Oleksandr Hidi, a rescuer from Kharkiv, spent his childhood and youth in Kharkiv. Fate led him to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS), and this work became the purpose of his life.
On the morning of February 24, Oleksandr woke up at home before his shift, startled by loud explosions. His wife and eight-month-old son were nearby, still unaware that a full-scale war had begun.
After calming his family, he immediately headed to work. His shifts were soon changed to a grueling schedule of 'two days on, two days off,' as the besieged city of Kharkiv needed all the help it could get to rescue people.
The hardest decision for Oleksandr was the forced separation from his family – he convinced his wife and baby to leave for a safer place, and he celebrated his son's first birthday via video call, looking at the festive candle through his smartphone screen.
Throughout the war, the rescuer faced the toughest challenges: clearing rubble after missile strikes and working in the liberated Izium. When asked about his greatest fear, he honestly admits that the scariest thing for a firefighter is simply not being able to arrive in time to help.
Oleksandr believes that serving in the DSNS is not just a job, but a second family where everyone is ready to lend a hand. His motivation comes from a simple dream of Victory Day – to finally call all his relatives and say the most important words: 'We are alive, we have endured.'