JULY 13, 1935 — MARCH 29, 2022
86 YEARS, JOURNALIST, WRITER
It was the second war for Nataliia Kharakoz. On March 29, the woman died in the basement of her house destroyed by the Russian missiles. Nataliia did not wish to leave Mariupol, she believed that Ukraine would most certainly prevail. She said that if she had survived the first war, she could survive this one as well.
The last time her granddaughter spoke to Nataliia was on March 2, the latter went incommunicado after that. Her apartment was burnt down to the ground. When the building itself was demolished, she managed to survive for a whole ten days in the basement. The neighbors buried Nataliia in the yard, with a note with her name placed in a pocket. Later, this note helped to identify the body for re-burial at the Starokrymskyi cemetery and marking the
grave. Nataliia was born on July 13, 1935 in a Greek family. Graduated from Pryazovskyi State Technical University, worked as a constructor at the plant. Nataliia was in charge of the literary club «Azovie», where, for over thirty years, she had been looking after the young Mariupol authors, and had been helping them with their first creative endeavors. Nataliia was a member of two national unions — National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and National Writers’ Union of Ukraine. She was the first Mariupol resident to join the National Writers’ Union of Ukraine in 1998.
Her employment record had only two entries: «Zhdanovtiazhmash» and «Priazovskiy rabochiy» newspaper. Nataliia was the author of several books and numerous journalistic pieces, namely «Zhyvyie Niti», «Kolokol serdtsa», «Mariupolskie elegii», «Khrani stoletia mig», «Rodnyie berega», «Klad cheloveka». Nataliia wrote prose works in Russian and Greek: novellas, short stories, lyrical novels, miniatures, essays. Nataliia, as an outstanding Greek, had her creative works exhibited in the Museum of the History and Ethnography of the Greeks of the Azov Sea Region in the currently occupied village Sartana. Nataliia was awarded with a Gold medal of Ukrainian journalism for her professional achievements. As an original writer, she was awarded with «Honorable Mention of National Writers’ Union of Ukraine» and «Veteran of labor» medal.
The last book penned by Nataliia was a collection of stories «At the front line» co-written with other NWUU Donetsk-based writers. The book was presented on February 20 — mere days before the Putin’s full-scale invasion. The collection has several novellas by Nataliia, namely «Spring of the sea and the city» and «Clouds over the sea». Nataliia was an avid participant in her hometown’s life. She was in the jury of the All-Ukraine school Olympiads, held by the Federation of the Greek Societies of Ukraine; she was a member of the city women’s council, founder of the women’s club «Mriia».
In the first days of war, Nataliia addressed the next lines to her granddaughter, Hanna, recalling the World War 2, and comparing it to the current war: «Now, looking back at the years lived and experience gained, I am horrified at the sight of what goes on in my homeland; my heart breaks for the children who are trapped under fire and shelling, and die for nothing. I contemplate peace and quiet all over the world. We must never forget that we are people of the same planet. And we should care for each other, but not raise arms against each other».
Nataliia would have turned 87 on July 13. Her granddaughter Anna says that they are not baking pies on this day anymore; granny does not roast a chicken according to some special recipe, does not treat others with exquisite sweets. She does not leave the table every five minutes to answer a phone call with congratulations coming from all kinds of places. She does not go on about achievements and triumphs of every guest; she does not say how proud she is of everyone, does not bring up her parents, and does not elaborate on the family tree. She also does not come up with a quick sketch about her mood, and does not rhyme several lines about the smell of her favorite roses.
Nataliia could see something beautiful in everything, she had true lust for life. She loved filling life with meaning, and taught others how to do that. In one of her books, Nataliia pondered: «How much or how little do we really need? Serenity, success, true acknowledgement, actual friends. Deserted sea shore in the morning, quiet. Confidence in tomorrow and peace... and peace».
