A home away from home – the story of a Ukrainian family 1000 days since the invasion
By Joline Sundén Rönnlund
It was in the middle of the night when Olga woke up to the noise outside her window. She thought it was a terrible thunderstorm. But outside her window there was no rain.
That was when it hit her, at 5am in her apartment in Odessa, the war had broken out.
19 November marks 1000 days since it all started.
“It’s a great amount, I didn’t know, it’s better to leave it than to think about it. For me, it’s just life.”
It is her certain sense of calm that hits me when we meet on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Not resignation, mere a strength to keep her head held high, to find the beauty in despair.
“Any situation can be like a coin;/ plus and minus. You must be grateful for everything. Plus is a price, minus is a lesson.”
Leaving Ukraine
She had never imagined herself in Ireland, but under the Irish sun she now smiles describing her dream of a life in Galway. It is where she sees herself heading after the dramatic journey that began on February 24 2022.
“The first two days were awful, I was in desperation. I could not sleep, I was worrying about my son. He was 15 at the time. In my head I had pictures of old movies connected to the second world war.
“There were machines everywhere, people in uniforms. It was scary.”
She realized she had to get away. Out of nowhere she came across two tickets to Ireland. They packed their car and took off.
A week later, they crossed the border to Romania and took the flight to Ireland. On the 18 March they landed and was immediately met with kindness.
The new beginning
“Irish people are so welcoming. I first came to Castlebar where I met a woman, Caroline. She was very kind to me. She let me meet her parents and organized a tea at home.
“She gave me clothes, it was so nice. When we came, we really only had one suitcase.
“My son was given a bicycle, and this necklace,” she stops as she touches the colorful jewelry around her neck, “a present from Irish people,” she smiles.
A child walks up to our bench where we sit and Olga brightens up, she waves to the little one.
“Life goes on if we have kids among us.”
She was working as a teacher back home, a passion she brought with her to Ireland.
Upon arrival she was given a hotel room to share with her son. Knowing he was taken care off, given food from the hotel, she kept herself busy.
Apart from art-studies she worked as a liaison officer helping families upon arrival and did volunteer work for children.
“I even tried to organize a small, Ukrainian Sunday-school and a concert where children could take part.
“I wanted to show, they are not people without anything, they have their talent inside.”
As families got spread across Ireland, it was hard to keep up their community. She now works part-time as an SNA teacher in a secondary school.
Looking ahead
She describes the future to be uncertain, not knowing what will happen since the recent US election.
“I think we will have plenty of changes. Maybe, if they will try to organize some agreement, I think my country will be cut into pieces, unfortunately.”
Despite this, she does not want to blame anyone.
“It’s just politics, a dirty game.
“It’s human nature, we can’t change it, we can’t judge it, unfortunately plenty of people suffer from it, we can only pray for a change.”
On the question of whether she plans to return to Ukraine, the answer is immediate.
“I will return, I have all my life there; my friends, relatives, my apartment, it was an organized life.”
Though, she worries, following what is happening to the people back home.
“They have [an] awful situation, bombing all the time.
“When I return I am not sure I will see the same country, the same people.”
The dream of Galway
So far, she sees her foreseeable future to be in Galway.
“It’s my tiny dream, like a small Odessa.
“It’s a special place, with a special atmosphere, full of freedom, creativity, it’s in the air.”
She discovered it back in 2022 while visiting some friends who made it to An Spidéal and has wanted to move ever since. Though, she gave it time as she felt it easier to integrate into Irish society in a smaller town.
“I am just now ready to move to Galway.”
Before parting, she teaches a Ukranian expression about the feeling of being abroad.
“Людина без рідної землі, як соловей без гнезда.” [A man without a native land, like a nightingale without a nest.]
Despite finding peace within a new country, grateful for it to be Ireland, there is an undoubtable sorrow within her not knowing what will happen to the place she used to call home.
