Life in Chernihiv During the Siege
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, Anastasiia and her family remained in Chernihiv for nearly two weeks until conditions became unbearable. Russian forces besieged the northern city but did not capture it. Residents endured a lack of electricity, running water, and internet, feeling isolated from the world.
Anastasiia's family relocated temporarily to western Ukraine for safety. After Russian forces bypassed Chernihiv, they returned to the damaged city. Civilians had to be vigilant to avoid explosives left behind during the siege. It was then that Anastasiia's family decided she should move to a safer location.
In July 2022, Anastasiia moved to the UK with a friend at age 18. Their first home in Scotland was Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, where they lived with a sponsor. Anastasiia had been studying remotely in Ukraine and was accepted into the second year at Aberdeen University upon arrival.
"Everything was new but the hardest for me was probably being separated from family for the first time."
She found support among other Ukrainian students, and together they established a Ukrainian Society at the university. Anastasiia described her experience as different from other students because during lectures she would receive notifications about bombings in Ukraine and immediately contact her family.
Since 2022, Anastasiia has seen her family only three times, most recently at Christmas when she returned for a week and a half. She recalled the frightening conditions in Chernihiv during that period.
"It was actually very scary time in Chernihiv. There were a few bombings. One of them was only five minutes away from my house."
"It was scary to hear the sound of upcoming rocket into your house. And you don't know where it hits, you just hope it's not your home."
Anastasiia graduated with an MA in Economics and wishes to remain in the UK, though visa uncertainties affect her. She noted difficulties finding graduate employment because her Homes for Ukraine visa does not guarantee long-term settlement.
'Grief Never Lets Go'
Alisa Nartova also moved alone to Scotland at age 18. She left Kyiv to continue university studies as the war and frequent utility outages severely impacted her mental health. Before university, she worked for a year as a military linguist.
Upon arrival, Alisa managed paperwork, documentation, and university admissions independently. She faced language and cultural barriers and stayed with a sponsor she had never met before. Throughout, she struggled with "survivor's guilt," feeling guilty for being safe while family and friends remained in danger.
"I have lost a lot of friends. People I knew for years, both guys and girls. Funerals is, really not nice, but often a place where you would find yourself if you are in your 20s and from Ukraine. The grief never lets go of you. You do not know where to put it and you just live with that."
Alisa finds it difficult to answer "how are you?" especially after returning from Christmas in Ukraine.
"It was minus 20C with no heating, no electricity, no water supply and a constant threat of a rocket, drone or missile. You wake up from explosions nearby and in the morning you go to the places that were hit to help clean up the rubble."
Despite the hardships, she affirms Ukraine remains her home.
"The depression, the anxiety, and it's all there. But at the same time, it's the jokes, it's the festivals, it's the laughing on the streets, it's people showing love to each other."
Alisa plans to return to Ukraine after completing her MA in Criminology and Sociology to assist in rebuilding. She stated:
"Ukraine is home and always will be but I can say that I've found home here, too."
Education as a Source of Strength
Anastasiia Korkina also arrived in Scotland at 18. Initially, she struggled to adapt to the new environment and felt depressed due to the invasion and uncertainty about her future. After applying to universities, she was accepted at the University of Aberdeen.
"I found my saving in education here. Rather than being sad about the invasion I decided to invest my time in education."
Some of her family live in Odesa, a major southwestern Ukrainian seaport, while others reside in Russian-occupied regions, with whom she currently has no contact. Anastasiia visits Odesa every six months, experiencing firsthand the harsh conditions faced by Ukrainians.
"I heard a lot of explosions, I heard bombings, drones, rockets, ballistic missiles at some point probably flying over our heads and it's been awful. But my hometown Odesa is so beautiful so I keep coming back. My friends and family, they're so resistant but it's so sad to see their lives and youth been taken away. They seem so exhausted because genuinely they work every day so hard. And it's not life, I would say, it's more of a surviving."
Anastasiia expressed that she no longer feels a singular sense of home, finding it instead in family and friendships in both Scotland and Ukraine. Approaching the end of her studies, she faces uncertainty about the future like many graduates.
"There was so much pain and exhaustion regarding my beloved country. I do not feel pain anymore really. I just feel numbness, I just detach myself from it."
She hopes to remain in the UK to build her career, having established strong connections.
"I've already built such a nice connection with people here so it would be a shame to just let it go and start again."
