13-year-old author Yeva: 'My hometown in Ukraine gets bombed everyday – I am so worried about my friends'

A young Ukrainian woman who arrived in Dublin last year with her granny started a diary once war broke out in her home country. She speaks about what it means to her

Tue, 20 Jun, 2023 - 02:00

Emily Crowley

The ripple effect of the invasion of Ukraine has seen a wave of inspiring stories make their way to our shores.

Sport clubs, choirs, volunteer groups, school classes, and friend groups have all grown with new members as families flee the conflict.

Among those with an inspiring story is 13-year-old Yeva Skalietska who arrived in Dublin in March 2022 with her granny, Iryna.

The month before, Yeva was celebrating her 12th birthday — a carefree day full of fun and laughter as she went bowling with friends and family. Not long after, Yeva found herself scrambling to gather things from her flat as explosions began to sound around her.

One of the items she decided to pack was a diary, so she could document real-life accounts of what was about to unfold.

Chatting to the Irish Examiner from her current home in south Dublin, Yeva says she had not always kept a diary, but felt that it was the prime opportunity to begin.

“I didn’t keep a diary before the war,” she says, “but it just became an idea when the war started because I wanted to express my feelings, I wanted to pour everything there, and it was the only place I could talk to myself.”

Young Ukrainian refugee Yeva Skalietska reads her book to students from Our Lady’s Grove Primary School in Goatstown. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

However, Yeva’s strong interest in literature is quite evident. She loves to read and particularly enjoys books on “medieval times, adventures, detectives, different genres”. This was compounded when her diary was transformed into a book, You Don’t Know What War Is. On her journey out of Ukraine, Yeva met reporters who mentioned the possibility of turning her diary into a book.

“They said on the train, ‘There are many publishing houses and many literary agents who are interested in publishing diaries’,” she explains.

Having arrived in Ireland, Yeva says she was approached by her literary agent, who she describes as “an angel on Earth”. Her book is now available in 21 countries in 17 languages. This reach, Yeva says, is important to her and her friends — who also feature in the book, both in transcripts from her group chat and from their own written accounts.

“They are so happy my story will be heard by the world, and that all countries will hear and read their stories as well.”

Yeva speaks about the city of Kharkiv with great fondness, the kind of way you speak about a town that holds a special place in your heart.

“It is a gorgeous and beautiful city and it’s youthful because it is the cultural centre of Ukraine,” she says, “and there is many universities and many great parks where you can walk and enjoy time.

“I really loved, when I was smaller, to go the dolphinarium, which is still there. There is a wonderful and beautiful zoo, which is so great and so big.”

Friends and school are huge pillars in her life. “During the summer holidays, I really loved to spend my time with my friends and to go to the centre of the city and have fun. Most of the time I spent in my school because I loved it so much. We even have a [school] swimming pool where we could swim.”

Young Ukrainian refugee Yeva Skalietska reads her book to students from Our Lady’s Grove Primary School in Goatstown (l to r) Sam Lonergan, Holly Treacy, James Flynn, Adi Nimkar, Emily Walshe and Sara Marie. Yeva published her book ‘You Don’t Know What War Is’ with Bloomsbury about how her life changed overnight. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Yeva points out she is enjoying school in Ireland, where, unsurprisingly, she has fitted in well and passed exams with flying colours.

Even though she admits she initially felt “ashamed” that she had “no home and nowhere to go”, Yeva is embracing life here.

“There is really kind people here,” she says. “I have made lots of friends.” She adds that in Ireland there “is a peaceful sky, as well as beautiful parks and gorgeous nature”.

In her book, Yeva mentions “finding positives” where she could as she and Iryna prepared for what was ahead of them, something she still tries to do.

“The thing is, what we had in our hearts is the faith in God. We all believed — with my grandma — that we would be saved, and that he would pave for us the way to safety. We had this hope in our hearts and in our souls which helped a lot during our journey, and we still have this faith, even now.

“I chatted with my friends in Whatsapp chat and it was really important to me because we could share our stories, we could support each other. We couldn’t support physically, but we could emotionally.” These friends, Yeva explains, who feature prominently in her book are still in Kharkiv.

“I’m reading the news every day about the situation there. My hometown gets bombed every day and I am so worried about them.

“For them, it’s tiring to be there, hearing — every day — explosions, and to live in this fear that you won’t wake up the next day. I think, for them, it’s hard. But we all have this hope that Ukraine will be again independent and again there will be peace.”

'You Don't Know What War Is' is a book based on the diary of Yeva Skaliestka.

Yeva has a clear message to deliver to her fellow Ukrainians all over the world. “Now we understand to live under the peaceful sky: It’s a happiness, and Ukrainian protectors and other countries are doing the best to bring the peaceful sky back to Ukraine.

“And Ukrainians appreciate the opportunities they were given by countries and the world, and we must all stay together. And if we all stay together, that’s the beginning of love, and if we love one another, then there will be peace.

“We carry a spark of hope for peace to every heart.” When Ukraine overcomes Russia’s invasion, will Yeva return home?

“I know for now, it is dangerous. But I really want to get [an education], and I will study here in Europe, and when I grow up, I will like to give help to Ukraine, and I hope that it will be rebuilt again.”

For now though, Yeva has her sights set on the West Cork Literary Festival, where she will be a guest speaker on Saturday, July 8 at Bantry Library.

“For me it is a great honour to come there and to talk and to share my experience.”