General News
23 June, 2022
Sweet trip for Ukraine refugees
FOR Ukrainians fleeing a war in their home country, there have been few reasons to smile in recent months.
FOR Ukrainians fleeing a war in their home country, there have been few reasons to smile in recent months.
A group of Ukrainian refugees spent time in the south west recently and were overwhelmed with the generosity of local businesses including Dairylicious Fudge, Little Bit of Sweet and Gorge Chocolates.
Andrea Ckuj brought a group of eight displaced Ukrainians fleeing the war to the area and spent time recounting the refugees individual stories while enjoying the local hospitality.
The women and their children were forced to leave their husbands behind as they sought safety and relief from the relentless war.
Among the group visiting was Svetlana Solovei, her seven year-old daughter Liza, step daughter Daria and mother Olena.
“When the Russian invasion started, they fled to a nearby school and sheltered in the bunker beneath the school for eight days, along with 300 to 400 others,” Ms Ckuj said.
“They separated into groups of 20 to 25 people, so that each group helped feed and care for one another."
“Svetlana’s husband Vasyl (who still remains in Ukraine) guarded the top of the stairs with other men, to protect the women and children from Russian soldiers.”
Ms Ckuj said Vasyl organised tickets on a train to Poland for his family and they had to leave for their safety.
“They boarded the train with nothing but their passports and a couple of small shopping bags,” she said.
“They endured a 20 hour train journey to Poland – no lights, no toilets, not even mobile phones as they also attracted unwanted attention from the Russian armed forces."
“Russia was targeting civilian trains with gunfire and bombings.”
The women made a decision early on, to not sit upright on the train.
They laid on the floor, putting the youngest Liza on the floor, then Daria on top, then Svetlana and Olena, the grandmother, over them all to protect the youngest through to the oldest.
“Olena said that the fields and the night sky were pitch black – only illuminated by missiles flying over the train, which were then detonated by Ukranian armed forces before hitting their train and other civilian targets,” Ms Ckuj said.
“The sound of bombs exploding and gunfire remains with them forever.”
Svetlana had befriended an Australian, Jo, three years prior and with no end in sight to the invasion and no work available in Poland, the women made the decision to fly to Australia.
After moving to Australia they have started their own cleaning business after being granted temporary visas.
“They are determined not to be a burden on Australia and wish to give back to the country and their people for their support and kindness,” Ms Ckuj said.
Among the group of refugees visiting was Iryna Rubanyak and her two daughters Daria, 18, and Marta, who is just six years-old.
Iryna and her husband, Paul, made the decision she and her two daughters would flee the country on the first day of Russia’s invasion.
The day after the Russian invasion began they organised passage to Poland via bus.
Ms Ckuj said there were women and children desperate to get on the bus.
“Iryna recalls the moment when she and her daughters had to force their way on to the bus, not having the opportunity to say goodbye,” she said.
“After staying in an apartment for four weeks in Poland, they researched places where they could temporarily live."
“With Europe being overwhelmed by displaced Ukranians, they had heard that Australia was providing wonderful support to Ukrainians and that there was a strong Australian-Ukrainian community which was also helping displaced Ukrainians.”
The family made the decision to make the long voyage to Australia where they lived in temporary accommodation in Melbourne while waiting for their visas to be processed.
Thirty-seven-year-old Marina Feshchenko, who also visited the district with the group, lived on the outskirts of Kyviv.
Her apartment, which was located near a facility which did repair works on army tanks, was targeted by Russian forces on a number of occasions.
When the war broke out Ms Feshchenko, along with her brother Denis, sister in law Olesia and nephew Anatoliy, drove to her parents home more than 100 kilometres from Kyviv thinking it would be safer.
Shortly after explosions began in a nearby village.
“During their time at their parents, they took turns to stay awake for two hour shifts during the night to ensure that if the bomb sirens sounded they would quickly wake all family members to help flee to somewhere safer while the attacks occurred,” Ms Ckuj said.
“They were absolutely exhausted.”
A friend reached out and offered them shelter at his residence in Lviv and they fled on a trip which would normally take six hours, but turned into a mammoth 30 hour trip with so many residents fleeing the area.
Once in Lviv the family again took it in turns to stay awake in shifts while listening for bomb sirens.
After contemplation, Marina made the decision to leave all she knew in Ukraine in search of peace in Australia.
Ms Ckuj said she has since been granted her visa and found part-time work in a mechanics workshop as a bookkeeper.
“She misses her family terribly, but remains in contact with them daily,” she said.
“Marina and her brother have a very strong connection as a family, particularly with their parents who they continue to support.”
The Ukrainian refugees were grateful to call Melbourne their temporary home and hope, along with the rest of the world, Russia’s assault on Ukraine comes to an end soon, according to Ms Ckuj.
“These are courageous and very brave women and children,” she said.
“They have left behind their husbands, brothers, sons and extended family members."
“They are hard working individuals and want Australians to know that they are so grateful for their kindness, generosity and hospitality.”
During the visit to the area, the women and children were hosted by Dairylicious Fudge and Gorge Chocolates, with Timboon’s Little Bit of Sweet gifting the group tasty delights to help remember their visit.
“The women were very emotional and overwhelmed by these businesses kindness and generosity,” Ms Ckuj said.
“They can’t wait to hopefully return and stay for a few days to continue exploring the Great Ocean Road region with all its beauty.”
Dairylicious Fudge owner Lynda Page said the business was pleased to be involved inthe visit.
“Andrea and her husband were doing the 12 apostles food artisan trail last year and I had a long chat to them about the region and places to visit, she was impressed with the time that I spent with her, that’s how I met them,”she said.
Mrs Page described the visit as an“emotional day”.
“The ladies stories were heart wrenching,” she said.
“It made me appreciate just how lucky we are to live in Australia."
“When you see the images on TV and then the actual people are sitting in front of you singing “Thank you, Thank you!” in Ukrainian, it really touches your heart.”
