89-year-old miner survived the war together with a chicken: a story of resilience and loyalty.

Extraordinary story of 89-year-old pensioner who evacuated with a chicken

According to ТСН: Interesting details of the unusual story of 89-year-old Kostyantyn Oleksiyovych have come to light, who independently evacuated from the combat zone with his chicken. This case gained significant attention on the Internet, as the man did not leave his pet and quickly left for a safe place in Kharkiv region.

Witnesses of this incident recount the events, as do representatives of the humanitarian mission 'Proliska'. Tetiana Koloda, one of the mission specialists, noted:

'This grandfather arrived at our place while I was on duty, I was just on shift. He lived in the village of Hannivka (Dobropil municipality of Donetsk region). He came on his own, drove the car himself, and there was a chicken next to him. He was trembling all over; we warmed him up and offered him tea. When we saw the chicken, our first thought was that perhaps he had nothing to eat. We asked him about the chicken, and he replied that it was his friend. He explained that it was 5 years old and added that he endured all the shelling with it for two years. He said he shared crackers with it in the car during the trip. My colleagues shared that he communicates with it—talks to it, and it clucks back in its own way. I have seen a lot, but this grandfather stood out the most. He worked in the mine for 24 years.

The humanitarian mission helped the man obtain necessary documents and services for receiving financial aid, and a psychologist connected him with his stepson.

Kostyantyn Oleksiyovych found refuge with family

It turned out that Kostyantyn Oleksiyovych now lives with his stepson in Kirovohrad region. Stepsont Serhii Kukharenko said:

'This is my stepfather, and I brought him and the chicken to my place in Kirovohrad region. We are currently processing the necessary documents. We are also internally displaced persons. After the start of the full-scale invasion, we offered him to come to us, but he refused at that time, saying he wanted to stay at home. Then two incidents occurred after which he decided to leave. First, there was a shell hit on one neighbor's house, then another. He told us that he got into the car and drove wherever he was looking. The road led him to Lozova. He also took a dog with him, but the dog got lost—it ran out of the car and could not be found afterwards. His chicken is next to us, sitting in a box.'

Kostyantyn Oleksiyovych himself states that everything is fine now:

'Thank God, I'm doing well now. The chicken is alive. It has no name; just a chicken. I lived only with it for two years. I will stay with my relatives until the war ends. I will turn 90 on April 8. I barely escaped from my house; everything around is destroyed. My chicken helped me. Bullets were flying around, but its presence somehow helped me survive. It wasn’t as lonely with it. Now I have good people around me.'

The story of Kostyantyn Oleksiyovych is a vivid example of humanity and devotion. In difficult times, when many people's lives change drastically, these simple yet significant bonds with animals can become a source of support and comfort. His case not only demonstrates the strength of human attachment but also indicates the importance of humanitarian aid in crisis situations.