Lydia Mikhailovna Tolstova

“My name is Lydia Mikhailovna Tolstova, I’m 91 years old.
I was born in Ukraine, in the Dnepropetrovsk region. My father was the principal of the school.

After the World War II, we were sent to Kazakhstan.

Then we were allowed to return to Dneprodzerzhinsk.
I worked there, and met my future husband.

I worked at the factory most of my life. However, for some time I was a deputy of the City Council.

Then we had a daughter. She is now an adult, raising her daughter.

Both daughter and granddaughter are disabled. They live here in Kiev, in someone else’s room. They can not take me to themselves, they barely survive”.

After the death of her husband and sister (they were twins), Lydia moved to friends in Brest, Belarus, and lived there until last year. Then she returned to Ukraine and settled 60 km from Kiev at her summer house or “dacha”. Neighbors gave her some food in summer. Now they brought her to the House of Mercy because in winter they do not stay at the dacha.
Lydia says: “What do I do next – I do not know … ”

Photo by Александр Чекменев (Alexander Chekmenev)