Ukrainian refugee fled to Falkirk after bombed hometown turned into 'hell'
09.05.2022 - 14:37
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A refugee who fled Ukraine to live with her future in-laws in Falkirk told how her hometown was destroyed by bombing - and turned into "hell."
Natasha Matiusha, 29, heard a vacuum bomb soaring over her hometown of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, which destroyed the school she went to only 800 metres from her home, which killed 20 people.
She lay on the bathroom floor with her hands over her ears, fearing for her life.
Natasha is now safe and living in Bonnybridge, with her future in-laws, Helen and Donald MacKinven.
Her boyfriend, Lewis Pantony, 26, helped her escape to Warsaw, Poland, where she stayed for two weeks before travelling to Scotland on March 28.
Natasha left her brother, Alexey, 44, fighting in Ukraine, and also had to leave her cat, Solomon, who escaped when he was spooked by bombing.
She described being in Scotland as feeling like a holiday, and is hopeful she can one day return to Ukraine.
Natasha said: "It's extremely painful to see what people are going through and all a bit surreal.
"They have destroyed my home, they've shelled the cemetery and destroyed my parent's graves, destroyed my old school and my childhood memories.
"What is wrong with these people? What they are doing to the people of Ukraine is genocide."
She returned to Ukraine in September last year after working in China, where she met her partner and had hoped to visit Scotland under different circumstances.
Natasha said her brother was skeptical about the chances of war breaking out, and it came as a surprise when she got a call from a friend who works as a police officer.
She said: "I hadn't slept well that night, had terrible dreams about being trapped and I became aware of my phone ringing.
"I couldn't think who was calling me.
"When I answered