Resistance heroes Ivan and Valentyna Khaskhachikh, a retired couple from the picturesque village of Chermalik on the banks of the Kalmius River. They raised children and worked until 2014, when war, like in the lives of millions of Ukrainians, suddenly entered their lives.

Ivan and Valentyna, without hesitation, began helping the Ukrainian military. Uncle Vanya (this is the “call sign” by which the man was known by all defenders, not only from Donetsk but from all corners of Ukraine) kept constant communication with the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine located nearby, bringing them everything they needed, sometimes carrying out “special” tasks to detect the enemy. Aunt Valya, throughout the entire war, looked after the Ukrainian soldiers.

With the onset of the full-scale invasion, the couple had to leave their beloved Chermalik, as their active pro-Ukrainian stance was well-known to all fans of the “Russian world.” After reaching Mariupol, the pensioners once again joined the wave of Ukrainian resistance to the occupiers. However, even from there, they had to flee.