Hello, Vika, I am very glad to see you. Please tell me what your life was like before the full-scale invasion began?
Hello! I am from Cherkasy, last year I enrolled in the first year of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv majoring in System Analysis. 2021 was quite a difficult and disturbing year for me. The main reason of it was graduating from school and entering university. Then my life began to change radically, the transition to adulthood, the search for myself, separation from my parents took place. As it is often said: “University years are confirmed as the best time of our lives.” We studied remotely almost all the time, so I mostly lived in Cherkasy, but when we were in full-time education, of course, I came to Kyiv. I spent most of my time studying then. My main hobbies were reading, watching movies and, of course, going out with friends. I also liked to sing sometimes, and I still do. In general, then and now, friends played a significant role in my life. We could talk with them about literature, culture, and some personal matters (laughs). The 21st year and the beginning of the 22nd was an interesting and difficult period in life for all of us. My friends moved to Kyiv and I often visited them. Everything was new for us then and we loved exploring this city.
What was pre-war Kyiv like for you?
It was something new that seemed never-ending.
How was your February 24?
Recent weeks before the invasion, tension has been in the air. Literally all the time we heard news about a possible attack and everyone was worried. But I didn’t believe that a full-scale invasion would start. I didn’t even assume that. To be honest, those past weeks, despite all the bad news, I`ve been thinking about moving to Kyiv. I even had all my bags already packed, and I had to leave on Friday, February 25.
In general, my February 24 started with classes. I woke up three times that morning. I was awakened at around 8:20 before the first class, in which we were supposed to have a module, but before that, at around eight, my mother woke me up with the words “The war has begun.” The first question in my head then was: “Will we have classes?”. It’s so ridiculous, we didn’t know whether we would have a class. Anyway, the teacher decided to hold it, but no one came.
Can you now recall and describe your emotions in those days?
Shock. The only word I can use to describe it is “shock” and I was also concerned about the module haha. Because then there was no full understanding that the war had started and something serious was happening. The first explosions in Cherkasy were heard in the morning, and I slept through them. We were wondering: “What to do with food and water reserves? Can something happen right now? What should we do?”
My family and I queued for products and bought some water.
I had friends in Kyiv and I immediately started texting them and asking how they were doing. My aunt still lives in Kyiv on the left bank. She also decided to leave the city at that moment. She left to the north of Kyiv, and accidentally got into the front-line zone. The aunt spent two weeks there, and when she was on her way out of there, their convoy came under fire.
Speaking about myself, it was relatively safe in Cherkasy (the city in which I lived). The city is in Central Ukraine and there was no threat of Russian troops entering our city. Rocket attacks were rare.
Have you and your family thought of moving somewhere?
No. Of course, we discussed it in the early days, but we unanimously decided that we don’t want to go anywhere. We had nowhere to go — no relatives or friends abroad. It would just be a road to nowhere. While it was safely in Cherkasy, we decided to stay here, because this is our home. We didn’t want to move out without our father, and our grandparents stayed here as well. Also, of course, we love our country. I understood that I’d be much more useful here than I would be abroad. Then my mother lost her job for a while and my father’s workload was greatly reduced. My studies stopped for almost a month. At that time, many of the teachers and students were in very dangerous locations: under occupation or at the front-line territories; someone like me was in Cherkasy or other cites, where it was relatively safe. The main problem was that no one understood how the educational process could take place in such conditions.
Almost immediately after the start of the war, I began donating my savings to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I received presidential and university scholarships, so I was able to transfer money. Now, every month I contribute to the needs of the army, I suppose, like all Ukrainians. Almost immediately, together with our friends, we started volunteering. The teachers of the school we graduated from, organized a place for weaving camouflage nets. Then every day we went to weave camouflage nets, brought materials, until April, when studies resumed. In the first days, an enormous number of people came to volunteer. I could meet anyone: children approximately five years old and elderly ones, such as some of our teachers who had already retired. It was a general outburst of national consciousness. We wanted to change something, to make at least a small contribution to the victory of Ukraine in this war. I was only 16 at the time, and I didn’t know what else I could do.
What changes have taken place in your life since February 24?
For me, the main changes were related, as I already said, to education. My hometown has also changed. It was emptied at the end of February and the beginning of March. Of course, there were none of any concerts or festivals that were previously held in Cherkasy. Well, a curfew was introduced. In my opinion, the most important changes took place in people’s minds and in society itself. Everyone began to realize their pro-Ukrainian position. Almost everyone wanted to do something for our victory, and I was part of that community.
What do you remember about spring-summer 2022?
The war changed my attitude to life. A person begins to think about the meaning of his existence when some danger appears, and as to a war, with the passage of time it becomes more and more terrible. Therefore, during my second year, I try to grasp every opportunity.
As I’ve already said, last year my friend and I received a presidential scholarship. We decided that the most expedient decision would be to spend a part of the scholarship to support the Armed Forces, and to keep a part and use the funds for good. And we decided to go on a short trip to Europe.
How is life abroad now different from life in Ukraine?
Walking through the city, you look at the people who pass by you, and you notice an unusual ease and calmness. And it’s not that you forget the state in which you were in your hometown or in Kyiv, that constant anxiety when something might happen, no.
It was hard for me to realize that nothing could happen to me here, and that I didn’t need to know where the nearest shelter was. Or that there will be an air alarm at any moment and you have to run somewhere.
You moved to Kyiv in summer. Aren’t you afraid to be in the capital, when it is still quite dangerous here?
Not anymore. Massive attacks on Kyiv by drones and missiles happen almost every week, so you get used to it. It’s human nature that we get used to everything. Even now, when I hear explosions in Kyiv, and it is often quite close to me, I no longer feel that fear, only calmness. Again, there is no place in Ukraine now where you would be safe. Of course, we really don’t want constant explosions to become commonplace for us, but…
Generally, I was scared during the first 3-4 months, but when we decided to move to Kyiv, there was no more fear. I heard the first explosions in Kyiv when I was in a dormitory. And yes, they were frightening. Other students and I were gathered and taken to the bomb shelter.
Have you thought about going abroad?
No. Well, maybe if a humanitarian disaster here due to the attacks of the occupiers on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine occurs and there will be no water, no electricity, no heating.
But for now, no, I don’t want to go anywhere.
How do you find Ukraine after the war?
Ukraine has always been an independent, young, ambitious country for me. Ukraine had its problems even before the war, after the war they will not disappear anywhere, but I think that thanks to social cohesion it will be easier to solve them.
Thank you, it was very nice to talk to you. Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to heroes!
Translator: Bohdana-Nikolietta Terekhina
