My life changing story.
A journey of 134 days...
My story is about how I left my home in Zaporozhye with my daughter Alina in March and arrived in the United Kingdom in July.
February 22, 2022
- How do you think the war will be?..
- Of course it will not happen! We live in a civilized world.
- Yes, I also thought that everything would be ok!
February 24, 2022
5:00 am
The alarm clock was set for 07:00 am.
My internal clock woke me up before the alarm clock. I picked up my phone and saw a message from a friend at 04:43 in the morning "It has begun."
A shiver ran through my whole body
- "What?" I asked.
- “The invasion of Ukraine has begun ...” - the friend answered.
I instantly jumped out of bed. I ran to the window ... Silence, the sky was blue ...
Then I looked at the news again... WAR…
The first emotion was fear. Fear for the family. I immediately overcame my panic. After all, my daughter should not see her mother scared.
I ran to my daughter. She slept. And thank God, I thought let her sleep longer without anxiety.
I woke up my grandmother.
- Grandma, wake up. The war has begun.
I don't want to say those awful words ever again!
5:36 am
I stood in a supermarket with groceries in a queue at the checkout. There were more than 30 people in front of me. Everyone had panic in their eyes. Nobody knew what would come next.
Returning home, I created a sleeping place in the apartment corridor between the load-bearing walls. This small room became our only place to stay in the apartment. The news programme was always on between the sirens. Social media was unbearable with news of death, requests for help, tears, pain...
February 27, 2022
Three days have passed since the beginning of the war... It was still quiet in our city. All the horror was happening elsewhere. For a while, the sirens went silent. It was a sunny spring day with blue skies. I took a brush, paints and began to draw. All my thoughts were in order. I took a deep breath and pushed away the feelings of panic.
The more time passed, the more I realized that I did not want to wait for the moment when my daughter would see with her own eyes the horror of hostilities that tens of thousands of people and children had already seen. I didn't want her to see death. My child must be safe.
March 2, 2022
The moment was approaching. I packed my bag with things. It was the most difficult decision in my life - to leave my home, family, work. Tears in my eyes all the time... But I had to be strong! The decision was made.
March 3, 2022
8:33 am
We said goodbye to my family and my beloved dog. I knew that I couldn't take it now. I didn't know where our path lay yet. The main thing was to take my daughter to a safe place. It was a very difficult time.
10:30 am
Train Station. Hundreds of people, women with children, with pets. The feeling that you are in an anthill.
We were waiting for the evacuation train. An hour later, it arrived at the platform. And in an instant, everyone started running towards the train. I was holding my daughter's hand. We made our way to the railway carriage. There was definitely not enough room for everyone. The men who came to see off their women and children helped them into the railway carriage.
One of these men helped us into the train. First, he held my daughter's arm tightly. There was half a meter of space between me and my child. And at that moment, someone behind me tugged my backpack and pulled me away from the railway carriage. I remember seeing my daughter's frightened eyes that were filled with tears. I don't recall how, but I managed to reach out and this man dragged me onto the train with my daughter. Thanks very much to him! Everything happened very quickly, and at the same time it seemed to last for an eternity.
We were on the train, our hands were shaking from stress. It was hard to find two empty seats in the compartment. It was designed for 4 passengers but there were 13 people in our compartment (7 adults, 6 children, including 1 baby just over a year old). Many people were just sitting in the aisle. There was no free space anywhere.
12:30 pm
The train started moving. There were 27 difficult hours ahead to Lviv without sleep…
March 04, 2022
3:30 pm
We arrived in Lviv. We were met at the station by a female volunteer. She arranged our place in the queue the next evacuation train Lviv (Ukraine) - Przemysl (Poland). Thanks are due to her.
There were about 300 people ahead of us in the queue. Thanks to more volunteers, we were able to eat well. We had to wait 7 hours (3 hours of which were outside in the cold).
In this crowd of people, we met a family from Druzhkovka, Donetsk region. This is the Eastern part of Ukraine. They fled from their hometown at a time when hostilities were already taking place there. They were a very nice and positive family. At times like these, it's important to stay balanced. Thanks to this woman for such a short journey together, but filled with positive emotions!
8:30 pm
The evacuation train arrived. Everything was well organized. Station workers let people through in turn. They dispersed the crowds but said there wouldn’t be enough room for everyone on the next train which was due at 04:00 am…. “Oh horror, do we really have to sit at the station in the underpass all night?.. God help us!” I thought.
Volunteers began to select families with small children from the crowd. A young volunteer guy was going through, looked at us and extended his hand. Thanks to him too.
10:00 pm Hooray! We were on the train.
We managed to find a place to sit. Again, the overcrowded carriage, people sitting in the aisle on the floor. It was an electric train, which is designed for trips over short distances.
Wooden benches instead of seats.
It takes about 2 hours to drive to the border with Poland.
"Hold on a little longer, we'll be safe soon," I told my daughter.
11:00 pm
The train stopped in a field between Lvov and Przemysl. An hour passed, then another. The train was standing. Toilets were closed. In those cars where the toilet worked, the people sitting in such cars did not let them through ... Children were tetchy, women were nervous and started to panic. Animals suffered. For them, as well as for people, this path was too hard.
We were stationary all night.
March 05, 2022
9:30 am
Volunteers arrived. They brought food, warm drinks, the necessary hygiene products, food and nappies for young children. The train guard assured us we would set off soon. In spite of incredible fatigue and 2 days without sleep we "did not lose heart." But…
After some time, crying was heard outside... Oh no... A girl was trying to resuscitate a cat... Heart massage... 5 minutes... 10 minutes... "That's it... You can't save him." - she said to the owner of the pet. At that moment, I was once again convinced my decision to leave my dog at home with my family had been the right one.
March 05, 2022
12:30 pm
We crossed the border. Poland. We were safe.
But our journey continued into Przemysl - Krakow - Warsaw. Train after train again… Our plan was to stop for the day and sleep.
March 06, 2022
Morning. Call from a friend. "I will help. An opportunity to go to Germany, the city of Wiesbaden has come up. My friend will meet you and give you shelter for a while.” - he said.
The decision was made. We went. Thank you, friend, for your help.
That afternoon, I bought train tickets to Germany.
March 07, 2022
8:30 am We were on the road again. Warsaw - Berlin - Frankfurt - Wiesbaden.
10:30 pm We arrived in Wiesbaden.
We were well received. This woman provided me and my daughter with a separate room where we could live for a while.
On March 9, 2022 We had already officially registered in Germany. Then, day after day, paperwork, waiting, again documents.
From the second week of my stay in Germany, I began to draw. There was enough time, so over one and a half months I painted 5 paintings.
After one and a half months my daughter went to school. It was a good school. It provided intensive classes for children from Ukraine. Thank you, teachers.
In the same period, I started attending an intensive German language course.
But the feeling of discomfort and anxiety did not go away. I made every effort to build a new life for me and my child. But day by day I wanted more and more to leave Germany.
The search for separate housing was not successful. A large number of refugees were in need of housing, which is sorely lacking.
May 2022
In May, I begin to carefully consider which country we would move to from Germany ...
The woman with whom we had been living for 2 months was nervous about our stay with them. After all, according to the law, she could shelter us for a maximum of 8 weeks. Furthermore, she was obliged to inform her landlord about our residence with her.
In the same period from mid-May, I got a job as a bartender in a bar. Language courses took place during the day, after which I worked until late.
At this point, I stopped drawing. There was not enough time and energy.
Every day in the place where we live, there was talk about it being time for us to move to another place. We had nowhere to go. I asked the woman to be a little more patient.
On 20th May, I found a website on the Internet about moving to the UK.
After consulting with my daughter, we decided to apply.
May 23, 2022
“Go to an organisation that helps refugees and say that you and your child have nowhere to live. Let them provide you with housing, anywhere!” - said the woman with whom we lived.
May 24
I went to this social assistance organisation and said that we can no longer live at the place where we registered, we need to move out of this housing. They told me that there were no places in the hostel and handed me a piece of paper with an address - “Come here. There you can spend the night.“
It turned out to be a sports hall at the school, divided into sections (the so-called rooms), which smelt terrible.
With tears in my eyes, I thought no, I can't bring my daughter here. I'm busy all the time, I'm not with her from 12 noon to 12 at night. In the morning my daughter goes to school, and when she returns, I am no longer at home. What could happen to her when I am not here?
When I got home, I showed the woman the photo. And tearfully begged to be allowed to stay for another 2 weeks. She agreed and gave us until June 8th.
“I have 2 more weeks to find a new home. During this time, I will decide something!” I thought.
After working the evening, I returned home at 23:00. And I was in for a shock….
“You have to leave tomorrow! Go to the gym, then you will be relocated somewhere. ” - she said.
“But we agreed with you. You gave us 2 weeks. Please!" I pleaded.
The answer was negative. At that moment, the person who helped initially turned out to be completely different. But I still thank her. God is the judge of everything!
On May 25 at 9 am, having collected all things, we left the apartment.
We left all our bags with things for storage with a wonderful Latvian family. Thanks very much to them.
On the same terrible day for us, I received a letter from a volunteer about the application for the UK:
“Thank you for filling out the UK Gateway form and choosing an organization to help you find a sponsor. We very much look forward to finding you a sponsor and starting the process of your relocation to the UK as soon as possible.”
The sponsor is a family living in the UK, which is ready to accept people from Ukraine and provide them with housing for 6 months.
The process started!
Then 2 days of overnight stay in different hotels. The money had gone. I didn’t know where to go next.
A wonderful Romanian family looked after my daughter and on the third day, they said we could stay with them for a while, asking absolutely nothing in return. It was very noble of them. Thanks to this family for everything!
It became easier for us to breathe. My daughter went to school, I attended German courses during the day, worked in the evening, with no stress at home.
June 08, 2022
The volunteer found a potentially suitable family from England, in the city of Birmingham.
I shared the good news with my daughter. It was exciting. An online meeting to get to know each other was set up.
June 13, 2022
A very important day. Meeting on ZOOM with a potential family that will probably host us in England.
The meeting was attended by almost the entire family, a translator and two representatives of the organization that I chose to search for a sponsor family.
I was worried, I would not understand at all what they were saying to me in English but thankfully there was a translator.
It turned out to be a lovely and wonderful family. They gave us a positive answer right at the first meeting. We were accepted!
The next step was to complete the online application for a UK Visa along with the Sponsor's details.
On the same day, after working at night, I started filling out all the information.
Then it only remained to wait. The days dragged on... During this time, the family from Birmingham and I were constantly in touch. They were already preparing the room for us. They found a potential school for my daughter and we applied online. They found online English courses for me.
I was so happy about everything that was happening, but I was afraid to say it out loud. I prayed that everything would work out. I didn't want to disappoint my child. After all, she was waiting.
July 1, 2022
I get an email: “… you can now travel to the UK. Your application under the Ukraine Scheme has been successful.”
The decision on the Visa was positive. We jumped with joy at this news with tears in our eyes.
I immediately broke the good news to our sponsor family. And they sincerely rejoiced with us. And we decided on the date of arrival of July 14, 2022.
In the following days, I bought tickets for the Frankfurt-London plane.
But I still worried that everything would go wrong. Only after buying the tickets did I tell my friends in Germany and at work that we were leaving.
I would like to say thank you to all the people I met along the way and in Germany itself. And thank you Germany for the temporary shelter.
5:00 pm July 14, 2022 We arrived in London.
We were met at the airport by the host family with warm hugs. I felt calm and comfortable, at home. And only after that did I take a deep breath. I looked at my daughter and said:
"We did it! The journey to a new life, 134 days long.”
Every day I get inspiration from being in this beautiful country. I want to create new emotions through art.
My paintings speak different languages!
Elza Loran.
Made with the soul!