Valentina Varshavsky
Ukraine, Kyiv
Israel, Haifa
“When the war broke out, we constantly heard alarms and explosions around Kyiv and, to be honest, I was not prepared for the war to break out. Suddenly, I had to manage essentials like securing drinking water and figuring out how to charge my cell phone to stay connected with the outside world. In Kyiv, the basements and shelters were crowded with people seeking refuge from the shelling. It was a dire situation where you couldn’t be sure if you would wake up alive the next morning.
As the shelling did not stop, I realized that I had to run for my life. I packed some food and essentials, then got into my car. My direction of travel was west, towards Poland, but because of the war and the chaos it created, I had to improvise my route. Bridges were bombed, roads were blocked, so it was not an easy escape at all. Throughout the trip I heard the sound of planes, explosions and gunshots, and I didn’t really know if I would make it out alive.
Escaping your country during a war is an incredibly difficult experience, especially when it means leaving behind family, friends, and work that you cherish. Unfortunately, Ukraine was simply too dangerous for me to stay. I prayed and hoped for the conflict to end as soon as possible, but two years later, there is still no end in sight.
I left Ukraine and settled in Israel, where my eldest son was already living. At the start of the war, he served in an IDF unit tasked with helping people evacuate from the North. His ability to speak multiple languages, including Russian and Ukrainian, enabled him to communicate effectively with a diverse range of people and assist them during the evacuation.
I settled In Haifa, and I’m among the people who are running the local volunteer center for Ukrainian refugees. I believe that we can survive trauma only by helping other people as well as animals in need. That what makes us Humans.
The best advice I can give to refugees like myself is that, despite all the difficulties, you have to embrace the new reality as it is. Adapt to it as quickly as possible, don’t hide, never hide, and most importantly, be surrounded by as many people as possible, who will help you deal with loneliness and longing.