School one day, war the next

The war in Ukraine makes it painfully clear that living in freedom is unfortunately still not a given. A cruel war is raging with bombs, villages and cities being shot to pieces and many victims. Last year the Netherlands took in almost 87,000 Ukrainian refugees, including schoolchildren Mariia Topolia (17) and Vlad Kuchmus (16). They live in Nijmegen and talk about the impact of the war on their lives and their freedom.

On May 4 we remember the victims of World War II, on May 5 we celebrate our freedom. Many people in the Netherlands reflect on the war in Ukraine. Because our freedom is inseparable from the freedom of others. Everyone hoped such a war in Europe would never happen again, but once again villages and dreams are destroyed.

Disbelief
Mariia is from Kharkov. She tells how her life was before the war began. "I was very busy with school. I was in my final exam year and had to study a lot. In the free time that was left, I liked to meet up with girlfriends. It was my dream to go to college after my exams." In February 2022, there was a lot of talk about Putin and that he had plans to invade Ukraine. Yet Mariia and her friends did not believe it would really come to that. Until they heard the bombs falling on Feb. 24 themselves. Mariia lived in Kharkov, about 30 kilometers from the border with Russia. "That day we got an app that we couldn't come to school because it was no longer safe. That day changed everything."

Flights
They hoped the Russian attack would be short-lived, but that turned out not to be the case. "My parents soon decided that we had to flee. My father went to the front as a soldier. My mother and I first went to my grandmother's village. From there we left in the direction of Poland. All the roads were full of traffic because so many people wanted to leave. We drove through all kinds of small roads. At one point we saw a big building on fire because there had been an air raid. That was very frightening for me. I was glad we left." Vlad (16) is from Poltava, a few hundred kilometers from the border with Russia. His parents also decided to flee. "I was very afraid of what would happen. One day you are still in school and having fun with your friends. The other day you're in a war. We had acquaintances in Holland so it was obvious to us that we would go there."

Just back
Their story is illustrative of the story of hundreds of thousands of compatriots. Mariia: "Most of my friends' families fled. We now live scattered throughout Germany, Poland, England, Spain or the Netherlands. Some still live in Kharkov, where so much has been destroyed and where everything is different from before the war began." Recently Mariia went back to Kharkov briefly to see her father. "He is a soldier now and that is tremendously exciting. It was very fi ne to see him again. I also walked around my old neighborhood. My school and many other buildings were badly damaged." Since they arrived in the Netherlands, Mariia has been living with a host family, Vlad lives on the boat for Ukrainian refugees moored at the Waalkade. They feel welcome, including at the school in Nijmegen where they are learning Dutch.

Future
Vlad would like to stay in the Netherlands with his family and do his further education here. "Ideally, we want a house of our own so we can build our lives here," he said. The uncertainty is difficult. They are safe here, but nevertheless do not feel free. "I wish there was freedom. For us, for all people in Ukraine. That we could say, think and do whatever we want. Every day I worry about family and friends, about our future. Where can we build a life later? Will I study here or still in Ukraine? It's hard because you don't know how long this war is going to last."