Local historian taped to a post and tortured for attending a rally in 2014

"They tied me with tape to a post and said: "If you break free, we'll shoot you."" This is how 78-year-old Viktor, a local historian in Donbass, was treated for participating in rallies in 2014 supporting Russia. He said he was saved from being tortured and wasn"t transferred to Azov by chance: "A police patrol was passing, and they let me go."

Victor's phone was taken away, so he was out of touch with his relatives living in Russia. We gave his video message to his family: "To my relatives, my daughter Marina - I'm alive."

The apartment, where he lived for more than half a century, is completely burned down: "It is terrible to get used to the fact that being 78 years old I do not have my own place".

"Almost everyone around me is waiting for the DNR troops to come as liberators. Everyone considers Russia their native land and the DNR as part of it." But, he says, "it is necessary to endure", and peace will come.