'I felt the greatest pain a human being can feel'

Elias Baumgarten: You managed to escape from Kharkiv to safety in western Ukraine. How are you supposed to feel in this terrible situation. Nevertheless, how are you and your family doing now?
Anhelina Starkova: The west of Ukraine is peaceful, the east is a war zone. I left the East and got a second life in the West. I now live in the wintery Carpathian Mountains. I am looking into the distance at the high snow-covered peaks — looking into the future of my country and my family. I dream that it will be as strong and serene as these majestic mountains. My family and my hope are with me. Yes, indeed the times are dark, dangerous and unpredictable. Every time I see a Ukrainian military aircraft, I realize that peace is still just a dream. Maybe now I really understand this striving, this search for Peace — for Paradise, the greatest dream of man on earth.

You speak of a second life, because the war changed everything. How did you experience the beginning of the invasion?
On February 24, at 5:10 in the morning, I woke up heard the bombing of my hometown, my Kharkiv. I was absolutely speechless and it broke my heart. I realized the war had begun. I had not known war; the word had no meaning for me. And suddenly it came alive and took possession of me. That morning I saw and heard death through my window. Life had ended abruptly and the countdown had begun: death seemed only a matter of time.

Your apartment was also destroyed. What did you experience in Kharkiv before you were able to leave the city?
I felt the greatest pain a person can feel because the city was under non-stop attack from the air, death was omnipresent. You can't sleep, you can't eat without thinking about it. Cruise missiles flew over my house day and night. They made the walls shake and my soul tremble. There was no place to hide because when the war broke out, the bunkers and shelters were locked. We were defenseless and simply watched as the Russian soldiers destroyed our city, our architecture, our history and our future.
 

Did the Russian army specifically attack civilian targets? 
To date, thousands of civilians have already died in Ukraine, including over 80 children. In Kharkiv, the Russian army has targeted residential areas, children's hospitals, schools, and public facilities. We can speak of a war of conquest. Putin really did not aim to kill civilians. His goal is the territory of Ukraine, he simply ignores the people and their suffering. We are witnessing the destruction of Ukraine as a nation — our culture, our cities, and our history.

What was the situation in Kharkiv when you left the city? Our news said you were trapped and there was a lack of water and food. 
We woke up at 7am and ran to the bunker. It was unbearably scary. There were no guarantees of safety since the architecture of the bunkers did not meet the requirements of war. We spent the whole day there and stayed until late at night because it was not safe to leave the bunker at all. Kharkiv was constantly shelled, the city was reduced to rubble. Leaving it was a big risk, but it was a chance to survive. I took the responsibility: my life and that of my family depended on my actions. One morning, I made the decision. I was lucky. My family and I survived. 

How did your escape from Kharkiv go?
I took the most necessary things and went to the train station with my family. I have never seen such chaos in my city! The station was crowded, people were standing close to each other, and only women and children had a chance to get to the train. I understand that the evacuation was not organized; people simply ran to one of the exit gates of the main hall of the station. Only those who could stand in line for several hours without fainting or suffocating left the city. The weak, the lonely, and the disabled did not stand a chance. This is cruel and painful. Ukraine did not prepare for war; Ukraine did not prepare for evacuation. I only hope that after the war and our victory Ukraine will be ready for peace.
 

What does the war mean to you as an architect? You just translated the book Non-Referential Architecture ideated by Valerio Ogliati and written by Markus Breitschmid into Russian. And you are part of the curatorial team for Ukraine's contribution to the Venice Architecture Biennale next year. 
I think about architecture all the time. I don’t have a passion for architecture — architecture is my life! I deliberately chose this profession. My understanding of architecture has deepened and I think a lot about it in the context of military events. Observing war is a great lesson for an architect. How architecture works in peace is all well and good, but how well it fulfills its basic function — protection — can only be understood in war.
Yes, I just translated Valerio Olgiati's book; the Russian publishing house Tatlin was to publish my translation this month. But in light of recent events, I doubt very much that we will continue our project with Moscow. In any case, in the Putin era, the Russian public will not get to see the book.
My personal projects in Europe have also been temporarily blocked because architecture and war are incompatible. 

The solidarity in the West, indeed worldwide, is enormous. There are large demonstrations and a wave of willingness to help, especially in Poland. Some countries have also decided to supply weapons. Volunteers are coming to Ukraine to fight.
Support from the West is essential for Ukrainians today, because we are fighting fascism, and since it threatens the whole world, we are also waiting for support from all over the world. Our army is fighting for the freedom of Ukraine and all European countries. We are infinitely grateful for the will of EU citizens to participate morally and physically. Come to Ukraine and stop the enemy while he is still on the border and his military takeover can be stopped and neutralized! The history of fascism should not repeat itself; reflection and inaction just postpone the Third World War. 
 

So you assume that the war will expand? Journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2004, recently expressed similar fears. 
Putin's war of conquest against an independent country puts tensions with Finland, for example, in a new light. We have heard about his threats against the Finnish government. We know that the Soviet Union, within whose borders Putin wants to establish a new empire, included other territories besides Ukraine. Therefore, there is no guarantee that he will not continue his campaign of conquest. On the other hand, it is clear to us that the progress of the war depends solely on Ukraine. If Ukraine wins the war as an independent state, then all Europe wins its future. 

In Switzerland we are deeply affected by the pictures we see from Ukraine. Many would like to help. What can people do here, what would help Ukraine the most? 
It is necessary to create temporary jobs for Ukrainians. It is necessary to provide personal financial support, however small, to those in the most dangerous war zones in the country. I know that many people cannot leave Kharkiv because they cannot afford it. In Ukraine there are no shelters, we have no refugee camps, and people are simply abandoned in the most difficult times. Many good friends of mine have stayed in Kharkiv and are waiting to die because no one is helping them. Together we must do everything to save their lives, our freedom, our hope, and the future of the world.