The first days after the invasion of Ukraine, 21-year-old Shurandy Makov from Tilburg could only cry. His grandmother is still alone in the west of Kiev and there is not much hope that that will change soon. “It’s so harrowing.”
Shurandy, who was born and raised in Tilburg, visited Kiev for the last time in 2016. “On television I now see how parts I have walked are completely destroyed. Those images are incomprehensible.”
And contact with his grandmother, early 70s, is also difficult. “We call every day. That is in Russian, so my mother is a kind of interpreter. My grandmother has a Motorola from the year zero, by the way. So video calling is not possible, so it is difficult to get an idea of how things are going.” really going with her.”
And while she’s being tough, Shurandy knows how difficult the situation is in Kiev right now. “The food and drink is starting to run out. And we can’t send money that way either. Not that it makes sense, because she doesn’t dare go out on the street. Bombs are being thrown fifteen kilometers from her house.”
Meanwhile, Shurandy’s grandmother wants to get out of the area as soon as possible. “At first she refused to believe what was happening. And of course she still prefers to see everything calm down as soon as possible and she can just stay. But right now she would like to come here.”
The question is whether that is real. “There is talk of evacuation. But you are not there at the Polish border, are you. You first have to go through a war zone eight hundred kilometers.” The Tilburger himself had almost driven towards the front. “To pick her up. But that’s also so unsafe…”
During the day he mainly tries to change his mind. “Otherwise I’m just watching the news in front of the TV. Fortunately, I’m pretty busy with my HBO study in public administration. And I am number five for the ONS Tilburg party in the municipal elections. Nice flyer, talking to people. .. Then I’m distracted for a while.”