It is a target everywhere and anyone can be a victim, it seems, but a few hundred families believe they have found the safest place in Ukraine, hidden in the Carpathian Mountains. The remote urban settlement of Slavsko is a popular skiing destination for locals, but as spring melted its snow-capped peaks and Russian troops invaded the east of the country, few lucky ones found solace on the slopes. Slavsko, a remote urban settlement, is located 138 km south of Lviv, Ukraine. (Dan Hodge / CNN) Many of the hotels welcomed families, offering a handful of rooms for free and others at discounted rates. Staicy Chernilevskaia, who escaped with her partner Ramir Holubov from Kharkov, is among 50 people staying at the Karpatsky Zatyshok Hotel. “It’s shocking to look at these mountains and read the news,” Chernilevskaia said. “It does not seem to be true.” The couple’s families are still in Kharkov where Russian artillery has consistently struck residential areas, according to Ukrainian officials. “You are here, you are safe, but you feel guilty,” Holubov said. Staicy Chernilevskaia and Ramir Holubov (Dan Hodge / CNN) After a frightening week in which they took refuge in the parking lot of their apartment building in Kyiv and two failed escape attempts, 12-year-old Diana Kovaliova and her mother were finally trapped on one of the overcrowded trains leaving the capital. But they did not know where to go until they remembered a family trip one summer to the ski resort. “We had good memories here,” said Larysa Kovalyova, Diana’s mother. “People were kind and we knew they would take care of us.” Diana Kovalyova and Larysa Kovalyova (Dan Hodge / CNN) Located in a valley between two rivers, the idyllic town has a small church with a golden dome and little interest in Russian firepower targeting military infrastructure and urban centers. “I feel safe here and also the view is perfect,” Diana said. “I like it so much, but I hope the war ends soon and we can go home because living at home is even better.” The city now hosts about 3,400 internally displaced people, nearly doubling its population, but the mayor says it’s not a burden. The community wants to share its mountain. “We believe it is our duty to host people who have been driven from their homes by the war,” said Mayor Volodymyr Beha. “We feel a responsibility to make them warm and comfortable.” Mayor Volodymyr Beha (Dan Hodge / CNN) Some live in less traditional accommodation. Olesya Matiushenko found peace for her two children in a pod that climbs to the top of the mountains. “My daughter wakes up every morning, opens the curtains, wipes the dew from the windows and says, ‘Mom look!’” Olesya said with a smile as she stared at her stunning view. “It’s calm here,” he said. “I feel lighter. And I start to believe that everything will go well. ” Olesya Matiushenk and her children (Dan Hodge / CNN)
