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History of Refugees: Threat That Becomes Opportunity

One month.

Today is exactly one month since we are in the Czech Republic.

It’s time to sum up the interim results.

Photo: tsn.ua

***

Leaving Kyiv was a personal tragedy for me. Literally.

You know, Kyiv is my hometown. I grew up here, I have lived all my life and I also plan to die here - four generations of my ancestors lie at the Baikove Cemetery, and when the time comes, I will join them.

For what’s sake should I go from MY city? Just because Huilo wants to capture him?

Yeah, sure:)

Even my daughter’s safety, who is less than three (will be only in May) will not be an argument for evacuation.

She is my daughter, so she is strong.

We will manage it.

The main thing is to be at home.

But on the third day, the RSG came to Kyiv (or deconserved, doesn’t matter). One of the tasks of which, among other things, was to capture famous people - politicians, activists, journalists. Not murder, just captivity. I was on that list. Actually, I've been in the russians’ lists in 2014 of "enemies of the people", so I was not particularly surprised, whatever…

Our security officers (there will be no details here) literally pressed me against the wall. I resisted.

- Do you want to stay? Okay. Then hand over the phone, hide somewhere and do not show up until the end of the war.

- What do you mean? And in what way will I work?

- In no way! You will just sit quietly.

This time I did not hesitate.

Even my love for Kyiv overcame my obsession with work.

Plus, I realized: alive, healthy, and free, I can do a lot to destroy russian devils. I will drive them to hell. And further - if they suddenly refuse to accept such filth there.

The word is a powerful weapon.

I have perfect skills.

Of four words.

And I will keep the information front with dignity.

I will work. My LB.ua will work.

So, a few hours later I, Ester, Gattino the cat (how can we leave without him) and my mother (who was not going anywhere at all, but just came to say goodbye to her granddaughter. With one handbag. But she was caught and put in the car) were on an evacuation train to Lviv.

I cried only a few times during the whole war.

Even when I recognized Max Levin's body in the photos, I didn't cry.

Everything is already burned inside.

Only anger and hatred remained. And cold determination is to drive the orcs, as they say, to hell. To the very last circle. Where even Dante did not look inside.

But then, at the Kyiv railway station, I almost cried to the hiccups.

Leaving MY city not of good will.

***

The other day we recorded an interview with Vitaly Deinega (I will publish it soon. And the podcast as well - as you requested) and he said a very accurate thing. That fear is much stronger in Lviv now than in Kyiv. Literally felt by the skin.

Absolutely. A month ago, it was the same.

Photo: sites.google.com

Having become a refugee capital, the city of Lion reminded me of Remarque's novels. Specifically - "Night in Lisbon". Cabo di Rocca is practically the end point from where you can move on. Or stay forever.

Everything was fine with us in Lviv. We lived with my godmother - as if in the Lord's bosom. I worked almost around the clock, fulfilling my traditional promise - to work, to work, to work again.

It was a little distracting, of course, but unrest had already settled inside.

- Sonya, you are 60 kilometers from Poland, NATO territory. Well, who will touch Lviv? Muscovites are crooked - they will shoot here and hit Poland. Who needs it? - said my close friend.

I wanted to believe him. But the inner voice claimed the opposite. So, I drew up all the documents and looked for a car.

The next morning, the Yavoriv firing range was shelled.

We were at the Shehyni checkpoint. The inner voice!

***

- Why are you in the Czech Republic? Do you have any backstage here? - my new program director asked me.

- What do you mean?

I did not understand the question.

Meaning “at all” (as I like to say).

We were going nowhere. Randomly.

We were accepted by a family of young scientists living in a small village (25-30 houses) in the heart of South Bohemia.

All my life I will be infinitely grateful to these people.

Infinitely.

I asked myself if I could do the same?

If it was a close person, a friend and even just a relatively familiar person - yes. No restrictions at all (if I told my godmother in Lviv that I needed her underwear, she would just say where it is. I am the same in this respect). But when you don't even know who will come to you… And with an idiot cat:)

But the Lord arranged everything in the best way.

We not only easily found a common language, but also became friends. Like me, Robert and Olena teach at the university, we have a lot in common. Their eldest daughter is 3.5 years old, so Ester has company. Their mother lives next door and quickly reconciled with mine - they both speak russian.

Every Sunday we go to church together (the question of Easter service is still open to me), and then we all have lunch together at a big table.

Robert and Elena's family is probably the brightest thing that has happened to me for all this time.

***

On the fifth day of my stay in the Czech Republic, I gathered myself somehow in a pile, got behind the wheel and went to Prague to get acquainted with the work of “Radio Ukraina”. I just learned from the locals that it is planned to create such a project.

Photo: Facebook/Embassy of Ukraine in Prague

Of course, I could not do that - with the beginning of the war, the workload in my native LB.ua increased many times. You have no idea how much:)Embassy of Ukraine in Prague

(some people complain that they can't read the news - it's too stressful. Ha! And we write them! And it’s ok, we’re alive).

But.

A few moments.

First, it cannot be too much work:)

Secondly, I want to be useful. As of a month ago, there were already 300,000 Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic (which, given the size of the country, many) - women, children, and the elderly.

Although temporary, they are forced to start life from scratch.

They need help and support.

Including informational.

So, I must help.

And thirdly. As one extremely wise and dear person to me says:

- Any threat can always be turned into an opportunity. Always. And it's up to you.

This lesson is perhaps one of the most important he gave me (and he gave a lot of it).

Turn a threat into an opportunity.

Right now.

Just do not be afraid.

Do not hesitate.

So.

I have been working for the newly established “Radio Ukraina” for three weeks now. In the company of wonderful and sincere people.

I arrange interviews in advance and go from my village to Prague for a day to record. The conversations go on the air, then I turn them into a podcast (my editing is not perfect yet, but I'm trying very hard), I "cut" the news.

In a day or two you read them on LB.ua. Either you read or you listen. Before the war, you often asked to run podcasts.

So, it happened:)

***

Before the war…

I often use this phrase now.

On the first day, with the first strikes of enemy aircraft (I woke up at exactly five o'clock - from the explosions that were soooo audible in the center of Kyiv). I immediately understood everything. I got up, turned on the computer - Huilo was just "addressing the nation", I had to write the news. It was only later that I called our journalists. And the first news I made myself. I understood: the day will be long, very long, colleagues have to rest, but for now I will do it myself somehow. And I realized: THAT life is over. Forever.

Then there will be something else.

Completely different. With simple happy moments (the sun came out, trees bloomed) even against the background of the continuous black grief of your country, the suffering of our people

Looking back is a completely self-destructive thing.

You need to focus on the future.

And fight the abomination with all your might - as you can, on your part of the front (there are no "big" or "small" - each is important).

Photo: Kyiv City State Administration

 So, before the war…

Maybe before the New Year…

You all like to sum up before the New Year:). And I analyzed 21 years of my journalistic experience (I have been working since 15). So, for 21 years I had experience in the newspaper, magazine, publishing house (ha! I know how to machine and know what "grains" is), on television, in my own production, on the TV, of course - on the Internet. But it was not on the radio.

Um, - I thought, - it would be interesting to try.

At about the same time, I urged my mother to go and rest. Anywhere.

- Ksenia, leave me alone, - she waved, - I do not want any islands, no exotics, no European capitals, I just want to go to a remote village. For the fresh air. And heat the stove with firewood.

Dreams tend to come true.

They just need to be specified as much as possible:)

Because we now live in a remote village, we heat the stove with firewood, and I work on the radio.

***

The Czechs are great people, true friends of Ukraine.

The support provided here to our refugees (I remind you, it's mostly women and children) is hard to overestimate - everything is being done. And even more. Both at the state level (from free travel on public transport to the supply of weapons to Ukraine) and ordinary citizens.

Photo: twitter.com/CzechMFA

The story of the creation of a special (!) "Radio Ukraina" in Prague is a good example.

You can listen to us here.

It is most convenient to download the app and turn it on there.

The whole information day is very busy. And at 18.05 (Prague time, i.e., in Kyiv it is 19.05 - after the news), every Monday, Wednesday and Friday the program "Hour with Sonia Koshkina" airs.

Sometimes we have special releases on Tuesdays and / or Thursdays. You remember, there is not much work for me:)

And no, I’m not afraid of burnout:)

***

As for work, that's not all.

I really want to continue my academic career.

Teaching is my essence and vocation as writing and speaking.

I hope to announce good news in the near future:)

Of course, all this is not a minus for LB.ua, but only a plus:)

LB.ua is my life, it is always with me and about me first and foremost.

***

Why did I write all this?

There are a lot of people on my Facebook bubble who are blaming themselves for leaving.

They complain that they do not help enough.

Although in fact their contribution to our common future victory is enormous.

They call it "Survivor's Syndrome." Honestly: I do not understand what it is about.

I decided to tell my story so that it might strengthen someone. I do not like this pathetic "inspired", but yes - not without it.

We all need to be strong now.

Everyone has to work hard. Everyone does it in their own direction. There is no "little" job. Every, absolutely every job is important

And every threat can always be turned into an opportunity.

It depends solely on our own (!) choice.

***

And finally.

- Will you go further or stay here for now? - Andriy Sadovyy asked me when I - immediately after arriving in Lviv - went to him for coffee.

- Honestly: I don't know. I will tell you this: I will return to Kyiv by the first plane. The first. It doesn't matter where it will fly from.

A month and a half later I am ready to go to Kyiv on foot. Literally. But I understand in my head that we have to work hard. We have to be useful in our place. We have to turn threats into opportunities for the state and ourselves.

Photo: EPA/UPG

Sonya KoshkinaSonya Koshkina, LB.ua editor in chief
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