REFUGEES who fled their native Ukraine after the country was invaded by Russia one year ago have told of the heartache they have faced, and the sanctuary they found since moving to North Wales.
Galyna Sokha, 37, moved to St Asaph with her eight-year-old daughter in May, while Larysa Yuschenko, 42, has lived in Penmaenmawr with her son, 18, and daughter, 10, since April.
Today (February 24) marks the first anniversary of Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which has killed tens of thousands.
The invasion led to more than eight million Ukrainians fleeing the country, in Europe’s largest refugee crisis since the Second World War.
Both Galyna and Larysa have been accommodated by host families, and while they hope to return to Ukraine eventually, they feel “safe” and “lucky” to be in North Wales.
Galyna, 37, who left Kharkiv eight days after Russia’s initial invasion, said: “It’s been full of polar emotions; zero and 10, both ways.
“I see around me a beautiful country, sweet people, and enormous support, but inside me is constant hell.
“There is no forecast as to when the war will end, and if you are in Ukraine, nobody can promise you a new day. We don’t know what tomorrow brings.
“Some of my friends are still there, and that makes me puzzled every day. I feel survivor’s guilt every day.”
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Llandudno vigil and Conwy cultural event to be held in support of Ukraine
Galyna has managed to continue her logistics job in Ukraine from her new St Asaph home, while also helps provide support and aid to those back in her home country.
The eight days which she spent in Ukraine following the beginning of Russia’s invasion, she said, were “more than enough for me to realise how awful everything was”.
She added: “We couldn’t go outside. Eventually, I took a taxi, had to pay 10 or 20 times more than the usual fare for a five-minute trip, then took a train from the east to the west of Ukraine.
“It took 28 hours. From Lviv, we made our way to Poland and eventually to the UK. I like the calmness of St Asaph; it’s a very safe place to stay.
“I have a lot of female friends who don’t want to leave their partners in Ukraine, which is heart-breaking. Their mental health is not OK. But they keep working, believing, fighting every day.”
“My daughter is physically and mentally OK, thank God, but I don’t think Ukraine will be safe to bring her back there within the next year or two. For now, we live our life day by day.”
Larysa originally hails from Sumy, on the east of Ukraine, but was living in Kremenchuk, in the centre of the country, prior to leaving last year.
She also volunteers, and has found work at the coffee shop at Penmaenmawr Museum, taking English lessons at Coleg Menai, Bangor all the while.
Larysa has been separated from her husband, who has remained in Ukraine to continue running their coffee shop.
Only after a missile attack Kremenchuk in June, which killed more than 20 and injured in excess of 50, was he glad that they had left Ukraine, she said.
She said: “Sometimes, it’s not easy to stay in touch. My husband really didn’t want us to leave - that was the first time that he told me he was happy that we are here. He’s doing his best.
“I really want to move back to Ukraine one day; then, we can really do our best to help my country. I miss my friends, my husband, my daughter really misses her cat.
“We didn’t have a Visa yet (when they initially left Ukraine), but we had to leave, because it was very stressful for us.
“But we are very lucky here to live here. I like working in the museum, and my children like going to school here.
“It’s different all the time. Sometimes, I feel so homesick. Sometimes, I feel like I can’t help my country.”
A vigil for Ukraine will be held at 5.30pm today at St John’s Church, Llandudno.
On March 4, a cultural event will take place at 2pm, and will feature musical performances, a presentation about Ukraine, souvenirs and hand-made gifts, cakes, and a raffle.
Previously, four such events have been organised across Denbighshire and Conwy; the latest, held at St Asaph Cathedral on February 4, raised a total of £4,431.
Money raised has been used to help fund the purchases of items such as medical supplies, a night vision device to assist in clearing Ukrainian territories of mines, and a car for a combat zone.
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