A year after the October 7 Hamas attack, the image of Vlada Patapov, draped in a red shawl as she fled the Nova music festival, has become iconic.
Captured in a parking lot near Kibbutz Re'im, her escape from the terror was broadcast globally. For weeks, her fate was unknown until she shared her story with Ynet and the Daily Mail, which named her "Lady in Red."
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Vlada Patapov, known as 'Lady in Red' fleeing during Hamas raid on the Nova music festival
Reflecting on the anniversary of the attack, the Ashdod-based wedding planner expressed deep regret. "If I had one wish, it would be to have told everyone at the festival one hour before Hamas attacked that something was going to happen then everyone could have got away," she told the Mail.
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Patapov, like many survivors, continues to grapple with survivor's guilt and trauma. "I've been having therapy and counseling like many of the others who were there and I find speaking to people helps me cope with what happened that day. But then sometimes I think who can help me when all this is still going on around us and the fear is still here and it's still real," she said.
The anniversary of the massacre and the ongoing conflict have only compounded her trauma. She says that during the massacre, her sole focus was surviving for her three-year-old daughter, Romi.
"When I think back to that day a year ago it all seems so fresh and the only thing that I could think of at the time was staying alive for my daughter Romi and I give thanks for that every day. She will be four soon and for a quarter of her life, she has known only war. It is terrible for us but many countries don't seem to accept or understand what we are going through," she told the Daily Mail.
Patapov decided to attend the festival in southern Israel at the last minute with her partner, Matan, and a friend named Mai. At one point, she found herself alone, witnessing Hamas terrorists murdering her friends. It took nearly 24 hours before she could finally reunite with Romi at home.
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Mental support facility established for Nova music festival massacre survivors at Ronit Farm
(Photo: Ronit Farm)
Patapov spoke of maintaining courage and strength, not only for those inside Israel, but for captives in Gaza as well. "We can't let the terrorists win. We can't be weak - we must remain strong for Israel and for the hostages who are still in Gaza, but at the same time it's so scary here at the moment for us, we have rockets from Gaza, rockets from Lebanon and now rockets from Iran, it seems as if it will never stop."
On a more somber note, she says, "The situation is terrifying for us now. it's so scary here at the moment for us, we have rockets from Gaza, rockets from Lebanon and now rockets from Iran, it seems as if it will never stop. These people who attack Israel should imagine what it's like for us here having rockets and sirens and living in fear of a terrorist attack, I could walk out my front door to go to the shops and someone could attack me."
'I thought it would take a few weeks'
In the surprise attack at the Nova music festival, 393 people were killed. Seventeen more were murdered at smaller parties held simultaneously in the south. Among the 101 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, 22 attended the Nova party.
"What I feel most deeply is for the hostages and their families. Who would have thought we'd still be in this situation a year later? I thought it would be a few weeks, maybe a couple of months but it's been a year now and it looks with the Lebanon situation as if things will only get worse," Patapov reflects.
Regarding connections with other festival-goers, Patapov shared, "There are events going on to remember what happened at the festival but I won't be going because for me the most important thing is to be with Romi and Matan. When Romi hears the sirens she is so scared, she starts crying and with the anniversary I just don't feel like letting her go to nursery so I will keep her at home, only because you just don't know if they will try something again."