“They say that a lot of things have changed there. We will not even recognize Donetsk the way we remember,” the athlete said.
She added that after the occupation in Donetsk “there were a lot of different people.”
“But a very interesting fact: children who are born now [в Донецке] – Do you know how their name? Solomia! -said Podkopaeva.-Yesterday I was at the Olympic base in Koncha Zaspa, I met the girl with whom we trained together [в Донецке]. She moved in the 14th year, first to the Dnieper, then to Kyiv. And she says: “Lily, the children were born and three girls named Solomiya were born on the site.” I say: “Is this a protest? Is this such a quiet protest?” She says: “I do not know, but straw – well, this is a very Ukrainian name.”
According to Podkopaeva, at first she very painfully perceived the occupation of Donetsk by the aggressor of the Russian Federation, and then she realized that she, using his fame and connection, tell the world about the full-scale invasion of Russia to Ukraine.
Context
Podkopaeva was born in 1978 in Donetsk. She is the owner of the European Cup, 45 gold, 21 silver and 14 bronze medals. The athlete also belongs to the titles of the Absolute World Sports Gymnastics Champion, European champion and the Olympic champion.
The athlete and his family live and work in the USA. Podkopaeva actively supports Ukrainian defenders, engaged in charity.
