВБ: Uh-huh. This is all normal.

АП: You don't scold the children?

ВБ: No-no-no. Yes we here again, also here such fear [editor's note: "zhakh" - Ukrainian for "fear"] was. There they blew up a house, also got scared [editor's note: "natrusylysya" - Ukrainian "got shaken up" meaning "got scared"]. The whole village got frightened [editor's note: from Ukrainian "perelyakalosya" - "got frightened"]. There recently a girl lived with her mother. Well there it's a corner house, on the outskirts. She's 37 years old, this girl, and her daughter, turns out, is 9. And she dealt with farming. She had cows and a breeding bull. And people brought their cows to her. Well she dealt with this, earned money for living. And very recently there was an emergency. This bull tore up this girl. Well, 37 years old – what is that?

Turns out, someone was bringing a cow to them, and she, I understood, released this bull. Behind [her] he went. Well, this is a beast. And he put her on his horns, tore up everything there. And liver, and lungs – tore everything out.

АП: Horror. And they managed to save her?

ВБ: And the girl was running around, screaming, couldn't do anything.

АП: Nightmare.

ВБ: Ambulance came – it was already impossible to do anything.

АП: She died?

ВБ: Yes, yes, instantly. There were injuries incompatible with life. There it's more sorry for this little girl. We gave her, by the way, from this project "Let's Do It" a stationery set and tablet. This child cried, stood. This cannot be expressed in words.

This was in the evening already. In an hour, I think, they shot this bull there on the spot. And her husband was fighting, and he's wounded, in short. Then on crutches they brought him from Kharkiv.

АП: Nightmare.

ВБ: Yes horror, I say, and already with this war, and what here such thing.

АП: Horror. And what now with the child, with the girl?

ВБ: Well, grandmother now [takes care]. Well, the father should be discharged due to wound, plus the fact that he like remained a widower.

АП: Horror.

ВБ: So take care of yourselves, risk less.

АП: Yes indeed. And this family you just told about, did they have someone hurt when the explosion was, or did they manage?

ВБ: They had a relative die there.

АП: Nightmare. You mentioned now about the child, and I wanted to ask, did you manage to arrange custody? I remember that you planned to arrange custody over nephews.

ВБ: Grandfather arranged custody. And a decision was made not to separate the children. And grandfather arranged both, both Dima and Anastasiya Panteleyevs.

АП: And they, turns out, also live in the village?

ВБ: Yes, yes, here. Everyone lives here.

АП: I remember, you said that you planned then still to take the younger girl to yourselves.

ВБ: Anastasiya.

АП: Does she visit you?

ВБ: Of course, every day. They are even now [at our place] – online study is going on now. Together they correspond with my daughter [editor's note: meaning, they study online together].

They [volunteers] helped very much. This is like an example, you understand. We as an example with volunteers gave to others. Now I see who there, who there try to do, install memorials, memorial plaques. Well, at least something, so that, well, they remember. Clean up all this, so that nothing reminds about war. What ruins.

АП: Before this there wasn't such thing?

ВБ: No, of course.

АП: No, I mean, that you said that you set an example. That is, before you started dealing with this, they didn't install monuments so actively?

ВБ: Well, there was one case when guys died on a plane in Chuguev. Do you remember?

АП: At the beginning of the war.

ВБ: Yes, when the plane crashed. Well, there there just stand black slabs, [editor's note: unclear] with names. And thujas are planted. That's how they made a square platform and everything. That is, well, there's no memorial as such. There are just slabs. And here is a memorial.

Old people said, these ones, old-timers, here there was one strike in the Great Patriotic War. For the whole war there was one strike. And here now one strike took out half the village.

АП: Yes indeed, terrible, of course, absolutely. Are there those who left the village after what happened? Or basically everyone stayed?

ВБ: Even some returned. Those who were abroad or somewhere, everyone returned. Here Pashchenko, the boy, Vladislav, whose father and mother died here in the cafe – he is now in pioneer camp in Lutsk. I gave to grandmother a stationery set and tablet, she sent by "Nova Poshta" to him [editor's note: referring to sets and tablets that volunteers gave to children from affected families]. He received, made a photo report, sent. Good boy.

АП: Responsible.

ВБ: Yes, yes, yes. Should come here soon.

АП: And he was abroad, yes?

ВБ: No, in Lutsk. Here.

АП: No, I understand. You just said that he came. I thought that he was abroad, then returned.

ВБ: Well no, here, on Ukrainian territory. Well just far away.

АП: Yes, now I understood. Do you plan to do some kind of memorial evening or something on the anniversary?

ВБ: No, no, no, each independently. No, now we try not to gather. Although women gather near the memorial, put flowers, bring. Clean the memorial. There's a little table nearby. Commemorated. Well so, purely symbolically – who drinks, who doesn't drink. And that's all. That is, nobody really gathers.

Yes everyone is already tired of this war. Already nobody is afraid of these explosions, nothing. Fatigue from war, as they say, there is war fatigue syndrome. You lose vigilance [editor's note: "pyl'nist'" - vigilance], then you die.

АП: Can you say that people got used to what is happening?

ВБ: Well, most likely, yes. Probably, yes. Well, this is just crazy. I don't know. It seems to me, it's difficult to get used to. Turns out so.

АП: Vladimir, thank you very much for agreeing to talk. I'm glad that we managed to help at least a little.

ВБ: Yes, we will always help with what we can. What is needed, contact us. In general, what is required from us, we will do everything.

АП: Good, thank you very much. And photographs, I understand, you sent to my colleagues?

ВБ: Uh-huh.

АП: I'll ask them then. Thank you, if I have some more questions, I'll write to you, we'll stay in touch.

ВБ: I can throw you a link from YouTube now, the latest one.

АП: Let's do it, let it be. Thank you, have a good day.

ВБ: And thank you very much. Give my regards.

АП: Good, I'll write to the guys now. Thank you.

ВБ: We want, this is purely my idea, again, we want for this team that helped us... I understand that people abroad threw in all the money, but thanks to this team all this [happened]. And this team works all possible, impossible channels to show all this, tell and convey to people that we need to stick together and help. Mutual help, or something. Otherwise no way.

АП: We try.

ВБ: And I want something – well, I'll think of something. As always, a spontaneous thought will come. Well, we'll think of something. How to thank this team.

АП: Yes, the guys, of course, work very smoothly. Really. Well done.

ВБ: Well done. Now I'll send a little link.

АП: Good, thank you enormously. Thank you.

ВБ: Nothing. Sorry that I couldn't before, but...

АП: What are you saying, I understand everything perfectly. Yesterday I myself postponed. So no questions at all. The main thing is that we still managed to talk with you. Thank you. Goodbye.

ВБ: Yes no problem, all this is trifles.

АП: Listen, and you said that you sketched the first some kind of sketch, draft of this memorial. And how did you think it up?

ВБ: There were many sketches. There was also a rocket sticking out, where this is split. In different ways it was, many sketches were. But initially I planned such – exactly letters, so that there would be a name. And like, a split or rocket. But then your... Your, our partners say: "Wrong, this, like, turns out a monument to the rocket". I look like this: well yes, damn, really – "Hroza" is written and rocket sticks out. Well like yes, this [turns out] a monument to Russian [aggression] – wrong. We're putting still for people, well, for people who died, about their memory so as not to forget. That is, we won't be here, yes? For granite the guarantee is 500 years, for the stone itself. In 500 years nothing will happen to it. People will remember. This is most important.

АП: And that's why you decided to make such as you made in the end?

ВБ: Uh-huh.

АП: Good, thank you. We stay in touch.