Alina Volodina
Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia,
Israel, Petah Tikva
“I arrived in Israel with my six-year-old daughter, Eva, a month after the war broke out in Ukraine. Moving to Israel as a refugee, combined with the constant worry for my family’s safety back in Ukraine, led me into a depression that I have struggled with for the past two years.
Despite the horrendous war and the security risks, I really wanted to return and visit my family in Ukraine. I was supposed to fly to Ukraine on October 13th, but October 7th changed all my plans.
I felt like the world was crashing down on me again for the second time in less than two years. I felt that the war in Israel was clipping my wings, and that I had to get out of here as soon as possible.
I was able to get on an emergency flight to foreign citizens from Israel with my daughter Eva and we landed in Romania. From there we continued with a bus to Ukraine to my hometown of Zaporizhzhia, which after two years of war became a city of ruins. My ‘welcoming committee’ to the city was a massive Russian shelling. After that, we decided to evacuate to Orikhiv, located just a few kilometers south of Zaporizhzhia.
The visit to Ukraine was incredibly hard for me. Witnessing firsthand the scale of the destruction, the depth of the suffering, and the staggering loss of life left a profound impact on me.
After three months in Ukraine, I finally returned to Israel, despite the ongoing war. I was eager to be reunited with my partner, whom I missed deeply and who had been serving in the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
My heart is torn between Ukraine and Israel, and I feel like I’m in a vicious circle, between two wars. I dream of the day when this vicious circle will be broken, and I will be able to live my life to the fullest. In Ukraine or Israel.