'We don’t know where we’ll be in three weeks': Ukrainians in Ireland facing uncertainty
Olena Stzilets with her sons, 17-year-old Stanyslav and 10-year-old Vladyslav. Originally from Kramatorsk in Ukraine, and now living in Limerick City. Picture: Brendan Gleeson
When her son cried “I don’t want to die” as their hometown was shelled at night, Elena Strilets decided to leave Kramatorsk and find somewhere safe for her children.
Their home in eastern Ukraine has consistently been on the frontlines of Russia’s attack on its neighbour, but her husband and parents have refused to leave their country.
When Elena, 40, and her sons, Stanyslav, aged 17, and 12-year-old Vladyslav, arrived in Shannon Airport on May 22, they were taken to Citywest in Dublin to be registered before they were moved to temporary accommodation in a sports hall in Clonmel.
Temporary accommodation is something increasing numbers of people fleeing war and persecution may need to rely on.
The number of people coming from Ukraine and other countries requesting protection has been high.
By the end of July 21, there were 42,329 arrivals in Ireland, according to Department of Justice figures, including 1,075 new arrivals in the preceding week.
Although letters with deportation orders have started to be issued, actual deportations are still weeks away, the department said.
To cope with the number of people needing protection in the midst of a domestic housing crisis, tents have been erected at Gormanston military camp in Meath and at Knockalisheen direct provision centre in Clare.
The Department of Integration said preparations are underway to expand the capacity of specified State-owned international protection accommodation service centres by erecting tented facilities. The Defence Forces and office of Public Works have been providing assistance and the accommodation is to be short term.
Despite sleeping on camp beds with 50 other Ukrainian refugees in a sports hall in Tipperary, Elena remembers her time in emergency, temporary accommodation warmly. She said it was “a good time” where she felt supported by strangers in her hour of greatest need.
“We became like a family,” she said. “It was difficult in one way but we were in good conditions and people cared for us.
“When I first came into Shannon Airport, the first Irish people I saw were volunteers with the Red Cross. We were so scared and they said: ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be protected.’ They gave us hot tea and coffee. That memory is very precious.”
Elena and the 50 other refugees in the Clonmel sports hall were brought to Castletroy student accommodation in Limerick which has been “a happy time”.
However, the refugees must leave by August 20. Elena has been offered a job locally with Bank of Ireland, Stanyslav has applied for local IT courses, and Vladyslav is due to start school in September. But all those plans hinge on being able to access them from wherever they are next housed.
“We have no idea what is after August 20. The uncertainty affects all our life — job searching, children in schools. We want to work, but we don’t know where we’ll be in three weeks. This is our main trouble.
Elena said that children have been particularly adaptable and resilient throughout the war and their displacement.
“Children have adapted much better than adults,” she said. “My 12-year-old is good. He’s happy. He doesn’t really understand the situation which is good for him.
“But my older son is closed inside. He understands the big changes in our lives. He knows that we have big uncertainty now.
“I had to tell him that we may have to relocate, that where we go he may not be able to study, but that we’ll be ok. Irish people have supported us and understood us. We know we’ll be ok. We’re with good people."
Elena’s parents are still in Kramatorsk. Her husband is currently in a city in the west of the country but will not leave in case he is called back to fight for Kramatorsk. Due to medical issues, he does not have to fight and could leave Ukraine but he refused to leave and signed up with the reserve forces instead.
“My town is under shells every day,” Elena said. “My mother and father stay in Kramatorsk. They say they will not leave it. I call them every day to see if they’re alive. Russian troops are very close to our town, they’re 30km away.
“My parents are very scared. When the town is under shelling it is very loud. It seems to be happening very near you. My mum says she’s very scared, she can’t leave the house for long.
“My father said he will not leave. He said this is his town and he will not leave it.
“Shops are open with food but everything is very expensive because of problems with food supply. It is dangerous.
“In the night, when our town was under shelling, our youngest son cried, ‘I don’t want to die’.
“Me and my husband took the decision very quickly to move to the western part of Ukraine to Lviv where we thought it would be safer. But then that was also very dangerous with shelling and bombs so I took the decision to leave the country.”
As a coping strategy, Elena has learned to take things day by day, just focusing on taking one little step forward at a time.
“I took a little step to come to Ireland. I took a little step to do hospitality courses.
“Now I’m waiting for August to see what we have. But I have a positive mood. God helped me and all Ukrainians abroad. Miracles do happen.
“I strongly believe that the war will be ended. I have no choice but to think that way.
“Before the war, I was a marketing specialist. I had a very interesting job, communicating with people in other countries. Life was good, everything was good. The changes happened very quickly, in one minute, on the 24 February at 4am.
“That was the first attack on Kramatorsk. There were several loud sounds. I didn’t know what to do.
“Even after that shelling me and my colleagues came to work. We were so shocked. We felt better staying together.
“In 2014, we had a similar experience [when Russia invaded]. We thought we would not face that in the future.
“All of Ukraine is dangerous now.
“I always think of our soldiers, how hard it must be for them. Some of my friends are in the army. I hope they’ll be ok.
“I strongly believe humanism and intelligence should thrive, there’s no place for such aggression in the modern world. I don’t know when war will be stopped. Our minds will be changed, our visions will be changed. What people will we be? What will be inside us?
“I don’t know how a human being can do this. It’s like a bad dream. It shouldn’t be like this."
Elena said that most Ukrainians have family in Russia. But when they speak from Russia, they have a very different view of the war.
"They see it from their side. Their vision does not coincide with our reality. They don’t believe that we have such a serious situation. I don’t know what information they have, it’s not understandable."
Elena said that she is hugely grateful to Ireland for its support and protection, for keeping her and her children alive.
But her heart and her parents are in Ukraine and she hopes to go back there when it's safe.
Although she is now happy in Ireland, she said all Ukrainian refugees have suffered great tragedies and she urged people to be empathetic.
“We had difficult tragedies. If ever a Ukrainian does something wrong, please forgive us. We’re still in shock.
“Everything happened so quickly. You can’t be ready for this. It’s a great disaster of our land.”
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