Nata, Bucharest:
Some thoughts and feelings from a girl, who was forced to leave her country because of Russia. When you wake up at 5 am on a normal Thursday because of a bombing, your first thoughts are weird. Is my best friend okay? Where is my toothbrush? Should I make my bed? Will we survive? After the wave of questions passes, you start hearing and seeing again.
“Pack your backpack. Russia has attacked, we are leaving in 15 minutes”, said my mom and ran to the kitchen. This is how my war journey has begun.
Seven days later, I am in Bucharest, Romania. Panic has gone, I am left with anger and hope. Those feelings replace each other, like the military on duty. Rage, hate and anger towards Putin and Kreml. I thought that I was kinder, then I turned out to be. No, I am full of hate for Russian army, I am full of rage for Putin. The glimpse of hope, which I mentioned earlier shines through from time to time. This glimpse whispers, that I will come back home soon. That I will see my friends. I hold on to this glimpse. I keep calm, so I could hear the voice of hope louder. I am holding on.
Yulia, Ukraine:
I will never forget how I woke up at 5:51 am on February 24th because of an explosion.
My hands were shaking, but I knew what to do due to all the warnings and signs we had. I packed my backpack, dressed up and was ready to go to the closest place to hide. I knew one day russia would strike, although I hoped they wouldn’t.
One thing that often gets on my mind is that next generations will read about this war in the books. They will study it for passing exams. It is truly hard to believe that the real war is happening right now.
Our friends of family from abroad were asking us almost everyday to move to them for a while. However, from the first day of war I tell everyone that I will not leave Ukraine now. I simply cannot, where would I go? Ukraine is my home and I want to be at home and help.
I cannot take care of many things, it’s hard to concentrate and it’s hard to eat, to sleep, to handle everything with strength and power, but I have no other choice. I joined The Cyber Army and try to break thick walls of russian propaganda, it is not easy, but it is possible. I just know that Ukraine will finally show russia its place.
Valeria, Ukraine:
I was the person who overslept everything: the first explosion, the first shots, the declaration of war. The person who was nervously awakened by my parents. The person who was not told anything at first. The person who did not understand anything when I woke up. And then I opened the phone … All my chats, social networks and TV turned into solid news. And now I am the person who does not sleep at night and little during the day. I have never been so immersed in these events, in history, as before the first day … Yes, we taught all the wars at school. But it was all in the past, and we live in it now … I never thought I would see such a moment live.
