Vera
“People who haven’t been through war don’t understand how terrible it is.”
“People who haven’t been through war don’t understand how terrible it is.”
I’m Vera. I come from the eastern part of Ukraine.
I came to the UK in April 2022 because of the war that started in my country.
Before the war, we were living a modern life. I had a degree in Engineering and worked after university. Everyone had their own life and we never expected that something would change our lives or that we would have to move. The first time I heard the war was happening, I didn’t believe it.
The situation in Ukraine was scary and emotions were high. It’s very difficult to stay calm when you’re under pressure and you do not know when this terrible situation would end, so I made the decision to cross the border.
I couldn’t use the trains because all the trains were full of people, so my friend helped me reach the Ukrainian border with Romania. I crossed the border, and I walked not knowing where I was going.
I spent a couple of weeks in Romania then went to Poland where I stayed for a few months. That’s when I found out about the UK system.
People not only opened their homes to Ukrainian people but also their hearts
The UK was inviting Ukrainians as a way to support Ukraine. It was like a fairy tale. People were very kind, they not only opened their homes to Ukrainian people but also their hearts. A friend of mine gave me a number to call and said this could be my chance to take control of my life and connect with people that could help.
I reached out to a family in the UK. It was stressful since I had never spoken to native British people, and I was concerned about my language skills. I learned English in school, but that was a long time ago. They were able to understand me and said I could come if I wished, advising me to take some time to think about it.
I had to think about the decision because it would change everything, and it did.
When I arrived in Chipping Campden, a small village, people were very helpful. The community organised everything for us, even organising English lessons. When I told people my story, they told me I was very brave, and they tried to help me as much as they could.
Life in the UK is very different. When you go to a new city, you don’t understand where you need to go. Even with trains, we need to understand how they work because in Ukraine it was so different.
We try to share our refugee stories because, how else would people know the truth?
I noticed in small villages people smile a lot and when I don’t smile it doesn’t mean I hate somebody. I just have very serious memories and sometimes I need to be alone. People who haven’t been through war don’t understand how terrible it is to live through.
I think the more we speak about it, the more people will think about it and the more people will want to help. We try to share our refugee stories because, how else would people know the truth?
I’m very grateful for the UK and everyone who helps us. I want to believe the war will stop very soon. I would like peace in the whole world, everyone deserves to have a peaceful life and we want to have a peaceful life too.
The snow would reach my shoulders in Ukraine
When I was a child, we had a proper winter in Ukraine. It used to snow a lot when I was in school, and the snow would reach my shoulders. We had fun playing in the snow. We had heating back then.
I have good memories, safe memories. We were happy.
But last winter in Ukraine, it wasn’t very warm.
It’s very stressful when you don’t have heating in the winter.
We had problems with the radiator systems because of the damage to the infrastructure because of the war. It was so distressing for everyone.
Winter in Ukraine
Hundreds of thousands of families forced to flee are facing a brutal winter far from the comforts of home, including thousands of internally displaced people within Ukraine.
Displaced families living in damaged buildings have little protection from freezing temperatures, rain and snow, putting them at risk of hypothermia, frostbite and life-threatening respiratory diseases. Others will struggle to keep warm in buildings without power and exposed to the elements due to shelling amidst sub-zero temperatures.
This winter, UK for UNHCR is calling for donations to help provide essential support, such as blankets, fuel and emergency cash assistance, to families who remain displaced after fleeing their homes in Ukraine.