A Russian woman has been abandoned by her own parents for helping to rebuild Ukrainian homes destroyed by Vladimir Putin ’s army.
Brave Maria Korkina was even told by her mum: “I hope you croak.”
The 28-year-old is among a small band of anti-Putin Russians flying the flag for Ukraine and helping to rebuild its blitzed buildings.
Originally from the Siberian city of Irkutsk, she had been living in Ukrainian capital for Kyiv for four years when war broke out in February.
Her family turned on her when she stayed to help instead of returning to her homeland. Maria, who now refuses to speak in Russian, said: “My mother completely lost it. She smashed plates, yelling, ‘You are a traitor.’
“When Russia first dropped missiles on Kyiv, I begged her to go to rallies or put up a poster, saying, ‘My daughter is being bombed.’
“She wrote back to me saying, ‘It’s not a big deal if you sleep in the subway. Once the Nazis are cleared out, everything will be just fine.’
“I sent photos to my father. He said it was all fake. He said he believed Putin, not me.”
Maria wants to “atone” for Russia’s war crimes and spends her days rebuilding destroyed homes. At the moment she is helping in Irpin, near Kyiv, the site of some of the worst of the fighting early in the war.
She said: “I’m busy doing repairs on an apartment that was hit by a Russian tank. A family with a little boy used to live there. Everyone is alive, but the father was injured.”
The work is tough – but worth it. Maria said: “I’ve never worked in physical labour and it is very hard. But I’m proud to help.”
And the Ukrainians are happy she’s there.
Maria said: “I told the volunteers I understood if they didn’t want my help because of my nationality. But they welcomed me with open arms.”
