"We felt embraced."
Isla, Zainab, Merryn, Daisy, Mollie and Amelia interviewed Mrs Dniprovska about her experiences in Aylsham since migrating here to escape the war in Ukraine.
What was it like travelling to England?
It was incredibly stressful. We were waiting for our visas - we had bought tickets in advance, but we were waiting and waiting for our visas. And on top of that, we were travelling with a cat. Because, we didn't want to leave our cat behind - cats are part of your family, right? But in order for cats to come to this country, they need special certificates, like a special permission from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. They issued this certificate two hours before we boarded the plane! It was so stressful not knowing whether we would have to leave her behind.
How did you decide what to take with you, along with your cat?
We left Kyiv on 24th February, on the first day when they started shelling the country. I had a feeling it was going to happen, so I had packed in advance two or three days before. We have a tiny, tiny, little car, so the logic was: we need a tank of fuel, we need food, we need basic stuff like documents, and very, very basic clothes to change into. It was winter, and winters are cold in Ukraine. We just thought, we will just pack, and go.
First we went to western Ukraine where we stayed for about a month and then we went to Poland where we waited another month, and then we finally came here.
We came with very little, and now that we are looking to move to a rental property you start to realise I don't have a pillow, a duvet, sheets, plates, I don't have anything. We are going to charity shops and finding things in there, small bits and pieces like forks and spoons!
Did anything come as a surprise when you came here?
I think a positive surprise, the best thing that happened, is just how welcoming everyone was. We felt embraced; we got so much support when we arrived. The most curious thing was when I had my birthday, people like my neighbours started coming round with little presents and cards. In Ukraine we would just say, 'Happy birthday,' but here people bring cards. I was shocked by the number of card shops in this country, and the different cards for different occasions! People give cards all the time, like Easter and new year! I have a box at home full of cards. At home in Ukraine, we don't do this, we just say it! So we started to learn that this is how you do things here, and we bought cards to give to people, too.
You speak really good English, did you find it was straightforward to communicate when you came to England?
The thing is, I have a Masters in English, and that is one of the reasons why we chose to come to England. So many countries opened their doors for the refugees when we left Ukraine, and my logic was, we should go somewhere where I can speak the language, so I can do the same job I did back at home. I was a teacher in high school at home, so it's nice to be doing something similar now.
The bit I did find difficult is pronunciation - sometimes people wouldn't understand what I was saying, for example I would say 'I have planted dill,' but it sounded like 'deal' and people would say, 'You cannot plant deal!' Or, I would say 'I am going to the football pitch,' and people would say, 'You cannot go to the football peach!'
Are there any elements of your culture that you miss over here?
I think straightforwardness. What I mean is, here when people say, 'That's a good idea' or, 'You're doing a great job,' I always question it, whether people really mean what they are saying because I think people have a lot of implied meaning but don't want to insult you or be offensive. They say good things, but in reality I wonder what is the meaning - you can be honest with me! I mean it, relax! In Ukraine people are more direct, more blunt. I double check all the time. Nobody takes offence in Ukraine - we say it how it is. If it isn't very good, you can say that!
When the war ends, will you go back to Ukraine?
That's a difficult question. I definitely want to go back home, my husband is there, but, when it comes to my children, it is different. I can tell you what we felt like when we first arrived here - there's a wonderful word to describe it: uprooted? It's like when you take a plant out of the ground, someone digs you out of your natural environment and puts you in a different environment, so you need time to adapt and settle down. My children - I have two boys - and they look settled by now, and the longer they stay here, I don't want to drag them from one country to another country, from one educational system to another educational system, and the longer we stay, the more and more I want them to finish school in one country without being uprooted again. Once they are older, I really want to go back and be with my husband. The boys can decide on their own what they are going to do with their lives.
What is your favourite food and why?
I love seafood, so we are so lucky to be close to Sheringham and Cromer and be able to go to the shops to get crabs and mussels and fish.
Are you enjoying your time in England?
I am. But sometimes I have a feeling like I have two lives, now. I have two homes, two countries, two sets of friends, two different jobs. I am not working in Ukraine but when I go there I try to see someone I used to work with. It is difficult in terms of not being safe suddenly. It doesn't just go away; you don't forget about your home. You wake up and check your phone and see what is happening every day. This is your city, this is your district, and you start calling your family and they say, 'It's ok, we are alright, it was loud but we are alright, go to work!' You heart is there - but you are trying to make the most of what you have here. It is two lives at the same time.
How do you feel about the people who have gone to Ukraine to help?
Oh, we are really really grateful. We are really, really grateful. Because it means such a lot. Especially the first couple of months when everything started. When we were in Poland, you find yourself in this situation where some of your friends, your family, your colleagues are already serving, they have already joined the army, and they start texting you: I need a helmet, I need a vest, I need some other gear. But there was such high demand, they quickly ran out in Ukraine. So, when we were in Poland we were regulars in all the military shops. We would go in and pack things and send them back home to our friends so they are protected; you're not waiting for the government to supply them. We are immensely grateful for all the support we are getting.
In Aylsham, do you have specific new friends that you and your friends see?
Yes! My boys have play dates and sleepovers, and that's what I meant before. I don't want to uproot them again. And I talk to other parents about normal stuff, like the coronation, baking, or...what's the word...where you go to the beach and comb...beach combing! That's a new word I learnt here. And we go to Sheringham Park, have picnics, regular things, we do them together.
Talking of the coronation, what do you make of the monarchy?
I think when you look at how many charities they support, and how many organisations they are patrons for, I really admire that. Before I worked in schools I was a PA to a senior director of a very large company. I know what it's like behind the curtain, so I admire them using their status and their fame and popularity in order to attract attention to important issues, like the Earthshot prize. You can see that they are changing too, and I like that. It must make a lot of money for the country, too.
Is there a big weather difference here?
It is strange not to have snow! And people don't change their tyres on their cars. In winter in Ukraine, you go to a special station and people change your tyres before mid-November. You have to do it or you're in trouble, and then in mid-April you change to summer tyres. Here, when it was icy, I was like, what do I do? And people said, 'You just drive slowly!'
What is education like in Ukraine?
One of the things that my son found interesting was that you guys have a year group, and all different classes in your timetable. In Ukraine, you stay in the same group and you go through school all the way to the end with those people. Here, you mingle more. Here, people cater more to your abilities as well - mixed ability groups, high ability groups. It's incredible. I have a feeling that in this country people cater more for you - for exams, you have readers, scribes, reader pens...back at home it is two or three decades behind. You have your 90 minutes and that's it - we have this attitude of 'deal with it.' You have SEMH support here too, whereas at home, we are at the other extreme. Children are not given as much of a voice in Ukraine. Here, all children, regardless of their abilities or obstacles that they are facing, they are catered for.
What piece of advice would you give others if they wanted to help people who have migrated from other countries?
We have been treated so nicely. I haven't experienced any prejudice at all. There is one thing I can think about. If you know a person comes from a war zone, the question 'how are you' can be a difficult one to answer, because you want to be polite and say 'I am fine,' because it is the right thing to do and it is lovely for people to ask. But it is important to know that inside, we are always thinking of home. Also, we are weighing up such a lot in our heads about our future - we don't know what the future holds so when you ask if we are going home, it is a much bigger question than anyone can answer in a few minutes. It is a huge consideration. I get emotional when I think about this because there is a lot in my mind.
What is your favourite Ukrainian word?
Ukrainian is a beautiful language - it is consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel, so it's very melodic when you hear it. I love lots of words. One in particular that I love is небокрай which means horizon - it translates as 'heaven's end.'
Thank you Mrs Dniprovska for your honesty and openness. It was a very special interview.
Isla, Zainab, Merryn, Daisy, Mollie and Amelia interviewed Mrs Dniprovska about her experiences in Aylsham since migrating here to escape the war in Ukraine.
What was it like travelling to England?
It was incredibly stressful. We were waiting for our visas - we had bought tickets in advance, but we were waiting and waiting for our visas. And on top of that, we were travelling with a cat. Because, we didn't want to leave our cat behind - cats are part of your family, right? But in order for cats to come to this country, they need special certificates, like a special permission from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. They issued this certificate two hours before we boarded the plane! It was so stressful not knowing whether we would have to leave her behind.
How did you decide what to take with you, along with your cat?
We left Kyiv on 24th February, on the first day when they started shelling the country. I had a feeling it was going to happen, so I had packed in advance two or three days before. We have a tiny, tiny, little car, so the logic was: we need a tank of fuel, we need food, we need basic stuff like documents, and very, very basic clothes to change into. It was winter, and winters are cold in Ukraine. We just thought, we will just pack, and go.
First we went to western Ukraine where we stayed for about a month and then we went to Poland where we waited another month, and then we finally came here.
We came with very little, and now that we are looking to move to a rental property you start to realise I don't have a pillow, a duvet, sheets, plates, I don't have anything. We are going to charity shops and finding things in there, small bits and pieces like forks and spoons!
Did anything come as a surprise when you came here?
I think a positive surprise, the best thing that happened, is just how welcoming everyone was. We felt embraced; we got so much support when we arrived. The most curious thing was when I had my birthday, people like my neighbours started coming round with little presents and cards. In Ukraine we would just say, 'Happy birthday,' but here people bring cards. I was shocked by the number of card shops in this country, and the different cards for different occasions! People give cards all the time, like Easter and new year! I have a box at home full of cards. At home in Ukraine, we don't do this, we just say it! So we started to learn that this is how you do things here, and we bought cards to give to people, too.
You speak really good English, did you find it was straightforward to communicate when you came to England?
The thing is, I have a Masters in English, and that is one of the reasons why we chose to come to England. So many countries opened their doors for the refugees when we left Ukraine, and my logic was, we should go somewhere where I can speak the language, so I can do the same job I did back at home. I was a teacher in high school at home, so it's nice to be doing something similar now.
The bit I did find difficult is pronunciation - sometimes people wouldn't understand what I was saying, for example I would say 'I have planted dill,' but it sounded like 'deal' and people would say, 'You cannot plant deal!' Or, I would say 'I am going to the football pitch,' and people would say, 'You cannot go to the football peach!'
Are there any elements of your culture that you miss over here?
I think straightforwardness. What I mean is, here when people say, 'That's a good idea' or, 'You're doing a great job,' I always question it, whether people really mean what they are saying because I think people have a lot of implied meaning but don't want to insult you or be offensive. They say good things, but in reality I wonder what is the meaning - you can be honest with me! I mean it, relax! In Ukraine people are more direct, more blunt. I double check all the time. Nobody takes offence in Ukraine - we say it how it is. If it isn't very good, you can say that!
When the war ends, will you go back to Ukraine?
That's a difficult question. I definitely want to go back home, my husband is there, but, when it comes to my children, it is different. I can tell you what we felt like when we first arrived here - there's a wonderful word to describe it: uprooted? It's like when you take a plant out of the ground, someone digs you out of your natural environment and puts you in a different environment, so you need time to adapt and settle down. My children - I have two boys - and they look settled by now, and the longer they stay here, I don't want to drag them from one country to another country, from one educational system to another educational system, and the longer we stay, the more and more I want them to finish school in one country without being uprooted again. Once they are older, I really want to go back and be with my husband. The boys can decide on their own what they are going to do with their lives.
What is your favourite food and why?
I love seafood, so we are so lucky to be close to Sheringham and Cromer and be able to go to the shops to get crabs and mussels and fish.
Are you enjoying your time in England?
I am. But sometimes I have a feeling like I have two lives, now. I have two homes, two countries, two sets of friends, two different jobs. I am not working in Ukraine but when I go there I try to see someone I used to work with. It is difficult in terms of not being safe suddenly. It doesn't just go away; you don't forget about your home. You wake up and check your phone and see what is happening every day. This is your city, this is your district, and you start calling your family and they say, 'It's ok, we are alright, it was loud but we are alright, go to work!' You heart is there - but you are trying to make the most of what you have here. It is two lives at the same time.
How do you feel about the people who have gone to Ukraine to help?
Oh, we are really really grateful. We are really, really grateful. Because it means such a lot. Especially the first couple of months when everything started. When we were in Poland, you find yourself in this situation where some of your friends, your family, your colleagues are already serving, they have already joined the army, and they start texting you: I need a helmet, I need a vest, I need some other gear. But there was such high demand, they quickly ran out in Ukraine. So, when we were in Poland we were regulars in all the military shops. We would go in and pack things and send them back home to our friends so they are protected; you're not waiting for the government to supply them. We are immensely grateful for all the support we are getting.
In Aylsham, do you have specific new friends that you and your friends see?
Yes! My boys have play dates and sleepovers, and that's what I meant before. I don't want to uproot them again. And I talk to other parents about normal stuff, like the coronation, baking, or...what's the word...where you go to the beach and comb...beach combing! That's a new word I learnt here. And we go to Sheringham Park, have picnics, regular things, we do them together.
Talking of the coronation, what do you make of the monarchy?
I think when you look at how many charities they support, and how many organisations they are patrons for, I really admire that. Before I worked in schools I was a PA to a senior director of a very large company. I know what it's like behind the curtain, so I admire them using their status and their fame and popularity in order to attract attention to important issues, like the Earthshot prize. You can see that they are changing too, and I like that. It must make a lot of money for the country, too.
Is there a big weather difference here?
It is strange not to have snow! And people don't change their tyres on their cars. In winter in Ukraine, you go to a special station and people change your tyres before mid-November. You have to do it or you're in trouble, and then in mid-April you change to summer tyres. Here, when it was icy, I was like, what do I do? And people said, 'You just drive slowly!'
What is education like in Ukraine?
One of the things that my son found interesting was that you guys have a year group, and all different classes in your timetable. In Ukraine, you stay in the same group and you go through school all the way to the end with those people. Here, you mingle more. Here, people cater more to your abilities as well - mixed ability groups, high ability groups. It's incredible. I have a feeling that in this country people cater more for you - for exams, you have readers, scribes, reader pens...back at home it is two or three decades behind. You have your 90 minutes and that's it - we have this attitude of 'deal with it.' You have SEMH support here too, whereas at home, we are at the other extreme. Children are not given as much of a voice in Ukraine. Here, all children, regardless of their abilities or obstacles that they are facing, they are catered for.
What piece of advice would you give others if they wanted to help people who have migrated from other countries?
We have been treated so nicely. I haven't experienced any prejudice at all. There is one thing I can think about. If you know a person comes from a war zone, the question 'how are you' can be a difficult one to answer, because you want to be polite and say 'I am fine,' because it is the right thing to do and it is lovely for people to ask. But it is important to know that inside, we are always thinking of home. Also, we are weighing up such a lot in our heads about our future - we don't know what the future holds so when you ask if we are going home, it is a much bigger question than anyone can answer in a few minutes. It is a huge consideration. I get emotional when I think about this because there is a lot in my mind.
What is your favourite Ukrainian word?
Ukrainian is a beautiful language - it is consonant, vowel, consonant, vowel, so it's very melodic when you hear it. I love lots of words. One in particular that I love is небокрай which means horizon - it translates as 'heaven's end.'
Thank you Mrs Dniprovska for your honesty and openness. It was a very special interview.