Viktoria Ponko lost her home twice, but the greatest loss was the death of her only son Volodymyr, who died as part of the legendary "Azov" battalion near Kreminna. For Volnovakha.City, the woman shared her story and how, despite the pain, she continues her military service and believes in the Victory for which her son gave his life.
Peaceful life
Viktoria Ponko's childhood was spent in the village of Blyzhnie in the Volnovakha district of Donetsk region. Like many of her peers, she attended various clubs, studied well, and considers that she had a happy childhood.
"It seems to me that all children had a happy childhood back then," the woman shares her memories.
After finishing school, Viktoria entered the Dokuchaevsk Trade Technical School. Later she got married, and in 2001 gave birth to her son Volodymyr. Even today, the woman vividly remembers the feeling of incredible happiness when she first saw her child and held him to her chest.
First loss of home and the beginning of volunteering
The peaceful life of the family was destroyed in 2014 when the war in Ukraine began. Viktoria and her son were forced to leave temporarily occupied Dokuchaevsk and move to the free Ukrainian town of Volnovakha.
In the new city, where blue and yellow flags flew, the woman actively joined volunteer activities together with well-known Volnovakha volunteers Olena Lastivka Mokrenchuk, Svitlana Kozakova, and other patriots. They washed clothes for Ukrainian defenders, prepared food, collected humanitarian aid and necessary items for the Armed Forces, and more.
Archive photo. Meeting of Volnovakha volunteers with the mayor of Lutsk at the 'Soldier's Mail' volunteer center, Volnovakha city, 2015Фото: Волноваха.City
Viktoria says that her son saw all this, volunteered together with the adults, and his young heart was being tempered. To show everyone that Volnovakha is Ukraine, they painted the city in patriotic colors.
"We didn't choose the country in which to be born, but we won't leave it, we'll stay with it until the end," Viktoria decided for herself back in 2014.
Mrs. Viktoria and Svitlana Kozakova with a Ukrainian soldierФото: Волноваха.City
During those difficult times for the family, they had to rent housing in Volnovakha. From 2015, the woman began working at the Volnovakha Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC), where she worked as a records clerk and then as a state registry operator. Viktoria notes that at that time she had one goal – "to help her child stand on his own feet," to provide education, and wanted him to have everything necessary.
Viktoria Ponko on dutyФото: Волноваха.City
Second loss of home and continuation of service
In February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Viktoria, along with her colleagues from the TRC, evacuated from Volnovakha following the alert. For the second time, the woman was forced to leave all her acquired possessions behind – she notes that she had no time to pack at all.
Later, Viktoria Ponko transferred to the Zaporizhzhia TRC, where she still works as an accountant today. Now Zaporizhzhia has become her new home, as this is where her son is buried.
Viktoria Ponko with her son VolodymyrФото: Волноваха.City
Son's life and his path to military service
Volodymyr Ponko studied at the Volnovakha reference lyceum. During his school years, he traveled to the western part of Ukraine, particularly to Lutsk, and was impressed by the warmth and care with which children from Donetsk region were received there. The young man was passionate about football and Greco-Roman wrestling.
After graduating from the lyceum, Volodymyr continued his education at the Velykoanadol Forestry Technical College named after Viktor Yehorovich Von Graff, and received higher education at the Kharkiv Petro Vasylenko National Technical University of Agriculture.
Understanding that his mother's salary was not enough for a comfortable life, Volodymyr always found side jobs – he worked as a waiter in Volnovakha, as a real estate agent in Kharkiv and Kyiv.
Volodymyr PonkoФото: Волноваха.City
"Only Azov"
The full-scale invasion caught Volodymyr in Kharkiv, in the frequently shelled Saltivka district. First, he moved to relatives in Poltava, and then to friends in Kyiv. Already in December 2022, the young man filled out an application to join the "Azov" regiment. His mother called him to come to her, but her son replied that he would only join this unit.
The young man dreamed of continuing his education in a master's program, getting married, having a family and children, but he didn't get the chance. The war crossed out all plans.
The last battle and eternal memory
Volodymyr Ponko, with the call sign "Chip," as part of the legendary 12th Special Purpose Brigade "Azov," defended Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk directions. Our young fellow countryman bravely endured all the hardships of military training and service during the war.
He promised his grandmother: "I will come to you, hug you and tell you that the war is over."
The defender from Volnovakha died in the Luhansk region near the city of Kreminna on August 24, 2023 – on Ukraine's Independence Day. The independence that he fought for at the cost of his own life.
"I continue to live for two"
In the hearts of his mother and friends, Volodymyr will forever remain a loving and attentive son, intelligent, hardworking, sociable, with a smile on his lips.
Viktoria Ponko believes that the Universe supports her on this earth and gives her strength to live on. She wants the memory of her son to live on.
"The Universe gives me strength to endure all this. I need to live life for two. I really want the memory of my son to live as long as possible – he is a worthy son of his country," concludes the Hero's mother.
This material was published with the support of the Association "Independent Regional Publishers of Ukraine" and Amediastiftelsen as part of the Regional Media Support Hub project. The views of the authors do not necessarily coincide with the official position of the partners.
