A Story About Ukraine
By Assia Satella and Alina Tarasova
I was born and raised in my hometown of Mariupol. When the full-scale invasion began, I was 15. I woke up expecting an ordinary day, ready to go to school, but I would never go back there again. My family and I were trapped in the city during the siege and remained there for 20 days – all 20 days shown in the documentary “20 Days in Mariupol”. My home burned to the ground seven days before we were evacuated. Thankfully, my mum and I had moved in with my grandmother during the siege so we could all be together. That flat would be hit by a missile exactly two days after our evacuation. When we finally got out, we had no plan at all. We moved from country to country, trying to find somewhere we could stay. At 16, I was doing everything I could to protect my mental health.
I drew a lot, expressing my fears through illustrations on my tablet and on paper. Later, in May 2022, my family and I moved to Estonia. I never really made friends there because I was not attending school. My friends became my bicycle, my sketchbook and my phone, where I shared funny social media posts about a carefree life, even though I actually had plenty to worry about. At one point, we tried moving from Estonia to Greece, but after a month there, we had to return. In December 2022, I found myself in London for the first time – a city I had never even dared to dream of visiting. I grew up in a single-parent family, with my mum working three jobs to give me the best she could. Yet somehow, here I was, walking past Big Ben and getting likes on a photo with a red bus.
Meanwhile, the time to apply to university was drawing closer, and my stress was mounting. I was choosing between studying in England and Austria. I was desperately studying German while preparing for two language exams at once. This was the hardest period of my life. My parents did not support my decision to study architecture, saying, “There are no prospects in it – you should study management.” There were personal statements to write, and I had no idea how to approach them.
There were creative portfolios to put together to meet two different sets of requirements. And endless thoughts about which country I should choose. Then, suddenly, I was accepted everywhere I had applied. I was happy and shocked at the same time. At 17, I had to make a decision that would shape my entire future. I chose England. At the time, it seemed the more practical and straightforward option, and I had not particularly enjoyed Austria either.
Finally, I moved to Bristol and would be able to live independently! Now I had to make a real effort to find friends. I had never socialised with British people my own age before. I found it very difficult to understand their slang and jokes. I felt like the odd one out. Little by little, I began making friends with the people in my student accommodation. I studied hard and tried to stand out on my course. I got good grades. Gradually, life began to get better. Then I made my first Ukrainian friends. I helped set up a Ukrainian society at the university. We organised our first events, and I helped promote them in my role managing the society’s media content. I began to feel more fulfilled and open to new experiences.
Six months later, I met the president of the Ukrainian society at the University of Bristol. His name was Ihor, and he was very funny. I fell in love.
Our Ukrainian society was thriving. Another six months later, I was elected its next president. Over a year of working together, the committee and I created some of the best memories of my life. Through the society, I met Ukrainians from all over Britain. We travel a lot and celebrate all the holidays together!
I also dance a lot. I am part of the university’s main hip-hop team, and we win all the awards every year 🙂
I have made some wonderful friends on my course. My English has finally reached a level where I can show my true personality and be just as funny as I am when speaking Ukrainian. I am completely happy.
Today, I am the top student on my course. This summer, I am working on two architectural projects and setting up a new architecture society, having stepped down as president of the Ukrainian society to give myself the chance to meet new people. I am so happy to keep moving forward.
Looking back, I remember my little sixteen-year-old self and realise that she was not so little after all. I still feel that I have not quite grown up and that I am not doing enough for my own wellbeing. But in truth, I have always done more than I could ever have expected of myself.
