Finding the right person and building a strong relationship at a mature age is much more difficult than in youth, because everyone already has a certain life experience, unchanging habits and fundamental requirements. However, if feelings do flare up, they are forged into a strong couple who love, appreciate, respect and are proud of each other. That's exactly what happened to Hanna Avramenko and Oleksandr Shevchenko from Metinvest's Ingulets GOK.
For two years now, the lives, actions and stories of Ukrainians have been closely intertwined with the war. During this time, people make drastic decisions, accelerate what they have started, trying to do as much as possible without waiting for a non-foreknowable future. A month after the start of the full-scale aggression, on 23 March, Oleksandr Shevchenko and Hanna Avramenko officially married. Soon Anna understood why her lover was in such a hurry. Despite having exemption from active duty and certain family circumstances that made it impossible for him to be mobilised, he was preparing to go to the front.
"By that time, we had been together for a long time. At first, we were friends for three years, and then we realised that our feelings were getting stronger, and we needed each other. And it all started with communication at work, and it was not very pleasant. I was acting as the shop's ecologist and came to his site for an inspection. I identified a few remarks there and voiced them to the mining foreman, Shevchenko. He fixed everything instantly, because as an employee, Oleksandr is very skilled and professional. He has very developed engineering skills. In his work, he often found ways to improve the process," – Hanna says.
Oleksandr's knowledge of graphics, computer skills, ability to work in the field, plan work and analyse different ways of performing the same process have also come in handy in the service. He has now been at the front for 20 months. He is a junior sergeant in a sapper brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces. The soldier has worked in the Sumy, Bakhmut and Kharkiv sectors. In conversations with his wife, he often recalls how, before the war, he was taught brainstorming at Metinvest. When it was impossible to make a single decision, they would throw out as many ideas as possible, and one of them would always work. Now his skills are highly valued by his brothers in arms. To increase the mobility of his brigade, Oleksandr took his family car to the front and then bought a dual-purpose vehicle at his own expense.
In the first months of the full-scale war, Hanna also took on an important mission. When the enemy was approaching Kryvyi Rih from the Kherson region, she and her friend prepared lunches for 270 soldiers covering Ingulets, every day. Sometimes they worked in the kitchen at night so that in the morning two more assistants could deliver the hot meals to the defenders. The women had to lift huge heavy pots and stand at the cookstove for long periods of time. This affected Hanna's health, which eventually led to a serious injury. She spent many months on sick leave. All this time, her husband supported her and organised a fundraising for her treatment. Now, the soldiers, whom Hanna took care, helped her to literally get back on her feet. The goodness has returned.
"During this period of separation, I saw my husband in a different light. We have always been different in our behaviour. For me, everything has to be orderly, clear and planned. Oleksandr has a lighter disposition, but we are very comfortable together. But now I realise that I respect my husband even more and am proud of him. After all, gaining a reputation in peacetime in front of a woman is one thing, but becoming an authority for men at the front is quite another. I am convinced that in adulthood, love must be multiplied by respect," says Anna.
These two lovers are also united by their dreams. As soon as the war is over, they plan to go travelling. The other day they chose, where to go first? Venice won over Thailand, so Thailand will come later. Oleksandr has planned a lot of work for his soul: to organise a carpentry workshop where he will make furniture for the house. He also plans to complete the house, build his wife a greenhouse and high beds to make it easier to cultivate. Hanna is very good at gardening. But first of all, we need to drive the enemy out of our land so that we can be together again.
