“I Am Sure That I Will Get Back on My Feet": A Well-Known Psychiatrist From Dnipro Told the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation About the Life After Missile Attack

Serhiy Zinevych is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who is well known in Dnipro. He was used to supporting others: his son and wife, and his patients. Serhiy never thought that he would need support himself, and that it would come from so many people, which he could not even imagine. On 26 May 2023, after a missile attack on the hospital, he found himself under rubble and was seriously injured.

The doctor told the story of his experience to the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, sharing it with Oleksiy Sukhanov, the Museum’s ambassador, TV presenter and actor.

“Everything happened within 10 seconds. A strong jet humming sound, an explosion, and that’s all. And I was under rubble. I was very lucky that one of my arms remained on top. I grabbed a brick and started knocking. My thigh, my pelvis, and my ribs were fractured, and my maxillary sinus was punctured...,” Serhiy said in the first days after the tragedy.

He could not walk and could not perform certain physical functions. He was told it could be forever. The man was very worried, and then, in the intensive care unit, his son hugged him...

“I was very afraid and wanted to see him. I was crying, and dad was crying too. We hugged each other and calmed down,” recalls 10-year-old Valentyn.

For the fourth month now, the once active doctor has been trapped in a support corset at home. He understands that he stayed alive for a reason: he still has to do something important in life. Serhiy is very much supported by local people from Dnipro. The doctor is grateful to everyone. He admits that he did not even think that so many people knew him. A complex operation on the thigh and prosthetics are ahead.

“I am sure that I will return to my work, that I will be useful. When I get back on my feet... I have very big plans for my family and work,” Serhiy says. 

Watch his interview given to Oleksiy Sukhanov at the link: 
My wife saved me! A psychiatrist, well-known in Dnipro, talks about his life after the missile attack

The story of Serhiy Zinevych was included in the collection of the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. You can find it at the link:
The Museum of Civilian Voices – “I could not scream. I started knocking with a piece of brick”

Every story about the war matters. To keep the memory for a better future, share your story on the Museum’s portal or via the toll-free hotline 0 (800) 509 001.