Spouses Yuri and Oksana Didenko, who in 2014 lived with their two sons near Odessa, told Izvestia how they experienced the events in the House of Trade Unions.
“We did not accept that coup, those events. We understood that we needed to do something. We are Russian in spirit, so we had a rough idea of what would happen next. As a former military man, I tried to do everything possible to prevent this, ”the head of the family shared.
As Yuri recalls, when blood was shed in Kyiv, he and his eldest son, who signed up for the Odessa squad, went on May 2 to defend the city.
During the clashes, Yuri was smashed in the head with stones. Bloody, he, along with other defenders of Odessa, got on a bus to go further to defend his city.
“That is, we broke through the defenses and arrived at the Kulikovo field. I was with the inhabitants of Odessa, the girls shook my head. I realized that there would be a difficult situation there, I asked people to leave from there, because I saw a lot of weapons. I went, like everyone else, to the House of Trade Unions. I will not describe all the details. Thanks to the guardian angel, he came out of there alive, broken, burned, ”he said.
According to Didenko, at one point he rolled down the stairs. There was dark smoke, nothing is clear. The wounded man saw an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and asked how to get out of here.
“He led me to the main entrance, and, fortunately for me, there were no Maidanists there. My car was nearby. He understood that his arm was broken, got into the car and left. Passed the roadblock and returned home. At home, I could not pull out the ignition keys, my hands were swollen. My wife and neighbor met me. I was very “beautiful”. I was taken to the hospital, my hands and wounds were treated, ”Yuri added.
Half an hour later, according to him, representatives of the Right Sector (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) came there for him, for whom he was considered an enemy of Ukraine.
“They came to pick me up, but the doctor didn’t give me up, he said that I was too heavy. We still then came to the hospital for four months with thoughts that they would just take me away. I was treated thanks to volunteer help from Russia, because in Ukraine no one needed me. Mostly I was helped by people who were not indifferent. My school friend, a former SBU officer, helped me. Thanks to him, I was always warned. Like any father, I had to protect my children. I have two sons. We endured and endured, but nothing could be done. The comrade warned that it was necessary to leave urgently, ”the source said.
However, the family failed to cross the border the first time. Ukrainian border guards found fault with the car and the passport of the eldest son. They only left three days later.
“I knew right away that they were going to defend Odessa. They are men. What could I do? They go to defend their city. Of course, I was scared for them, I prayed for them. What could I do? Pray like a mother, a wife. Wish them a guardian angel on the road and pray for them to return home safe and sound,” Oksana Didenko told about her experiences.
Now the family lives in Russia. The eldest son works at a flour mill in the Moscow region, and the youngest son graduated from the ninth grade and helps his father and mother with the construction of a house. He’s going to go to university. At the end of 2021, the family purchased a plot near Serpukhov.
“We will build. We have an apartment left in Odessa, there is no way to return there yet. In any case, two sons who grow up here, they must raise Russia here. I am calm for them, because at the time when May 2 happened, we simply rescued them from there. It is not known what would have happened to them, ”summed up the head of the family.
In February 2014, a coup d’etat took place in Ukraine, which went down in history as the second Maidan (the first happened in 2004). As a result of street protests and riots, opponents of then-incumbent President Viktor Yanukovych came to power.
On May 2, 2014, anti-Maidan supporters clashed with radicals in Odessa. The activists were locked in the House of Trade Unions, and members of the Right Sector extremist group set fire to the building. Without letting anyone out, they opened fire on those who tried to escape from the fire. 48 people were killed, more than 250 were injured.
No one was punished for what happened in Odessa. The main defendants in the case are still on the wanted list. At the same time, Russia, as well as the UN and other international organizations, have repeatedly criticized Ukraine for a formal and reluctant investigation into the Odessa tragedy.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during an appeal to the Russians, said that the identities of those responsible for the tragedy in Odessa are known, and Russia will take the necessary measures in order to find those responsible for this crime, “punish and bring to justice.”
The story about the events of 2014 in Ukraine, including in Odessa, received a wide response in society. Watch how people defended their right to be Russian in the Dobrov on Air program on REN TV on Sunday at 23:00.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
