Haringey Ukrainian refugees recount fleeing war

Olivia Opara meets young Ukrainian refugees living in Tottenham and speaks to them about their journeys to the UK a year on from the start of Russia’s invasion

Young Ukrainian refugees living in Tottenham have told their story of having to escape the war that has devastated their homeland over the past year.

Since fleeing Ukraine, teenagers Makysm and Anhelina have been given housing assistance by Haringey Council and support to claim Universal Credit and other benefits. Now both living in Tottenham, they have been joined elsewhere in the UK by their friend Anna-Mariia.

They had all attended school as normal on 23rd February 2022, hanging out with their fellow classmates and friends. That night, they were woken by the sounds of explosions and bombs as “life suddenly changed”, according to 17-year-old Anhelina, from Kolomyya in western Ukraine. As the sound of sirens and alarms filled the air, they knew Russia had invaded – the war had started.

“We were confused,” said Anna-Mariia, also 17 and from Kyiv. “We didn’tknow what to do.”

Makysm is from Mariupol, the eastern port city that was besieged for three months at the start of the war and is now controlled by Russia. “Everyone in the Mariupol thought that the city wouldn’t last two weeks,” said the 16-year-old. Mariupol was bombed continuously over the first five days of the war and, with no electricity, water or gas supplies, Maksym and his family had to escape to a bomb shelter already holding about 350 people, realising that “everything would only get worse”.

Maksym’s family spent two weeks in the shelter waiting for aid from the Red Cross and for the Ukrainian government to create a ‘green corridor’ for everyone to safely evacuate the city. However, “that did not happen,” Maksym said, and on 14th March, his father told them that they had to leave as they “couldn’t stay in the shelter any longer”. Everyone evacuated into 44 cars, packing what they could carry.

“It was scary,” said Maksym. “We had to drive on bomb [ridden] roads, going around bomb shells and craters”. Two hours later, Maksym’s family arrived at a village occupied by the Russian military. A “kind old lady” hosted his family for two days so they could rest but, on the morning of the third day, there was a massive explosion and “we realised we had to keep moving”. The explosion also caused the roof of a nearby shelter to collapse. “I was afraid that my children might die,” said Maksym’s mother. “But I wished [our roof] would collapse and end this quickly without the pain.”

Fearful, Maksym’s parents had written down their emergency contact details on slips of paper and told Maksym and his siblings to keep them “just in case”. Deciding to travel towards central Ukraine, Maksym’s family made their way towards a bridge not far from Orikhiv in hope of getting to the Ukrainian territory on the other side, but it was destroyed. Reversing, they went through a field of bombs noticing that the surrounding buildings were on fire. “We had driven into a war zone and the Russian army was waiting with guns and bullets,” said Maksym. They would later arrive safely in Zaporizhzhia, before heading to the Polish border. “Once we boarded the bus, we felt relieved. We were safe.”

“It was a miracle that we escaped and survived,” said Maksym’s mother. “People were saying ‘you are lucky to have survived’”.

Makym’s grandfather had to escape through Russia after his home was burned down. He would later join the family in the UK, but Maksym’s great-grandmother did not make it due to her poor health. Anna-Mariia and Anhelina’s families had also fled in search of shelters. Fortunately for Anna-Mariia’s family, they were able to find flats to live in during the spring, in the western city of Lviv. They would later head to Poland after Anna-Mariia’s mother found out about the sponsorship programme in the UK. “It was really hard mentally,” said Anna-Mariia.

Anhelina’s family headed to the HungaryUkraine border to stay with her grandmother’s friend while waiting for a visa to join her mother in the UK. They had only spent two hours in a shelter next to an airfield before it was bombed. “We were scared,” said Anhelina. “My grandparents didn’t want us to live like this, but we didn’t know if we should stay or go.”

All of the men in Anhelina’s family, excluding her younger brothers, joined the military – her uncle is currently fighting at the frontline. “I have been struggling with feelings of guilt because I [had] to leave,” said Anhelina. “I still have nightmares. “War is the hardest thing that someone can go through and those who have not been through it will not be able to understand how it feels.”

Since arriving in the UK, Makysm, Anna-Mariia and Anhelina have all been supported by services set up by Ukrainians to help Ukrainian refugees in London. They have also been given guidance on how to access charitable support such as Tottenham Foodbank. “My teachers help me a lot,” said Maksym, who now attends Gladesmore Community School in South Tottenham. The school has set up provision to support him such as extra time in exams, free school meals and uniform. “We are still not used to the different culture and lifestyle here in the UK, but I like it and I hope that peace will come to Ukraine.

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