Two former prisoners of war marked the anniversary of their release at a rally in Odessa

These events are very important. Because we are the voice of our brothers-in-arms who remain there. When I first returned, I didn’t give any interviews because we were told that the more we talk online, the harder it will be for our guys there. When I realized that emotions were running high on the outside, I walked around smiling all the time, because I could go wherever I wanted and say whatever I wanted. But I realized that society isn’t ready to accept us for who we are. I tried to do my job, and when people ask why I’m not interested in making reservations and I say I was a prisoner of war, they usually say they’ll call back—and then they never do. They’re afraid we might be unstable, even though I don’t show any aggression. In general, I’m a positive person, and I tried to stay optimistic while in captivity. My biggest dream right now is to bring the guys back from captivity and for the war to end soon. 

                                                                                                                                           Tulip

After being released from captivity, my first thought was what to do next. Even in the six months I was in captivity, the world had changed rapidly. My greatest fear in captivity was that I would call my mom, and my dad would answer and say she was no longer with us. Events like this are important because young men come and show that it is possible to recover. This is a huge source of moral support for mothers and women. Over there, they tell us that nobody needs us here and that things will be even worse for us here than in captivity, and this shows that they’re wrong. Here, I started to simply enjoy the chance to eat in peace, when there’s a bowl of borscht in front of you and you don’t have to wolf it down in two minutes like a seagull. You look at the trees, at the buildings, listen to the children shouting, and realize that this is freedom. 

                                                                                                                                                Bearid

I was at a loss, and someone told me that the mothers of the captives were gathering on Deribasovskaya Street, so I joined them. After everything he’s been through, he’s matured, though he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. We’ll get through this. I waited a long time and believed that my son would return. First, there was a text message saying, “Your son has been released,” then they called, and then he called me himself, saying, “Mom, I’ve been exchanged,” thank God.  

                                                                                                                                 Georgiy’s mother