Olena Semenikhina – the starosta of the village of Sadove, which is located on the territory of the Kherson city territorial community. She has been working in local self-government bodies since 2016. Initially as the secretary of the executive committee in the Sadivska village council, after the 2020 reform — as starosta.
The village council includes the village of Sadove and the settlement of Prydniprovskе. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, about one and a half thousand people lived here in total; today — 25 residents in Sadove and none in Prydniprovskе.
According to Olena, now life in Sadove – is survival, not living. Many people left after the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP, since the village was partially flooded, and then heavy shelling began.
There is currently not a single intact house left. The upper part of the village is empty, however the occupiers continue to remotely mine the village and deliberately destroy civilians’ property: first they throw explosives onto a house, pierce the roof, and then — an incendiary to start a fire.
“One of the local residents did not plan to leave until the last moment. Then a shell hit his house, he himself miraculously survived – then he left. But there are those who still remain. And it is not out of recklessness, but out of attachment to home, animals and their life,” – Olena says.
For Sadove, the war is not only the front nearby, shelling, drones and fires, but also the roar of a generator that drowns out the sounds of explosions.
Electricity in the village disappeared in November 2022, when the Russians, retreating to the left bank, destroyed poles and transformers. Gas was finally cut off in September 2024 — after numerous damages and the inability to carry out repairs.
“A village without gas is a catastrophe. We have already learned to charge gadgets from a generator, but heating is another story. In winter people have to heat their homes only at night. After all, the occupiers determine where people live by the smoke and direct drones there,” – the woman says.
Even under such conditions the starosta stayed in place until the last moment. She worked, helped, evacuated people, delivered bread.
Under fire, Olena says, she was put in danger more than once – on one occasion the woman stepped on an anti-personnel mine when she tried to help a utility worker escape from a Russian drone.
“I didn’t even realize that it was a mine. I thought it was a drop from a drone, because I was looking up and shouting: ‘Where is it? Where is it?’ That day we were trying to save a wounded man whom the drone attacked while repairing cables. I was walking to him with bandages and then I heard an explosion. It turned out that it was a ‘Pelyustka’. I was later told this in the hospital and was sent photos showing that such mines are still lying everywhere; thank God neither I nor anyone else stepped on them again, because no one saw them, and they lay right on the road,” – the woman recalls.
At that time Olena lost part of her right foot; despite this she continues to remotely coordinate the work of the starosta’s office.
And this is not the only situation when the woman found herself under Russian shelling. In the spring, on March 8, she said, Russian forces several times dropped explosives from a drone onto the administrative building where she was together with other employees.
“We joked then that it was probably orcs greeting us, but in reality it was not at all funny, but very frightening. The drone flew in five times and each time dropped explosives. The windows were already boarded with plywood,” – Olena recalls.
And also, according to her, the Russian army damaged the vehicle that brought bread to the village by dropping explosives on it.
“Of course people began to complain and ask. And we looked for options, found them and continue to bring everything that is necessary. For me it is important that they do not feel abandoned. Yes, war has changed everything, but it must not change humanity,” – says the starosta of Sadove.
Local residents who remain can find necessary information about assistance in the Telegram channel run by Olena Semenikhina. You can join it only by calling her personally.
Despite the threats, the village holds on. And most importantly, it is held by people — those who continue to help, support, bring bread and save the wounded.