I am Israel's Lady in Red and this is how I survived Nova festival massacre

Summary

Vlada papov, a 25-year-old Ukrainian-born Israeli mother, recounts surviving the October 2022 Hamas attack on the Supernova music festival, where gunmen killed 340 people. She describes enjoying the festival before suddenly hearing gunshots and sirens, then witnessing terrorists shooting people trying to flee. Trapped between gunmen on both sides of the road, Vlada and others hide in shelters before running to nearby fields. Separated from her partner Matan, Vlada jumps into a car of strangers to escape while Matan is left behind. After a harrowing drive, Vlada reaches safety but is distraught not knowing if Matan survived. She expresses horror at the nationwide attacks but resolve not to let the terrorists win.

Takeaways

• 😨 Vlada and her friend felt uneasy at the festival before the attack
• 😱 The terrorists disguised themselves in military uniforms and vehicles
• 🏃‍♀️Vlada and her friend fled to their car but got stuck in traffic trying to escape
• 🔫 The terrorists started shooting indiscriminately at the festival attendees
• 👮‍♂️ A policeman told them to run to a nearby shelter for safety
• 🚗 Vlada's friend My jumped into a passing car, leaving Vlada's husband Matan behind
• 💔 Matan witnessed the car driving away without him while he screamed for them to stop
• 🚑 Vlada and My were eventually rescued separately and taken to army bases
• 😭 The experience was deeply traumatizing for Vlada, My and Matan
• 🙏 Vlada feels lucky to have survived and reunited with her young daughter

Q & A

What event is Vlada recounting in this interview?

Vlada is recounting her experience surviving the October 7th massacre at the Supernova Festival in Israel, where Hamas gunmen killed 340 people and took 40 hostage.

What made Vlada feel like something was not right at the festival?

Vlada said she felt it was very cold and something did not feel right, even though she would normally be dancing at an event like this.

How did Vlada and others try to escape the attack?

When the attack started, Vlada and others tried to get to their cars to escape, but the roads were blocked by other vehicles and they had nowhere to go.

How did Vlada ultimately survive the attack?

Vlada survived by hiding under a tree briefly, before a man opened the door to his car and let Vlada and her friend My jump in right before My was shot.

What happened to Vlada's husband Matan during the attack?

Matan was not initially let into the car with Vlada. He survived by getting into another army vehicle that eventually rescued him.

How long did the terrorist attack last?

Vlada said the shooting and attacks went on for two days before the area was cleared of terrorists.

What injuries did Vlada sustain during the attack?

Vlada did not mention sustaining any physical injuries, but the emotional trauma is still evident when she recalls the events.

How has the attack impacted Vlada's outlook?

Though still processing what happened, Vlada says she does not want to fall down or let them win and is thankful she survived to see her young daughter again.

Why does Vlada believe so many were impacted by this attack?

She states that everyone in the country lost someone or was impacted in some way, given the scale and duration of the attacks.

How does Vlada feel about her image becoming an iconic photo from the attack?

She is happy her image symbolizes a girl who survived rather than someone who didn't, giving people some hope.

Outlines

00:00

😱 Surviving a Terrorist Attack at a Music Festival

Vlada describes being at a music festival in Israel when a terrorist attack happens. She hears gunshots and screaming and tries to escape in her car, but the road is blocked. A man tries to run from his car but is shot by the terrorists. Vlada and her friend hide under a tree before getting into a car with strangers to try to escape, but have to leave her partner Matan behind.

05:02

☠️ Terrorists Shoot at Fleeing Civilians

Vlada describes the terrorists driving around shooting randomly at civilians. She has to leave her partner Matan behind as her car speeds away. Matan finds safety in another car. Vlada's car gets shot at but they make it to an army base safely after a 20 minute drive, although the attacks around the area continue for days.

10:06

😭 Emotional Reunion with Daughter

Vlada talks about reuniting emotionally with her young daughter Romy after surviving the attacks. She and her partner Matan are deeply affected. She reflects that everyone in the country lost someone in the attacks. She hopes the iconic photo of her escape provides some hope.

Keywords

💡massacre

The term 'massacre' refers to the attack by Hamas gunmen at the Supernova music festival, where they killed 340 people. This shocking act of violence forms the backdrop for Vlada's story of survival. The massacre illustrates the constant threat of terrorism that Israelis face.

💡hostage

40 people were taken 'hostage' by the Hamas attackers. Hostages are people who are abducted and held captive, often for political or ransom demands. The fact that hostages were taken further shows the ruthlessness of the attackers.

💡shelter

Vlada refers to 'shelters' several times. Shelters are protective structures designed to shield people during attacks. Their presence shows the constant risk of violence that necessitates such defensive measures.

💡terrorist

The gunmen who perpetrated the massacre are referred to as 'terrorists'. This emphasizes that their actions were intentionally designed to cause terror and panic among civilians.

💡trauma

Although not directly named, it is clear Vlada and others experienced severe 'trauma' from the attack. Trauma refers to emotional shock and distress from experiencing a disturbing event. Vlada mentions crying frequently and being confused in the aftermath.

💡fear

Vlada talks about the sheer 'fear' she felt during the attack, such as seeing the gunmen approach and having to flee for her life. Her facial expression in the iconic photo also shows her fear.

💡survivor

A key aspect is that Vlada is a 'survivor' - someone who continued living despite the chaos and danger around them.

💡loss

Although she survived, Vlada suffered profound 'loss' - her friends who died and the feeling of security being shattered.

💡hope

At the end, Vlada says the photo of her gives some 'hope' - representing resilience in the face of violence.

💡terror

The overarching theme is the experience and impact of 'terror' - extreme fear, panic and distress inflicted through horrific violence.

Highlights

Vlada describes feeling something was not right before the attack started

Vlada heard gunshots and screams of terrorists attacking

Vlada and others tried to escape but the road was blocked

A police officer told them to run to a shelter for safety

The terrorists drove around shooting everyone

Matan was separated from Vlada and could not get in their car

Vlada's car was shot at and got a flat tire but they escaped

The 20 minute drive to safety felt like the longest ever

Even after reaching safety, the shooting continued for days

Vlada is thankful to have survived and reunite with her daughter

Vlada's photo became a symbol of hope for those who survived

Vlada had to run for her life and could not process what was happening

Vlada wants to stay strong and not let the terrorists win

The attack deeply impacted everyone in Israel

Vlada saw other survivors deeply affected and broken by the trauma

Transcripts

I asked some girl where you go and she's

screaming there terrorist right there at

the

car before me stops the man run try to

run from the car and they shoot him many

people died there many

people she became known as the lady in

red and was one of the most hauntingly

iconic images from the October 7

massacre in Israel for weeks the world

has wondered if she survived the attack

on the Supernova Festival where Hamas

gunman killed 340 people and took 40

hostage now Ma online has found her and

for the first time Vlada papov a

25-year-old Ukrainian born mother of one

who lives near ashod in southern Israel

tells the harrowing story of how she

survived at night we going through the

party usually this party starts from

from the night to the other

evening and we came there at 3 at

6 and at 6 and a half it was very very

cold so I told ma H let's go and

um lay on a blanket and something

doesn't feel right and I heard from many

people that something in the day really

don't feel right I am usually go dancing

and there I I don't feel like this I

want to go and lay and and then we have

in Israel some applica application

applications apps that H shows you when

H Rockets go so we have the yeah so I

have it all time in

729 I have the the the first um siren in

a phone so we going to the car starting

to look where the car our car is because

so many people trying to go out and it

was like starting to be some little CHS

like uh and after 20 minutes I think

from everything that start I found the

car I went to the car and I heard a

three or four shots it be the first time

I think that they threw so many rackets

like it was something unusual the party

was in an open field okay and to go out

from the party there is only one way one

road we drive in something like 6

minutes and I see that car stopping like

everyone stops and I open the window and

I asked some girl where you go and she's

screaming there terrorist right

there the

car before me stops the man run try to

run from the car and they shoot him they

see a big Savanah white Savanah a car

and they even they were in half a

uniform of our soldiers there is nowhere

to to drive because everyone just

stopped their cars we don't have where

to go like the the road is blocked and

they start to scream that there

terrorist from the other side too so we

blocked all this still Rockets it was

without

stopping

and and then I remember there was

a like a safe place we have it a lot in

Israel because of the

bombing you okay yeah many people died

there many

people

and in the shelter yeah in the shelter

in that area they have a like mini

shelters open without a door only um Bon

yeah and um so we being

there next to the policeman and and then

was a moment that the policemen look all

of us and just scream if you want to be

safe you just need to run to the shield

fieldi field it's um above the street we

looked one in other I want to stay there

and thank God the time didn't

end um and we we go back to the car and

then we

see 200

300 like they were

a 50 60 from any side terrorist yeah and

they they start and then they start to

just driving and running and in

motorcycles in savano in tenders white

tenders just going to in the field and

shoot everyone like

I don't know even how to explain it like

a

chicken yeah they just uh driving and

shoot everyone so I go out from the car

Matan go out from the car from the other

side and my from

behind um and I just sit like this under

the tree the the first tree that I have

next to me and then some boy tells me

hey you want to come here you want to of

course of course and he opened the door

and you can hear one of the boys behind

screaming no no no don't stop her don't

stop her let just just drive and he

stops me stopped

me and uh then my saw

me my running I remember my running on

her life like she understand if I'm

going in that car she she don't survive

like and she she's running to me and he

she's always falling like falling down

and and she just jumped to the

car like you see in the video she just

jumped and they closed the door and when

they close the door then we hear

Matan ER screaming like

V I'm here let me go to the car

and they just um

lock the door again yeah and I remember

matan's face like at start he like

uh say me goodbye you understand that

that's it we were in a car eight people

in a mini Kaya Picanto they take

everyone he can they can

and so in that moment I

just

yeah Matan saw us Matan saw us going to

the car and 2 m from us he he started

running to us and he just like screaming

FL FL don't and I can because my jumped

on me and they shot the doors I was like

this in the car and I can't open even

the door and I don't know who from us is

going to survive and come back to our

daughter

and

yeah

[Music]

and then Matan telling me that no one is

want

to take him after I think 10 minutes

some nice lady I don't know till

now who she

is take Matan and then God Matan going

to another Army buzz and me to another

one H it's the someone start to shoot us

from the

front 2 minutes I I I think

they have a puncher in a wheel

mhm and and after 2 minutes the drivers

tell us it's okay look uh look look down

and we saw a terrorist in a white

Savannah Dead who killed him the other

terrorist

why they even don't looking where they

shooting they just driving screaming and

shooting

everywhere the terrorist was be in front

of us then we take a right when the

terrorist where it was right they start

shooting from right so we take left and

I remember this was the longest 20

minutes ever the way to the buz

and we came there there many people

like I don't know we were 60 70 we was

here there till the

night H because to when we go there we

just and you know we think that we

save

we I I think only there I'm understand

what happening and and then we open the

phone and we started to see what is

really going on it's not only us it's

not only of the party it's it's like

it's everywhere even at night it's still

where the shooting like it was a

word everywhere I think for two days

yeah for two days they can't

clean completely from the terrorist the

area I just so happy that I came back to

came back to my daughter that really

nothing else don't matter what's your

daughter's name Romy Romy and how old is

Romy two and a half

years almost and a half 2 and a five

months when when you saw Romy you must

have just given her a massive C Mass

huge I just I think there I before in a

in a base when I called my father and I

have a Ukraine father like and I tell

him dad everyone everyone dead everyone

is dead and the next time was when I go

back to to homie and I just fall down

like emotional

yeah and Matan as well yeah Matan Matan

like I'm the woman I can cry I can and I

think that Matan was so Terri Teri and

so and he tries not to to show this

because you know she he's the man he

needs to support me but you can see

everyone seeing on his

eyes months after

this and still that it's it's very

difficult for him very

difficult I still think about the F our

friends that not survived this and all

the hostages there so many babies and

children so I I I think I I

still I still don't understand with

myself what uh is going on everyone in

the country lost someone

everyone I don't think that that they

don't touch someone at that country

somehow if it's someone he knows

kidnapped or or even someone dead and

the fact that your image has gone around

the world everyone has seen that picture

of you running you know with your red

scarf and what what does do you think

about

that I'm just happy that the symbol of

the like this picture it

the of girl that survived and not

someone that not like it gives me some

hope I

think and you can see the fear in your

face can't you the fear that un

understandable look I don't understand

like I just understand that I need to

run on my life like that's it I don't I

I I can't see nothing I can't look back

because they they running and shoot like

so you have to live for ROM yeah you

have to get

yeah I saw people from from the party

after this in some meetings and

everything they broken maybe that's the

person that I am like I I don't want to

fall down I don't want to let them

win because it's not going to happen no

but I saw like people broken yeah not

was something um understandable

yeah