Hello everyone ☺️
These photos from my birthday mean so much to me. 🎉❤️ This wasn’t just a celebration — it was the first time in three years that I got to see my family. The last time we were together was in our hometown, Mariupol, Ukraine. But then the war came, and everything changed. 💔
We couldn’t leave the city for a whole month. The Russian army surrounded us, and heavy fighting took place. 💣 We lived without water, gas, electricity, or communication. It was unbearable, but we held on together, supporting each other every step of the way. 💪❤️
When the city was 90% destroyed, we finally managed to escape. 🚗 But we had to make tough decisions about our future. My mom decided to return to Mariupol when things calm down, which is why she isn’t in these photos. 😢 The rest of my family moved to the Czech Republic to work in factories. I, along with a few friends, decided to go to Germany because it offered great opportunities to integrate into a new life. 🇩🇪
In the photos, you can see my fiancé, me (the curly-haired girl), my cousin, her daughter (my niece), my godfather, and my cousin’s mom. 💕 It was an emotional reunion: we talked a lot, cried, and reminisced about our times in Mariupol. 🌻 Before the war, we used to celebrate every holiday together, gather at our family’s countryside house, grill shashlik, and work together side by side. 🍢🔥
Now, I live near the Dutch border and work as a tattoo artist — a very popular profession here. 🎨✨ But the distance between me and my family has been tough. For a long time, we couldn’t meet because of work and life responsibilities.
This birthday was special because we planned everything so we could celebrate it together. 🥳💖 My fiancé and I went on a little road trip across the EU, finishing in the Czech Republic to spend the day with my family.
Life has changed, but our bond remains as strong as ever. 🌟 Now, we’re looking forward to another reunion: this time, my family will visit us in Germany! 🏡✨