Alla in her ransacked bookstore”>
Photo Pierre terraz, special collaboration
Alla, 44, stands in her bookstore in Borodianka, which was occupied and ransacked by Russian troops in 2022.
The Russians lived here. They used my books to turn on fires to warm up, it was winter.
alla
In early 2023, thanks to donations from anonymous supporters, Alla was able to repurchase nearly all of the books lost during the occupation. “We even have new works, English literature,” she shared with a smile, browsing her replenished shelves.
Since the full-scale invasion, Alla has been actively involved on various fronts. In November 2022, she hosted the internationally renowned British artist Banksy, who created a mural in the city. Like many residents, Natalia (Alla’s full name) evacuated Borodianka, narrowly avoiding encounters with Russian forces.
“They were right in front of me. I didn’t look at them; I focused on the corpses on the sidewalk,” she recounted. Her deepest regret is her inability to persuade her niece to leave. “I don’t know how badly they hurt him. She still can’t talk about it.”
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