“Things happen in life,” says Marina. “But if you understand that this is your man, don’t leave him.”
Photo: Archive “KP”
“Anyway, I Love You”
Aleksey, a Donbass militiaman, met his future wife in 2015, when she was with his fighters in their village.
– I saw Marina only a couple of times – she came to the village on the weekend – she remembers the story of their relationship. -I think she is a pretty girl. One time my car broke down. She stopped an approaching man: “Where’s her auto parts store?” “Let me show you the way.” I ask: what kind of girl is here sometimes? “So this is my godfather!” – replied the man. Here I was surprised! So I got her number, I plucked up the courage to call her.
Marina was 21 years old, she studied at a technical school.
“There were many soldiers in the town,” he recalls. -But the “eight” black of him noticed immediately. At such a speed he was worn out, reckless. After he wanted to shout: “Do you have a mind ?!”
They started calling. Marina did not know how these calls could end – the military is constantly moving from one place to another. It seemed to her that it was impossible to fall in love with a person over the phone.
– Once Alexey sent a text message, from which I realized that everything was not very good: “In any case, I love you.” I called again, but the phone was not answered. And then I realized that without him I can’t anymore. It turned out that at that moment they were covered by grenades, and he was afraid to die without telling me that he loved me, ”says Marina.
A Donbass fighter who lost his sight told a touching love story with his wife
Photo: Grigory KUBATIAN
I was afraid that Marina would say: “Forget me”
There was no news for an alarmingly long time.
“Then his subordinate got in touch,” she says. She-she said that Lesha got into the eye, her cheek was hooked. I called the hospitals, but no one knew anything. The guys came, the foreman said: “Just don’t cry. Lesha is alive, but she … she is in captivity and … she does not see. We’ll do everything we can to get him out.”
And the following happened: in the village of Spartak, during a battle, a bullet hit Alexei in the eye and ricocheted off an armored car. They tried to evacuate it, but the car they were traveling in was blown up by a mine. The wounded Alexei was thrown onto the road and lay bleeding. He could have died, but the Ukrainians found him and, blinded, with a bullet in the head, they took him prisoner.
– I came to my senses when they took off my berets, – says the fighter. – They took me to the unit, they beat me with boots and head butts. They threatened that they would give it to the Right Sector* and tear it to pieces. So we decided to trade.
They called Marina again: “Alexey was traded, will you go to the hospital with us?” she rushed…
– Most of all I was afraid that Marina would say: “Forget me.” After all, I commanded a platoon, they should have given me a senior lieutenant. Now what? Alexei sighs. – I thought I’d put my hands on it. But she came and said: “I need you, the main thing is that you are alive!”
He was sent for treatment in St. Petersburg. The bullet was removed, but they could not restore vision. One eye is missing, the other cannot see.
recount the photos
Alexey and Marina got married. The wedding was modest, for 25 people, mostly Marina’s relatives. From Slavyansk, Alexei’s hometown, came his mother, his aunt, and his cousin. The rest could not: too difficult.
We went on our honeymoon to the Azov Sea. We even booked wedding photography. Sometimes they look at photo albums together. Marina tells Alexei what is shown in the pictures.
Alexei dials phone numbers with his voice and listens to the news through a smart speaker.
“We do not support Maidan in Slavyansk,” he recalls. – They met. They demanded autonomy, the same as in the Crimea. But when they brought troops from the other side, they realized that there would be no peaceful life. They began to build barricades. At first they ran with sticks, then machine guns appeared.
Now only souvenirs and various military awards of the DPR for service in the militia remain.
Young people bought a house in the village. Marina works at school, Alexei does the housework. He can saw logs or cut a piece of rebar with a grinder.
“They ask him: how do you do it? Marina says. – He answers: will you put a spoon in your mouth with your eyes closed? Here I can. What he did when he was sighted, he does now. And what I didn’t do, we ask others to help.”
Aleksey, a Donbass militiaman, met his future wife in 2015, when she was with his fighters in their village.
Photo: Grigory KUBATIAN
master in the dark
Accustomed to living in the dark. First, he counted the steps, put his hands out. He now he knows exactly where and what he is. Therefore, in the house, all things are in their places.
– When I lost my sight, my hearing sharpened. The birds are singing outside the window, but it seems to me that they are sitting on my bed, it was so loud. Now I can hear from the room if there are people, for example, near the house next door.
He has four cats, he knows their color only from Marina’s words. But when she takes a cat in her arms, she can tell if he has lost or gained weight. There is a small fluffy dog doll, with which Alexei made a stand. And the formidable dog Lord, who lives in a spacious enclosure.
Alexey raises pigs to earn money. Now there are 16. He himself feeds them. He builds a grain crusher. He makes feed pellets. He wants to buy a press to press sunflower oil. I bought a hectare and a half of land and, with the help of the villagers, I plowed and sowed.
Alexei and Marina plan to have children.
Alexey does not regret that he went to fight. And he is waiting for the victory of Donbass and Russia.
*The organization is recognized as extremist in Russia, its activities are prohibited.
