Church without walls. Pastor from Mirnograd-about the beginning of the war in 2014, moods in Donetsk and the damage of television propaganda

Video Day Church, where Pastor Igor Tunik serves as, helps people who find themselves in difficult circumstances since 2014. Today, there are six Christian communities in the cities of Donetsk region, which provide, in particular, opportunities for rehabilitation of people with alcohol and drug addiction. In an interview with NV, Igor Tunik recalls how the war in the Donbass began in 2014, and tells how the local population in his city now, after the war has grown into a full-scale.

About what happened in 2014 when Euromaidan began in Kiev, I understood that people were standing for freedom, for truth. I prayed, supported people in every possible way. However, when the occupation of Crimea began in 2014, it felt bad, bad. I remember all these pro -Russian parties and forces, everything they did here. During the occupation of the peninsula, I did not want to eat or sleep, I was very worried.

I understood that this could have consequences for the whole of Ukraine, and here it all started in the Donbass. Then, if you remember, all Ukraine was surrounded by the Russian army, as it is now, until February 24, 2022. And everything went to the fact that they are not just standing there. Something prevented them, I believe that the Lord God somehow intervened, and then they did not attack us. But it was scary.

And when the fighting began in the Donbass, in Slavyansk, and then in Donetsk, many of my friends from there, the patriots, they told that one thing happened there, and on Russian television they showed a completely different picture. I understood how much people are lying and how they believe in lies. One of my friends, already deceased, American, lived for 20 years in Ukraine, Lugansk and then Donetsk. And so it turns out that in Donetsk he lived near McDonald's and Donbas Arena.

He said he loved to go to McDonald's coffee every three days. He said: “I remember, then they [pro -Russian forces] were still based in Slavyansk. And many people, when they went to McDonald's, asked the saleswoman how much it would cost in rubles. They were unclear prices in UAH, and they asked to be transferred in rubles. This American said he listened and understood that they were not a Donetsk. There were a lot of them there, they came every day.

And I realized that Donetsk was preparing for surrender, Russia is doing everything to capture it, "he said. When in 2014 he was organized a pseudo-referendum, people went, voted for the so-called DNR, many were running with Russian flags. I shouted : "What you do?" People were convinced that it would be like in Crimea: we would just be " who spoke for the referendum, suddenly raised Ukrainian flags. I tried to support the local patriots. We helped the Ukrainian army, which was goala, boss.

She said, "I see what my country is doing in your Donbass. " And I sent me money to buy a helmet for a Ukrainian soldier who defended us here. However, what I was doing then is a drop in the sea and me We wanted to help our Ukrainians somehow. On the beginning of a full -scale offensive, we go to treat our teeth to the dentist in Kramatorsk. For the last time [before the start of a full -scale war] we went to him at the end of January.

My friendship Inna said, “How in early March? The war will not work. " I remember he looked at her so much: what war, what do you tell? Actually, we assumed that a full -scale invasion would be. I have a birthday on January 18 - I remember that a few days later, I wrote a text for one of our short Christian videos. It was called the war. And it said that war is always bad, it is always madness.

And that the President of the neighboring state, Putin, promises to start a full -scale invasion and firing our cities. This is what I wrote there. Then he translated everything to another topic that if a person is unbelieving, he is fighting with God. And we must reconcile, be in peace with God. And if we believe in Jesus Christ, we are in peace with God. On February 24, I call my assistant who had a video from my text. I ask whether he was already a video, he says - he did not have time.

I ask him to add that all the threats came true: shelling of our cities began, a full -scale invasion began. For a lifetime I remember it - creepy, awful. It's madness. They [the Russian side] justify this by the fact that we are all the Nazis that we have NATO bases, biolaboratories. But if you remove all this stupidity they say is madness. Why kill us? What you do? That is why I still can't believe it started.

On February 25, we announced that we would gather here every day and pray for our country. I believe that God responds to our prayers, after all, we have not taken us in three days. I understood that it was necessary for the people themselves: we are not just praying, we communicate, support each other, share news. We started looking for an opportunity to help our military. They realized that they needed support. I gave my car, a minibus, I gave [them] at the time of the war.

After the evacuation of the local population after what happened near Kiev, in Bucha, there was a great panic, a great fear of people who can occupy us. Then the authorities of our region spoke to leave. I saw that many needed me to organize them and take them somewhere. These are, in particular, members of our Christian community. We stayed here sometime until April 4, and later left. Many of those who have taken out are disadvantaged families without dads, many children.

A large group - 54 people, of whom 26 children - we went first to Zaporozhye, from there, three days, to Khmelnytsky region, and then to Cherkasy. They spent two months there. In the village of Buzivka, in Cherkasy region, we have accepted three families. They are made of reeds, and there are still villages under it. Now some of the reed people live with us in Mirnograd - we have rented an apartment for them.

In 2014, in their settlement there were arrivals, three arrivals - just in the courtyard of one of our believers, part of the house was destroyed. This woman says she escaped from the war, and here again - the same. People in the basement sat a week, scary. They have not forgotten that injury in 2014, when it was all, and now everything is repeated. Feeding and giving hygiene is not all. Ukraine needs great work for psychologists in the future.

In this case, the Gospel Church should also be an island where we carry mental healing, take care of people. After all, these people will live with this trauma all their lives. We decided to return to Mirnograd, because we understand that there will be no occupation - the Russians have no strength. And thank God, we were not occupied. Russian rockets fly over the city periodically. Everything is very restless, the explosions can be heard at night.

But, thank God, Mirnograd is a peaceful city in general, so be it. About the destruction in the region a neighboring city - Pokrovsk, shot there many times, it is quite nearby. Also, the town of Grodivka, in the Pokrovsky district, literally 7 km from us - it was bombed very much. There is only flying above us, but there were no arrivals. Let it be, Lord. We were also injured: we do not have gas and no heating season is expected. There are no drinking water for many months.

With that water that runs in the tap, even the mouth can not be rinsed: when you clean your teeth, it is very unpleasant, some taste, yellow. Those who are able to buy water are bought, and those who do not have this opportunity go to the private sector and ask to collect one of the well - for a minimum fee.

In 2014, it was the year when the Malaysian Boeing MN 17 was knocked down over the Donetsk region-we lived without water for 100 days, even without technical, because the Russians were fired at all around. Heat, summer, you constantly want to drink, you want to wash, but there is no water. Neither the dishes, nor the floor, nor to wash - there was nothing at all. But life is known in comparison.

When we stayed without water for 100 hot days, and now there is technical - everything is wonderful, we are used to. Yes, our people suffer. But if compared to how they suffer, perhaps in Mariupol or somewhere in other cities, I think that we are all right. And thank God for what we have. I think that at the end of September this large group should be left again - for the winter. Because then the heating season will begin. Until it has begun, we enjoy and look for options [for wintering].

We hope for a miracle, but at the same time we plan the options: where to get money, how to go, how to feed a large number of people. I have already said that our group has men, but most are women and children, most of them are small children. Therefore, we are a big kindergarten, we can say, we go.

Six people, some people, are served on the assistance of the Armed Forces and civilians in the Armed Forces of our people, members of our church, and some in the leading positions where it is dangerous. We try to help everyone, but we especially look for them. Recently bought a thermal imager, night light and car. As I like to joke, good Russians in the thermal imager are not visible. So we bought the thermal imager to see bad Russians.

Most of these eight years we have helped people in Avdiivka because they were suffering the most there. Also reed and surrounding villages. Here, in Mirnograd, we used to help displaced persons, but now - not only to them, but in general to everyone who suffered from the war. I think the churches should be socially active. That is, if we are able to feed, and we just pray for people and do not feed, we do not do what Jesus Christ put on us.

Therefore, in these difficult days for Ukraine, the Church's business is to do as good as possible for others. About the impact of television propaganda If you are notifiable for 2014, I think, then it was necessary to throw every effort so that people did not watch Russian television. It's not news, it is propaganda, zombing. There is a black and vice versa. Our people found feeding on Russian television. It had to be switched off. TV selects the ability to think and analyze critically.

I am glad that I have not been watching TV or News for 15 years. Recently, however, yes, because the war began. But I know what to look, because even Ukrainian News is sometimes propaganda. I think the TV does great evil. In Soviet times, among the believers, including the Baptists, it was forbidden to watch TV. There were no lecherous films, sex, erotica, satanism, violence. But there were endless news programs for one and a half hours - brainwashing, Soviet propaganda.