Staff Articles

Update on Nastya Mishchenko

Sarah Lage

In late February 2022, Russia began its attack on Ukraine, causing at least 12 million residents to flee their homes (as of July 4th). As of August 24th, there have been approximately 6,000 confirmed Ukrainian civilian deaths, and approximately 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died. It goes without saying that these figures have increased since the summer and, also, it’s important to remember that these numbers only represent confirmed deaths– the actual death toll, experts say, is likely much higher. Refugees – many of whom have fled to other European countries like Poland, Germany, and even Russia – have been left to watch their homes, schools, and places of worship be destroyed on live television. Wives, daughters, and sisters have been forced to separate from their husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends when fleeing with only basic necessities in hand. The invasion has been tragic for all involved– the dead, the injured, the displaced, and the mourning.

I met Nastya Mishchenko almost three years ago in the comments section of an Instagram post made by Ukrainian figure skater and Olympic champion Oksana Baiul. I used the Ukrainian flag emoji in a comment on Oksana’s post, and Nastya, a proud Ukrainian, was surprised that an American teenager knew that Oksana was Ukrainian and not Russian. She followed me, messaged me, and the rest is history. We’ve been as close as two people who have never met each other in person could be ever since.

We bonded over a love of figure skating, art, music, her desire to improve her English (although she was essentially already fluent), and my desire to learn Russian. I became her friend before starting college; and it was only at William & Mary that I began taking formal Russian classes. When we first started corresponding, I had essentially zero command of the language. Still, Nastya was patient and encouraging with me, and now she often praises me for improving dramatically since those days (thanks, Bella Feliksovna!). In some sense, it is like she’s watched me grow up.

Nastya is from Zhytomyr, Ukraine and, before the invasion, she was a student in the Urban Planning Department at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture. Obviously, the war changed everything for her. In late February, Nastya was forced to flee her college dormitory in Kyiv and embark on a long journey by train to Poland with only a backpack to her name. Her mother stayed in Zhytomyr to cook for soldiers, putting her life in danger to support Ukraine’s line of defense against the invaders.

It was around this time that I created a GoFundMe for Nastya, and we were completely overwhelmed with the support we received from the William & Mary community. Within the first day, our fundraiser goal of $500 was reached, and people continued donating well after that. In the end, we collectively raised $915 for Nastya. These funds were used to pay for food, transportation and other necessities, and a considerable amount of the money was shared with Nastya’s mother, Nataliia, who remained in Zhytomyr and had no cash.

I want to use the Gazeta platform to update our community on Nastya– a lot has happened since last semester! Firstly, I’d just like to say that the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of this atrocity has astounded me. I can’t say what I’d do if I was ever thrown into such a situation, but I definitely don’t think I’d be able to handle it as well as Nastya has.

Nastya spent a few months in Poland, the country she originally fled to by train. After some time at a refugee shelter, she was moved into the home of a Polish family in Lubliniec, a town in the south of the country. There, she met Clara, a four-year-old Polish girl– the daughter of her gracious hosts. Although they couldn’t speak the same language, they bonded over music and silly dancing (to The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry” and Longpigs’ “Far”). I’ve included a video of the two below. Nastya remarks that it will be interesting for Clara when she grows up; she likely didn’t understand why a random teenager was living in her house at the time but, when she gets older and learns about the war, everything will make sense.

Eventually, Nastya’s mother, Nataliia, and grandmother, Lyudmila, were able to evacuate Ukraine and relocate to Austria. After a few months in Poland, Nastya joined them in Sooß, a very small town in the east of the country. She was officially registered in Austria as a refugee.

The invasion forced Nastya to put her education on hold– but not for long. Almost immediately after the war started and she was forced to leave Kyiv, Nastya, quite admirably, began focusing on how she could resume her studies. She diligently researched various European universities with similar programs to the one at Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, and wrote numerous long letters – in perfect English – to deans and school administrators, asking for admission. Eventually, she found the right fit– and that brings us to the present day.

As of right now, Nastya is living in Hamburg, Germany, and is a student at Kühne Logistics University, where she is studying supply chain management. This is an ideal situation for her as her boyfriend, Anton, a fellow Ukrainian whom she met playing intellectual games in high school, attends Technical University of Berlin, a two-hour train ride away from her town. Anton and Nastya have served as support systems for each other during the invasion. Living in close proximity has been one of the advantages to her new school choice.

I’ve been in constant awe of how gracefully Nastya has been able to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life in wake of the invasion. The financial support and words of encouragement the William & Mary community, especially the Russian department, have graciously extended to my dear friend have been a big part of that. From both Nastya and I: thank you for everything– for supporting her and for firmly and steadfastly standing with Ukraine. When this travesty finally ends and we look back many years later, may we all find ourselves on the right side of history.

Citations:

BBC News. “How Many Ukrainian Refugees Are There and Where Have They Gone?” BBC News, 4 July 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60555472.

Yuhas, Alan. “Thousands of Civilian Deaths and 6.6 Million Refugees: Calculating the Costs of War.” The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-toll.html#:~:text=Ukrainian%20civilians%20have%20paid%20a,Russians%20said%20to%20be%20killed.