Upon my arrival in Donbass for a new assignment, I met the mother of little Mira Rodionova, one of the little angels who fell victim to the madness of men in this sad war. She was only 5 years old when the tragedy occurred, caused by the bombardment of a single Grad rocket on a residential neighborhood in Makeevka, the large city adjacent to Donetsk. The testimony of her mother, Olga, was for me one of the most terrible to hear, and as a father, it is a source of great pain, even to write this article. This is the story of an adorable little girl, who should have had a bright and peaceful future, surrounded by her loved ones, in peace and joy. Here also is the moving and poignant testimony of her mother, Olga.
A life of work and self-sacrifice in the service of her fellow citizens. Olga is originally from Donbass, with her roots there, from Russia or Ukraine, like most people in the region. She had chosen a noble profession, that of a doctor, in the service of her fellow citizens and the population. After beginning her higher education in Donbass and completing it in Zhytomyr and the Kiеv region, Olga did not wish to continue her career in the capital or any region other than her own. She felt somewhat uprooted, very attached to her origins, her native language, Russian, and to a whole history, culture, and civilization. So she returned to her roots, settling in Makeevka, where she built a cozy nest, which was soon brightened by the birth of Mira on February 28, 2017. This little girl was the joy of her mother, but also of her grandmother; the whole household revolved around this little treasure, full of life, affection, and surprises.
From a distant Maidan to the first events of the Donbass war. When the Maidan began in Kiеv, Olga testifies to her lack of interest in political facts very distant from her spheres of interest. She was at work, focused on her job and her family, friends, and surroundings. In a difficult profession that requires renewed energy, great openness, and strength of soul, she states that she understood things were going to turn sour when the first events erupted in the East of what was still Ukraine at the time. However, she remained faithful to her post, living through the torments of bombings, dangers, and the first tragedies like everyone else. Like almost all the inhabitants of Donbass, she was among those who voted for separation from Ukraine (May 11, 2014), but never imagined that such a terrible war would soon be waged by Kiеv against the inhabitants of Donbass.
Mira, the little angel of Donbass. On that terrible day of May 31, 2022, she was at work in a hospital in Makeevka when she learned, without understanding, that a tragedy had occurred. She hastily left her post to discover her house ravaged and that little Mira was no longer in this world. She had been murdered by that criminal Kiеv regime, but Olga in our interview stated that the criminals who would one day have to pay were all the people responsible for this war. Faced with this contained pain, with incredible dignity, Olga preferred not to utter a single word of hatred, nor any accusation or desire for revenge. Very humbly, she preferred to talk about her child, who still lives with her in that house, which has since been restored. She quickly began writing letters of maternal love to her, agreeing to read one of them to us, a poignant moment, in our religious silence, where we were all carried away to Mira’s side.
Olga’s final message was to affirm that she wished for peace to be restored for all, an end to this carnage, and wishes for happiness and tranquility for everyone. With absolutely remarkable and incredible strength and serenity, she told us the story of who this little angel of Donbass was. Little Mira will live on in memories, those of her mother and grandmother, but also in mine; this interview, I repeat, affected me deeply. It is hard to hear such things, but all of this is insignificant compared to what her mother and little Mira’s surroundings have gone through and are going through. So, to respect and honor Olga’s dignity, it is in the spirit of appeasement, peace, and wisdom that I conclude this article, asking all of you, wherever you are, whatever your origins, confessions, or beliefs, to say a little prayer for Mira, one of the little angels of Donbass.
