February-March 2023  Issue 10

War in Ukraine and How It Changed My Life

By Daria Serheyeva

I remember the smell hanging in the air when my family and I drove out of Kyiv. It was heavy, and the first word that came to my mind was pressure. The atmosphere seemed to press on everyone, and we couldn't do anything about it. The horrors of this war were yet to come, but even at that moment, 200 meters away, women and children were shot at while in their cars, and we were lucky to get out alive. Everyone in Ukraine struggles in their ways, like worrying about their families, not having enough money to afford food, or staying as quiet as possible to avoid Russian soldiers and marauders. The war-affected and still affects everyone, whether they fled or stayed in their homes. 

Those who moved abroad

According to CNN, at least 10 million people in Ukraine fled from their homes in the first month of the war. Some of those 10 million people, myself included, live in another country because it was dangerous to stay in Ukraine. War forced us to move, even if it was never planned. For example, one of my friends, Alice, was also forced to leave and now lives in Germany. I asked her to write about how her life changed because of the war. Alice wrote two long paragraphs, and in one, she said, "Now, I'm in Germany. Spending my days talking to my classmates and distant friends. We have money, food, and a good flat, but I don't feel like I'm at home." Another one of my friends, Polina, who studies here in Beverly Vista, said that after she moved, she lost everything, including her friends and places she enjoyed going to. As you can see, even if they are safe, these people lose something more important than money. They lost the feeling of home. 

Those who stayed

Some Ukrainians decided to stay in their country. Unlike those who fled, some kept their homes, but unfortunately, there was no guarantee that the houses would be destroyed by the war's end. Those people have a lot of hope and know that Ukraine will win. My father is in Poltava, so I asked him how the war changed his life. A small part of his writing is, "I developed more pragmatism, started planning for various "what if" scenarios, and learned to live in the now rather than push things off till later. At first, I was constantly stressed that I could not influence the situation, but then I realized I had to do everything I could to help Ukraine win. "People currently in Ukraine had to learn how to plan and fight, and even those who aren't on the frontier have to fight. They may not use guns, but they believe in the country and do what they can to live a decent life during the war. 

How to Help

As you can see, there wasn't one person from Ukraine who wasn't affected by the war. Ukraine needs all the help it can get. So how can we support the country if we don't live there? First of all, you can send humanitarian supplies. There are some package requirements, so I recommend looking them up online. If sending a package isn't possible, you could send money to charities, which will buy everything and send it. My family sends money to charities when they can, but only some have enough money to support Ukraine financially. In that case, just talking more about the war can help. The more people hear about the struggles of Ukrainians, the more they can do something for the country and its people. I hope the war ends soon and the people of Ukraine will have some peace in their lives.