A woman who suffered severe burns to her face as a child later lost nearly all of her possessions in another devastating fire.
Anya Boldyreva, 30, from the Russian village of Zhuravka, was sent to live in an orphanage when a fire tore through her home when she was just seven months old.
Her grandparents eventually took her under their wing after several years and cared for her.
However, the family were destitute and the grandmother showed Anya’s “burned face to people for cash”.
At one point, Anya tried to take her own life as she struggled with her appearance.
She told the Newsflash news agency: “While I was waiting at a train station with my grandmother one day, I saw another girl with a burned face like mine.
“We talked and I asked her how she got her injuries. The girl was electrocuted. To me, her face looked worse than mine. That day, I realised I was not alone.”
Anya later got married, but her partner left her after discovering she was pregnant.
She continued: “My daughter’s name is Dasha, she is 11 years old. She is used to my face.”
Anya is now living with a new husband, farm worker Alexey.
The couple suffered a further setback when their home was hit by another blaze.
However, this time she and her family managed to get out unscathed – but lost most of their possessions.
Anya said the loss of their home was a sign urging her to move on, and that nothing connects her to her small village anymore.
She added: “I will soon go for a free operation in Moscow, but I need money for rehabilitation.
“A TV show promised to help me get a visa to go to the US and have an operation there, but it never happened.”
Anya continued: “I didn’t study or work. I didn’t even get a job. I have accepted I will never be chosen for any jobs because of my appearance.”
The family is now looking for a new home in a larger town or city where they hope to be able to turn around their fortunes.