Evelina, 25, is a fan of a German football team: since she was a child, she has been watching all the games of her favorite football club Bayern Munich.
However, Evelina is no ordinary football fan — she is one of those people who survived the deadly terrorist attack in the St. Petersburg metro on April 3, 2017.
On that life-changing day, the young woman was on her way to a job interview and when the bomb exploded, she stood only a few steps away from the terrorist.
Nevertheless, Evelina tries to enjoy her life, in no small part due to the powerful support from her family and friends, and also by strangers from all over the world. Sputnik sought to make its small contribution to Evelina's recovery and cheer her up, which is why it had contacted her favorite football player Oliver Kahn who sent her a gift.
"Oliver Kahn… Does Oliver Kahn know about me? I honestly could not even imagine it. It's very nice," Evelina said pleasantly surprised when she opened a letter addressed to her by the legendary goalkeeper.
The German football player wishes Evelina to stay strong and keep her chin up on her way to recovery. The letter comes with a DVD and a T-shirt signed by Kahn.
"It's always nice to receive gifts with the words of support that carry some positively charged energy in them, especially from people who have achieved their goals and, generally, wish you the same. It's an emotionally charged thing. Therefore… it gives strength," the young woman said.
Evelina says she can't recall all the details of that horrible day that altered the course of her life.
"I got out of the train car by myself, other people helped me, of course, with outstretched hands. Unfortunately, I can't describe the moment of the explosion. No one expected it. I think I fell down. I had a feeling as if I was in a dream and was falling into the abyss. At first I couldn't even understand what was going on. I was constantly pulling at my legs, because the doors nearby were apparently knocked out by a shock wave and my feet were constantly bumping against the tunnel wall while the train was moving," the young woman said.
Although Evelina always tried to be brave, it was very hard for her when she first looked at herself in the mirror.
"I think I was ready for what I'll see. Already at the time when I left the train car, I realized that something was wrong with my nose, something serious, because I had lots of blood on me, and I could not breathe. When I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time, I felt sorry for myself. But I received constant support, my parents told me that I was still the most beautiful [woman] and that everything could be fixed," Evelina said.
The young woman looks toward the future with optimism and is already making plans. In the first place, of course, there is a complete recovery. But there are also other dreams, which Evelina wants to come true.
"I have many plans. I would like to go to university again, study another profession. I would like to have holidays at the sea, because I'm still not allowed to sunbathe and fly on airplanes… [I'm looking forward] to violating all the prescriptions of the doctors," the young woman said.
On April 3, a suicide explosion hit a subway car on a stretch between two subway stations in the center of St. Petersburg, claiming 16 lives, including the perpetrator of the attack, and leaving about 50 people wounded.
Russia's Investigative Committee said that a Russian citizen of Kyrgyz descent Akbarzhon Dzhalilov was responsible for the attack, but did not rule out the possibility of the perpetrator having accomplices.
