“We believe in the victory of Ukraine”

February 24 last year was just “an ordinary day” for the Donchenko family in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv, until they were awoken at 4am by the head of the family to be told that the war had begun.

“I was studying at the National University of Theatre, Film and Television in Kyiv on this day and, as usual, I was planning to attend classes, but when my father called with the news that the war had started I ran to seek shelter in the nearest metro station where I spent several days and only after some time I miraculously managed to get home to my family in Mykolayiv,” recalls Anastasiia.

“I was in great shock from what was happening in my country,” says her mother, Tetiana, “but I continued to go to work and help the military along with my colleagues.”

Both Tetiana and Anastasiia are among the almost 70,000 Ukrainian refugees who were forced to flee to Ireland in the wake of the Russian invasion, and they have been living in Athlone since May of last year.

While she says the decision to leave her home town, her loved ones and all her relatives was “very difficult,” Anastasiia says it was “necessary to save my own life, and the life of my mother.”

Prior to their arrival in Ireland, mother and daughter spent two months living in Moldova having remained in Mykolayiv for the first month of the war during which the bombing “intensified every day.”

When she made the decision to move to Ireland, Anastasiia Donchenko had to say goodbye to her beloved Dad, who stayed behind in Ukraine “as he considers it his duty to defend the country”, she says. She was also forced to leave behind her cherished pet cat.

“Unfortunately, four months ago several rockets hit our yard, leaving behind ruins, only the walls remained our our house and it was a great stroke of luck that my father remained alive and unharmed,” she says. “When our house was bombed my father could not find our cat so I thought she had died, but a day later she returned and now my father is renovating our house.”

Anastasiia and Tetiana have left behind “many friends and colleagues” in Ukraine, who are now defending the country “in the hottest battlefields.” However, they add that, that since the beginning of the war, “Ukrainians have become one big family, so we are experiencing the loss of every Ukrainian as a close and dear person.”

The southern part of Ukraine, and the city of Mykolayiv in particular, has been subjected to some of the worst effects of the Russian bombing campaign, given its strategic location as a route to the port city of Odesa. Anastasiia says her home city has been bombed “every day for the last nine months” and much of the infrastructure has been completely destroyed.

Apart from her school friend, Alina, who had arrived in Ireland with her mother and daughter in April of last year, neither Anastasiia Donchenko nor her mother knew much about the country, and did not have any other friends or relatives already living here. “Alina told me that Ireland was a very beautiful country with friendly people who supported Ukraine with all their heart and soul,” says Anastasiia, “so we made the decision to move to Ireland.”

One of the first things they noticed when they arrived in Dublin was “the friendliness of the Irish” and the “warm welcome” from everyone they encountered. “We were taken to a special room, our documents were drawn up, telephone cards were issued and we were fed and allowed to rest,” says Anastasiia.

Three days later, they were assigned to Athlone and have been here ever since. “Athlone surprised us at first with the diversity of its buildings and the beautiful nature all around, and when people learned that we were from Ukraine they expressed their sympathy and support.”

Coming from a background that was steeped in music in Ukraine, both Anastasiia Donchenko and her mother wanted to be able to “give something back” to their adopted home, so Tetiana started giving music lessons to Ukrainian children in the local community, while her daughter started giving dance lessons.

“From the very beginning Cllr Frankie Keena helped the Ukrainian community in Athlone,” says Anastasiia, and he was instrumental in the setting up of the music and dance classes. So too was Paddy Beaumont from the Karate Club who kindly offered part of his studio in St Mary's Hall on Northgate Street to the Donchenkos for their weekly classes.

“At first our classes were just for Ukrainian children, but Irish children soon joined in which helped the young Ukrainians to integrate in a new country and in new living conditions,” says Anastasiia, who points out that the music lessons are now being enjoyed by Irish and Ukrainian children alike. Before the outbreak of the war, Tetiana Donchenko, who holds a Masters in Music, was a member of the Police Orchestra in the city of Mykolayiv where she played the piano and accordion. She also taught local children how to play music, and gave classes in singing and music literacy. “She had a wonderful life and many plans for the future,” says her daughter.

Anastasiia herself also had “big dreams and big plans” for the future and had already worked as a model and a dancer in many different countries before the war started. A graduate in choreography, she worked in China and South Korea where she further polished her professional skills before returning to Ukraine to enrol in the Kyiv National Univesity of Theatre, Cinema and Television to study theatrical art, which she says was “a dream come true.”

Having organised a very successful concert in Athlone last August to mark Ukraine Independence Day – which was “a shared effort” - a non-profit School of Aesthetic Development, called 'Freedom', which is a joint project of Tetiana and Anastasiia Donchenko, Lana Avkhadiyeva-Shevchuk, Patrick Beaumont and Cllr. Frankie Keena, the Honorary President of the school, has seen its first students come for dance and music classes.

As well as music and dance, the school has recently opened the door into the world of puppet theatre, with the young artists now preparing for their first musical puppet show which is set to take place during the Athlone St Patrick’s Festival, Croí na hÉireann.

Cllr Keena, who is Chair of the Croí na hÉireann Festival, has warmly welcomed the addition of puppet theatre to the list of attractions on offer during this year's festival, and has praised the “very professional approach” of Tatiana and Anatasiia Donchenko.

“We would be hoping to bring the puppet show to a number of schools in the Athlone area and perhaps it is something we could also showcase for our tourists during the summer months underneath the canopy on Church Street, which would be an ideal location for it,” he said. Cllr Keena said the idea of a puppet theatre is “unique” in Athlone and he praised the “immense contribution” that the Donchenkos have made to the cultural life of Athlone since their arrival in the town last year. “Not only have they been sharing their musical talents with members of their own community, but they have also been more than happy to share their knowledge with the local community and have been teaching many local children as well,” he points out.

As to whether they will remain in Athlone after the war, Anastasiia says “time will tell.” She adds that it will “depend on many circumstances” such as whether their house in Mikolayiv will remain standing, whether they can obtain paid employment in the Athlone area and whether they can get a house. She cites housing as being a major issue as she currently lives with her mother in a local B&B and hopes that perhaps they can eventually be accommodated with a local family under the Accommodation Recognition Payment Scheme.

“We hope the war ends soon, but regardless of which country we are in, we love Ukraine very much, we are proud of our President and our courageous defenders and we believe in the victory of Ukraine,” she says.