Russia (bbabo.net), - Friday evening, February 18, we were already completing the work week, switching to household chores. There is urgent news on TV: the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, announced the evacuation of the civilian population to Russia due to the sharp aggravation of the military situation. The Rostov Region will, of course, be the first to receive refugees. The entire editorial staff was raised to its feet.

Volodya Ladny quickly created a group in the chat - to exchange all information and coordinate actions. The editorial car - driver Tagir Radzhavov, besides, we have a cool photographer - rushed with journalist Ruslan Melnikov to the border. Ruslan had been literally sitting on his suitcase for three days already - and he was ready for a business trip to Donetsk. Another group - Lena Melikhova and Sasha Gavrilenko, without hesitation, rush in their car to another border checkpoint to meet the refugees. We were moving in a complete fog: as if on purpose, a thick fog descended on the region, you could not even see the car ahead; We were also enveloped in a complete information vacuum: where, at what border points will they be let through, where exactly will the exhausted people be taken? I think that momentire region was also urgently preparing for the influx: camps that had been frozen for the winter were opening, food and blankets were being brought in. Already at 22:00, buses with evacuees approached the border, and our guys met the first caravan. People disembarked from the buses that brought them to the border, and they turned around again - for new refugees. Those who arrived were transferred to Rostov buses; with frightened children in their arms, with things scattered from hastily collected bags. Cold, night, unfamiliar dark fields around, and what lies ahead?

Ahead was light, heat, hot tea, and many, many people from Donetsk who came to meet them by the nature of their service - border guards, doctors, officials, rescuers, psychologists, hoteliers, drivers. But how many residents of the Don responded simply to the call of the soul! “My heart bleeds, how is it, to quit everything, to leave the house with the children in my arms, just at night?” - Irina Valeryevna Boyko bursts into tears herself. “How can you not help them, come to me, relatives!” The phone of the administrator of a small hotel, Anna Esipenko, is full of dozens of messages: "Thank you, dear, you helped us so much!"

There are not many people like these simple Rostovites on the Don, we have collected only a few stories.

The first group of children from orphanages in Donetsk was placed in "Romashka" Text: Alexander Gavrilenko One of the first convoys with children from Donbass arrived at the temporary accommodation center "Romashka" on the shore of the Sea of ​​Azov on February 19.

In ordinary life, this is a year-round recreational sports complex, by the way, one of the best in southern Russia. As the employees admitted, the arrival of such a number of children was a surprise for them. But they managed to quickly orient themselves and receive all the guests without red tape.

By the way, photographs were thrown onto the Internet, where crowds of refugees allegedly cannot immediately get to temporary accommodation centers due to long queues. But there was no such thing here.

The first group, 250 children from several orphanages in Donetsk and one orphanage, together with their escorts, reached Romashka at 10 am, and the same number of children arrived in the afternoon.

The Romashka winter accommodation fund has more than 500 beds, and all the security guards, cooks, technical staff and so on work here in full force.

- As soon as we arrived, we were immediately placed on a separate floor, five children in each room. Everywhere was very warm, the beds were made with clean linen. Soap, shampoo, towels - just enough, - said Elena Plotnikova, deputy director of the Children's Social Center of Donetsk.

One of the local cellular companies distributed its SIM cards to everyone in need. Now everyone has free internet and mobile communications

She came with her three children. The Rospotrebnadzor inspectorate checked how the anti-COVID events are organized, whether the rooms are ventilated, what the air temperature is. The problem with the Internet was also solved within a day: one of the local cellular companies distributed its SIM cards to all those in need. Now everyone has free internet and mobile communications.

- The border with two checkpoints was passed in one hour. The children quickly moved from bus, they did not go anywhere on foot. Three hours later we were at the camp. We didn't have time to check in, we were immediately called for breakfast. In the morning there was oatmeal, sandwiches with sausage and butter, scrambled eggs and tea,” Plotnikova said. - And for lunch, soup, buckwheat porridge with cutlets, buns with raisins from our own bakery and compote from local dried fruits.

The portions are large, the chefs put in a margin, so the children sometimes do not eat them up. The administration regularly leaves questionnaires for adults and children where they can write about what they need. Added apples, bananas and oranges to the menu. Everything is very tasty and satisfying.

“Better than we have at home,” the children immediately add with a laugh.

They quickly forgot about the mortal danger that threatened them a day ago. Loud laughter is heard from all corners.Don met them with a bright sun, almost spring weather, and most importantly, they saw the sea, some for the first time in their little lives.

P.S.

Three days later we visited the guys again. The kids are completely at ease. The administration of the boarding house is preparing to "unpack" the cinema, which had been mothballed for the winter, on the territory of the camp. To show cartoons about heroes, as well as "Masha and the Bear", which the kids ask for.

Rostov pensioner is ready to disinterestedly accept refugees from Donbass Text: Elena Melikhova Rostov pensioner Irina Boyko is ready to disinterestedly accommodate a woman with a child.

- On February 18, I learned about refugees from Donbass. Poor people! My heart is just bleeding. Many children were forced to leave their homes. I can't even imagine how they feel. So I want to help as much as possible, - says Irina Valerievna.

She is not a millionaire or an oligarch, but a simple pensioner, a former design engineer, now on a well-deserved rest. There is an adult son, but he is already independent and lives separately.

- I have a two-bedroom apartment. I can accommodate immigrants in one room. But I can accept only one woman (mother or grandmother) with one child, a girl from three to six years old.

My living conditions are good, however, there is only one double sofa in the room. There are two wardrobes, a desk, a TV. The kitchen has a microwave and refrigerator. There is also a washing machine. I will help you take care of your child. And if my mother works, I will sit with the baby.

Irina Valeryevna posted an announcement that she was ready to accommodate refugees in her apartment on Avito. True, he is worried that a person who suddenly needs help will not see him.

- How else? We are all human and should help each other,” she says. - May God have peace. And people were able to return home as soon as possible.

The governor of the Rostov region spoke about the reception of refugees Text: Vasily Golubev (governor of the Rostov region) It just so happened that the Rostov region again became the main gate of the country, through which residents of the border Ukrainian territories rushed to Russia for salvation.

This already happened seven years ago, when shells exploded near our neighbors and civilians died. Then for the first time we encountered a huge flow of people, confused and driven by circumstances: old people, women, children, who crossed the border en masse and came to us for help.

Of course we helped them. How else? In our country, the border sometimes ran right along the main street of the village, and people close to each other lived on opposite sides of the border. Therefore, they accepted, surrounded with care, solved everyday issues.

Alas, this bitter experience came in handy again. And as soon as columns of buses with children and women lined up at our border, we immediately deployed all our forces and means so as not to leave people alone with trouble. In the shortest possible time, more than a hundred temporary accommodation centers for citizens with almost 14 thousand places were organized on the Don. We solve a complex of issues around the clock - transport, medical, to provide people arriving to us with everything they need.

The Federation is helping us. The President of the country supported us with lightning speed, ordering to allocate five billion rubles. A group of federal leaders immediately arrived in the Rostov Region. Colleagues from other Russian regions also responded, offering their assistance.

But the main thing, as well as last time, ordinary inhabitants of area have widely responded to the disaster of neighbors. Many signed up as volunteers, brought essential items and clothes for children to TACs, and offered to place the kids with their families. And it simply cannot be otherwise!

An auto mechanic from Volgograd brought the first refugees in his own car Text: Alexander Gavrilenko , Elena Melikhova Thirty-two-year-old Arsen Voloshin is a simple auto mechanic from Volgograd. He picked up the first refugees at the border of Donbass and brought two families with babies at night to the Rostov boarding house "Kotlostroitel" even before the arrival of official convoys.

That night, from February 18 to 19, Arsen was returning from his relatives from the city of Khartsyzsk, Donetsk region.

- I was standing at the checkpoint, I had already completed all the paperwork, when this man approached me. Refugees. When sirens wailed in Dokuchaevsk and an evacuation was announced, he and his family gathered the essentials, jumped into the first taxi they came across and drove to the Assumption Post. And then they ended up in an open field, nowhere to go. There were no buses yet, - the driver himself said. - Ruslan is a simple Russian man. He generally asked to take out at least the girls. But of course, I could not leave them and immediately said that I would take everyone where they said. Well, where are they at night, in winter, with two babies? I called my family and explained the situation. I have a wife and a six year old son. Of course, they were waiting for me, they missed me. But they were sympathetic to the situation. My wife said that I am a real man, that she loves me and is proud of my deed."Journalists met an old "ten" with Arsen's Volgograd numbers under the gates of the children's health center "Kotlostroitel" in the Krasny Desant farm on the shore of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. This is one of the first boarding houses that accepted refugees. But at half past eleven at night, except for us, there was still no one there. It is understandable: the fog that night on the highway was terrible. Visibility - no more than five meters, and buses with the inscription "Children" crept almost by touch.

Ruslana's 19-year-old daughter Ekaterina and her daughter were dozing in the back seat of the "dozens" - on February 25, by the way, she will turn one year old. Katina's godfather Zhenya crouched next to her, also with a child who is five or six months old at most. The babies slept in their mothers' arms, wrapped in "camel" blankets.

... The light came on in the boarding house. The guard came out: "Guys, drive the car." Arsen helped to unload some simple belongings from the trunk, which the refugees managed to take from home.

The men said goodbye like old friends.

- Well, see you, - Arsen shakes Ruslan's hand in parting. Embraced. Ruslan furtively wiped away a tear. - Everything is fine. You're a good man for taking your family out. You did everything right, they won't leave you here. Phones were exchanged. For the first anniversary of the granddaughter I will definitely dial ...

When even fireworks frighten Text: Nikolai Grishchenko The refugees had barely settled into their rooms and started to get used to a new life, when the past reminded itself again.

- The hotel is located in a recreation area on the left bank of the Don, and when salutes and fireworks were launched from other bases into the night sky, women and children woke up and jumped out into the street. They thought that artillery shelling had begun and they had to run to hide again, ”says Anna.

So that no one sees her wet eyes, she begins to wipe her glasses.

- At that moment, I realized that there, in the Donbass, there was a big disaster and people were in grief. All petty problems have melted away like a fog, like a trifle ...

People were given SIM cards, and many, especially grandmothers, do not know how to use them or called home and demanded all the money. They stand bewildered. I ask: how to help - there is no money in the account. I can’t call, but what does it mean to be left without a connection in a metropolis? It means a complete abyss. After all, there is nowhere to turn for help. Well, I began to put money on their phone. First one, then the other. There is not enough money - she called her mother, and she began to put. But I am happy when lost relatives find each other again. Here, listen to what they sent, - says Anna.

She holds out the phone. Probably, even the most talented artist in the world will not be able to repeat such a joyful voice: "Hello. This is Olya speaking. Thank you, we are fine, don't worry."

People - 127 guests - are all different, from babies to 86-year-old Taisiya Ivanovna from Donetsk. And everyone needs an approach and a kind word.

- You know, our oldest woman fell ill. She had a nervous breakdown and high blood pressure. She lost her memory and suddenly stopped recognizing everyone. And we had to nurse her, they calmed her down, thank God, - says Anna.

A fragile girl, the mother of an eight-year-old boy, Anna Esipenko, has not slept for three days. For three days she receives and accommodates people in a hotel, tells where to go and where you can buy inexpensive goods, how to properly draw up documents for receiving a lump-sum allowance.

- Well, I can't do it any other way. After all, people have such a misfortune, and we will share someone else's grief among all of us, and then the problems will turn out to be so small, small, and everything will be fine, - the modest administrator is convinced.

Resident of Novocherkassk provided a house for a large family of refugees Text: Alena Larina In Novocherkassk, a house was given to the largest family of refugees. He also took over the payment of all utility bills.

Previously, he rented the house for offices, and now the premises are being urgently converted into a family orphanage. This is the Kovalev family - Kolomeets, a mother and daughter from the Donetsk People's Republic, raising 24 foster children aged from four to 14 years.

This three-story building for a large family was found thanks to Irina Chumachenko, a resident of Novocherkassk, who heads the department for church charity and social service of the Novocherkassk deanery. She organized a massive collection of humanitarian aid for refugees from Donbass. Now she coordinates volunteers who responded to her call for help on social networks.

- I have a feeling that the whole city wants to help the refugees. Every day, dozens of people carry food, things, household appliances, donate money to the sisters of mercy in St. Michael's Church, - says Irina Chumachenko. -

And we have known the Kovalev family - Kolomeets since 2014, we met when we went to Donbass to deliver humanitarian aid.

Now, work is in full swing here around the clock: electricians are engaged in wiring, other volunteers assemble beds, wash rooms, cook food. By the time guests arrive, it should be ready.

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