Local meetings are a lifeline and 'great comfort' for Ukrainian people who fled to Ireland

A Ukrainian journalist living in Moscow, Maryna Kovalenko fled to Cork when the war began. She has found support and community at local meetings organised for Ukrainian people in the city and surrounds. Here, she writes about a gathering in Crosshaven, and hears one woman’s harrowing story. By Maryna Kovalenko and Maeve Lee
Local meetings are a lifeline and 'great comfort' for Ukrainian people who fled to Ireland

Maryna Kovalenko at the information-sharing meeting in Crosshaven for Ukrainians that have recently arrived in Ireland. Picture: David Creedon

Whether it’s clothes, food, friendship, or a place to stay, people across Ireland have rallied to show their solidarity and support for those fleeing war-torn Ukraine.

In Cork, it has been no different. Local clubs, communities, support services and Ukrainians already living in the country have been attempting to bring people together with regular meetups and events.

Typically, they are attended by Ukrainian people as well as some host families and locals who are keen to discover what they can do to help.

The meetings are an important part of ensuring that those fleeing the war have support and a space to share stories and make connections. For some, being able to speak their own language has been a great comfort as well as having the chance to chat with those who understand what they are going through.

“It’s sharing experiences. It helps people to understand what struggles they are going through, and they are not alone and if somebody found a solution, they can share this,” says Tetyana Buhera, who has been involved in arranging meetups for the Ukrainian community in Cork.

 An information-sharing meeting at the Royal Yacht Club, Crosshaven. Picture: David Creedon
An information-sharing meeting at the Royal Yacht Club, Crosshaven. Picture: David Creedon

“It’s important because you can’t be ready for what is happening. I don’t think anyone had any experience in this before so it’s important to help each other.” Originally from Ukraine, Tetyana has been living in Ireland for six years and is currently based in Crosshaven. She and her husband have been helping to organise events, providing a safe space for Ukrainian people to get together as well as the opportunity to assess their needs.

For 42-year-old Svetlana Sidenko, who arrived in Ireland with her 17-year-old son and a dog, these events are important “because you can meet people. Irish people, Ukrainian people — you can exchange information, you can chat.” Facebook is where Svetlana does most of her connecting, it is also how she found out about the recent meet up in Crosshaven, organized by Tetyana.

Having previously been based in temporary accommodation in Fountainstown in Cork, Svetlana has recently moved to Ballyporeen in Co Tipperary.

Before leaving Ukraine, she spent a month in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson. Here, she tells us how she managed to leave the city and why she came to Ireland.

Svetlana’s Story

Svetlana Sidenko from Ukraine pictured in the garden of her temporary accommodation in Ballyporeen. Picture: Howard Crowdy
Svetlana Sidenko from Ukraine pictured in the garden of her temporary accommodation in Ballyporeen. Picture: Howard Crowdy

When did Kherson come under occupation?

We were captured about two days after the start of the war. The Russians occupied all government buildings, hung their flags everywhere, and made it clear that they would not let anyone out of the city.

Were you at home with your family then?

Yes, we were sitting in our basement with our neighbours, because before that the Russians had already bombed our suburbs. I had a three-story house in Kherson.

What was it like being there?

We lived in Kherson for a month from the beginning of the occupation. The Russians did not allow humanitarian aid into the city. In the very first days of the war, they plundered all the supermarkets. Then the supermarkets reopened, but the remaining goods were quickly sold out. I remember how we stood in queues for three hours to get at least something. It was in February. We stood outside in the cold. There was a lack of not only food, but everything in general. It was almost impossible to buy baby food, animal food and medicine.

Did you see the Russian military?

I lived in the city centre. Russians in armored personnel carriers constantly drove past us. These were columns of 20-30 cars. Soldiers sat on top with weapons in their hands. If you walked down the street at the wrong time, they’d shoot. They could shoot the car if it was in the wrong place in their opinion. When they just drove into the city, they shot up a car with elderly people parked on the side of the road. For no reason. They did whatever they wanted. Over time, they began to kidnap people and forcibly bring them to the former building of our police. They went to schools, looked at stands with photographs of our activists and the military who fought in the Donbass in 2014-2015. These people were found and abducted right from their homes and cars. Three of my friends were killed, and one person was released after 12 days, but was beaten. They also kidnapped a priest I knew: they put him in the basement, tortured him, undressed him, didn’t let him go to the toilet, didn’t let him drink, threatened that they would kill his children. As a result, they released him on the condition that he would cooperate with the Russians.

Who do you have left in Kherson?

Svetlana Sidenko
Svetlana Sidenko

My husband, parents and my sister with children are there now.

Do you have contact with them? What are they saying?

From Ireland, I can call them for free, which is very good, but the phones are tapped, so we talk very carefully. My mother is a teacher, so she is at risk, since they force teachers to teach in Russian and according to the Russian curriculum. If you don’t want to, they take you to the basement and torture you. In general, the city is still under occupation. The Russians are not letting anyone out of Kherson. One of my acquaintances was standing in a convoy of 5,000 cars at the exit from the city, but the Russians did not let anyone out. The invaders want to hold a fake referendum in May and proclaim Kherson an independent republic. They announced that until the referendum was held, no one would be allowed out of the city.

How did you manage to escape from Kherson?

We found Ukrainian volunteers who took people out. They took people from Kherson to Odessa, and from Odessa they brought humanitarian aid back to Kherson. There were eight Russian checkpoints on the road we evacuated. At each checkpoint, a bribe had to be given to the Russian soldiers. Volunteers gave them medicines, food, cigarettes. We were told to prepare a bag of food we had for each checkpoint. I had half a pack of pasta left, a can of condensed milk and some cereal. All these then in Kherson was worth its weight in gold. As a result, we drove in a column of 12 cars along the old rural road. There were hundreds of other cars besides us on that way. At the first checkpoint, we stood for an hour, and at the second checkpoint, they opened fire on people. Since we were paying them, our 12 vehicles were let through. Meanwhile those who tried to leave themselves were less fortunate. The Russians didn’t care who was in the cars, children or adults, they shot at everyone. It was very scary. My son was sitting next to me, pale as chalk. You also had to know the road very well. One column turned the wrong way, and they were shot.

How did the Russians behave at the checkpoints?

At every checkpoint they checked our documents and phones. If phone numbers of Ukrainian military or activists are found on your phone, you can be shot on the spot or kidnapped and put in some basement. They forced men to undress in order to check whether there were tattoos with Ukrainian symbols on their bodies. My son is 17 years old, so he was especially carefully checked... When we reached the first Ukrainian checkpoint, we all sobbed there. The Ukrainian military are completely different people. We offered them our remaining food, but they refused to take it. And Russian checkpoints are a nightmare.

What happened next?

Svetlana Sidenko with her dog, Frank
Svetlana Sidenko with her dog, Frank

We reached Nikolaev. There was barbed wire and tank traps throughout the city. We made a short stop there and immediately went to Odessa. In total, the road from Kherson to Odessa took 18 hours. We were lucky that there was an evacuation train from Odessa to Izmail, so we almost immediately, without rest, went to the station. In Izmail we took a ferry and got to Romania. There were volunteer tents, so we managed to get some rest. Then we traveled by bus for four hours to Bucharest. In Bucharest, we spent a week in a hostel. After that I bought tickets and we flew to Dublin. I spent on tickets all the money I had.

Why did you decide to fly to Ireland?

We made this decision the day before we left - after my son and I attended a rally protesting against the Russian occupation. Then the Russians started throwing flash-bang grenade at the residents, many people were injured. We were really scared when we saw the blood. I consulted with my husband, and he told me about his friend, who now lives with his family in Ireland. He said that they like it there, that Ireland is a good country with a good economy, that they speak English and that visas for Ukrainians have been cancelled.

Did you quickly manage to find accommodation in Ireland?

Unfortunately, there were difficulties, since we arrived here with a dog. First, we were placed in a distribution centre in Dublin, where we spent a day. Then we were sent to another distribution centre in Galway. We lived there for another two days, in a room with cots and sleeping bags. After that they found us temporary accommodation in Cork in Fountainstown. However, in early May we were asked to vacate this house as well. Currently we live in a very small and isolated village in Tipperary.

Have you been provided with housing through the Red Cross?

Yes, that’s right.

So, what are your plans in Ireland?

I am looking for a school for my son. I would very much like to return to live in the southern region of Cork, since I got a job there and we made many friends. In general, we all are waiting for the end of the war, and the liberation of the city.

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