Before the full-scale invasion, Anastasiia and Mykhailo lived in different regions and could not even imagine that fate would bring them together hundreds of kilometres from home.
Anastasiia is from New York – the one in Donetsk region. She worked as a teacher at a special school. Mykhailo is from Kherson. In his home city, he was a trolleybus driver.
Both had to leave everything behind and flee the shelling. That is how they ended up in Khmelnytskyi region, in the same shelter.
The dormitory in the village of Hrytsiv has become a second home for 75 internally displaced Ukrainians.
For the third year in a row, Rokada has been looking after the facility and its residents. First, the team helped with refurbishment – partially replacing windows and supporting bathroom repairs – and then provided the necessary furniture and appliances.
“We lived in neighbouring rooms but hardly ever talked. Once I organised a small party, and the neighbours gathered in my room. And then someone said that it was Mykhailo’s birthday that very day. So I said, call him over then… That was 24 February. And on the 25th, the very next day, we started dating. We went for a walk together, and he asked whether I was afraid of a relationship. Me? No, I’m from Donbas… That’s how it all began,” says Anastasiia.
“We met in the dormitory. We liked each other and went for walks together. Something like that. And then we fell in love,” Mykhailo shares his version of the beginning of their story with restraint, adding that what he values most in Anastasiia is mutual understanding.
Anastasiia admits there was no special romance. The relationship developed as if they had known each other for a long time. So they didn’t delay either the wedding or having a child.
“He didn’t make a proposal as such. We bought silver rings and got married in Kyiv in spring 2024. I never wanted a white dress or a lavish wedding. It was our day – we registered our marriage at the Sviatoshynskyi registry office without unnecessary attention or fuss,” Anastasiia continues.
Today the Kobel family is raising a little daughter. They named her Rehina.
“Mykhailo dreamed of a daughter. From his first marriage, he has a son, Mykyta, who lives in Poland with his mother. But we keep in touch and have quite a warm relationship. So when we found out the baby’s sex, Mykhailo couldn’t believe his dream was coming true. By the way, Rehina’s first word was ‘daddy’,” says Anastasiia.
Mykhailo himself admits that as soon as he learned his wife was expecting a daughter, his emotions knew no bounds.
“In general, I thought it would be a boy. In our family, boys are usually born. My brother’s first child is a son too. And when the ultrasound showed it would be a girl, I was incredibly happy,” he adds.
Today Anastasiia and Mykhailo are both 38. They both adore their daughter and cautiously rejoice in their happiness. For him, she is his kitten; for her, he is her bunny. Despite the hard everyday reality in Ukraine, they still find ways to spend time together and not miss their Rehina’s first word or first step.
