73-year-old Ukrainian has been building a painted house in Mykolaiv region for 20 years under shelling

According to glavcom.ua: In the village of Novorusk, located in the Mykolaiv region, 73-year-old Anatoliy Dumbrava decided to build his painted house by himself. Even during the shelling and combat actions, he and his wife remained in the village and continued to work on their home, which he has been building for more than two decades. This was reported by 'Glavkom' in a story by 'Suspilne.'

Originally from Odesa, where he previously lived and worked in Mykolaiv, Anatoliy moved to Novorusk with his wife in 1997. The man claims that he built his house by himself, gradually purchasing materials and constructing it in his free time from seasonal work.

Idea of the house and yard decorations

Anatoliy got the idea to decorate the house with stone and decorate the yard with decorative elements while watching television. 'I saw a stone house on TV – I really wanted to do the same. I wanted to create beauty, a cozy corner. Gradually. And God gave me strength, health, and the desire to work,' he shares.

The decorative figures and elements for the yard were ordered by the man himself, doing some of the work by hand.

Survival during the war

During the active fighting, the couple decided to stay in the village. Anatoliy explains that they did not consider leaving, as there were opportunities for survival. As a result of the war, the house and yard sustained damage, and the man himself was injured.

'Shells fell. In the neighbor's yard, a shell hit so hard that the roof ended up in the ground. Shrapnel was flying – our windows and doors were broken. Nearby – 30 to 40 meters away – there are craters in the garden,' he shares.

Plans for the future

Despite everything he has experienced, Anatoliy intends to complete the work around the house and plant flowers as soon as the war ends.

'The most important thing is for the war to end. It has brought so much grief and suffering to our people,' he concludes.

In the village of Novorusk in the Mykolaiv region, 73-year-old Anatoliy Dumbrava is building his painted house by hand, despite the circumstances. The idea of decorating the house with stone and decorating the yard with decorative elements came to him after watching a TV program. Despite the military conflict, Anatoliy intends to finish his work and hopes for the end of the war, wishing peace for his people.