Most Ukrainians had not heard of Devon before Russia invaded their country. And now, twelve weeks later, many are learning to orient themselves in life in a place that is radically different from the home they know, wondering if one day it will be their own.
For some, Devon is a place where the trauma of war can begin to unravel, complemented by new experiences and opportunities. However, others feel the weight of insecurity as they try to start over.
When Valentina Romanchuk realized she was coming to Devon, her mind was empty. She fled her home in Kharkov, a city near the Russian border, and crashed into a staff apartment at a brewery in Poland run by her son, the employee himself.
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When Valentine arrived, she was too shocked to eat. Her son bought her a croissant, one of her favorite foods. But he still couldn’t eat.
“I saw it was a croissant, but I didn’t realize it was food,” Valentina said. “I couldn’t figure out where I was or what I was doing.”
In Kharkov, Valentina worked as a gardener in a holiday park. Even as tensions between Russia and Ukraine grow, with troops gathering less than a hundred miles from her home, war is something she has never been prepared for.
Although the shock is gone, Valentina still longs for the home she knows (Image: Frankie Mills)
“I was at work on February 23. I went home, talked to a friend, had dinner and went to bed, “said Valentina. “When I woke up, the war started. This contrast of peace and war cannot be conveyed in words. “
A month later in Poland, Valentina found Thorsten and Ann on a Facebook group, a couple living in Murcheven, a village on the edge of Dartmoor. The couple quickly offered to host her. But even when he boarded a plane for the United Kingdom, Valentina’s shock prevailed.
“I was going to England, here were those Brits who wanted to receive me, who gave me their home, but it was like a movie. I had the feeling that life was something that was happening to me. “
After a week in Moorhaven, Valentina slowly began to create a routine. He began working in the garden, finding solace in the similarities between the plants there and those at home. With each small action, the shock began to subside.
“These are the simple things that make life feel normal, like making a sandwich, going out or having a cup of tea,” Valentina said. “The shock will not go away completely. It will never go away, but our brains are pushing it out with new experiences, new thoughts and new ideas.”
What helped Valentine more than anything was the presence of other Ukrainians in Murcheven. With a population of 348, Murhevan took over eight people are fleeing the war and six more are expected.
“I can’t imagine that no one from Ukraine was here,” said Valentina, who speaks limited English and speaks to me through an interpreter. But the problem remains for Valentina, as well as for all Ukrainians who have arrived in Devon. “I don’t know how I can build the same life I had in Ukraine here,” she said. “This part is really hard.”
Many Ukrainians arriving in Devon do not feel confident that they will soon be able to return home. They come not only in search of safety, but also in the hope of creating a new life. Once you have a place to stay, the first thing people want to know is where they can find work.
Alona Misyukevich and Svetlanda Borodinya sit in the garden of their sponsors’ home in Exeter (Image: Frankie Mills)
The same goes for Alona Misyukevich and Svetlanda Borodinya, two friends who came to Exeter from Kyiv in early April. Before deciding on Exeter, they wanted to know where it was, if it looked like a good enough place, and most importantly, if there was a job available.
Back in Ukraine, both Alona and Sviltana were at the peak of their careers . Alona has worked as an audit manager and chief accountant at a fintech company. Sviltana worked as a budget manager at the same company.
Because of their level of English, Alona and Sviltana knew that in order to find a job, they would have to lower their level. But after a few weeks of searching, the only job offered was as a cleaner at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospitals. The couple declined the offer. Although they are desperately looking for a job, any job, they say their limitation is to work as cleaners. “It’s a problem for me when you know you have a degree,” Svetlana said.
Alona and Svetlana say that one of the most difficult things about coming to the UK is the indifference that comes with looking for a job. Although they have only recently escaped a war that has already displaced 14 million people, they say spending every day in vain in search of work is one of the most difficult parts of the journey.
“It’s a new life when you don’t know a place,” said Svetlana. “You have no friends, no relatives, no job. You do not know what will be tomorrow or next month. Yes, I am safe here, there are no missile strikes, this is very important to me. But I have to start a new life. “Like everyone, I need money, I need a job,” she said.
Recently, both women were offered jobs as cleaners at a nearby gym. This time they accepted, hoping it would be only temporary. “I think we need to start learning more English,” Svetlana said. “Study, have a better level of English, then find a job.”
Hundreds of people attended the Liz, Paul and David Labor Fair at the Carlton Hotel in Torquay
Not only Alona and Svetlana have been constantly looking for work since they arrived. Victoria Novak is a Ukrainian citizen who moved to Exeter two years ago. From the beginning of the war, she became something of an unofficial ambassador, helping people navigate the city as they arrived.
Four days a week, Victoria is at the Conversation Cafe on Paris, a center run by volunteers in support of Ukrainians and their hosts, where she spends her time listening to the dilemmas facing Ukrainians. The most common problem, Vicotria says, is how to find a job.
Of the 100 Ukrainians Victoria contacts, only seven have found work. Whether a Ukrainian finds a job is more than a matter of income. It is also a means of dealing with trauma and assimilation in society, says Victoria.
“Work distracts so much from other things,” she said. “When you have a responsibility to do something else, it helps you not to think about what is happening in the country.
“It also means interaction. People always tell me, “Oh, if we could communicate more with other people, it would be much better for us. “It would be easier to adapt to life here,” she said.
With nothing in common, Vicotria also says that the Ukrainian people are at a loss. “They’ve been used to working all their lives because our economy isn’t so good,” Victoria said.
“They come here and they want to work. They love to work. Many of them do not know how to rest. Their sponsors tell them, “Relax, everything will be fine,” but they say, “No, I can’t relax.”
12-year-old Maria Kosten in a photo with her host’s cat. Maria’s father, Oleh, was allowed to leave Ukraine to take his daughter to safety (Image: Frankie Mills)
In Torquay, the story is the same. “I was talking to people at Zoom, where bombs are exploding in the background. One of the first questions is, “Can you find me a job?” Said Paul O’Brien.
I met Paul in the breakfast room of the Trelawney Hotel, a cozy 12-bed hotel in Torquay, which has become the informal headquarters of the mass organization Torbay Ukraine Host & Visitor Support.
Paul started the organization with his wife Liz and boyfriend David Harwood. Initially, what the trio ran was like a matchmaking service for guests and hosts, after several local couples got confused.
“We had to move a lady who was allergic to cats,” Paul said. “We worked together with the council, we hurried to inspect the homes and inspections of the DBS, and within four days it was in this new place – without cats.
“We were basically making Cilla Black,” he said. “We were trying to figure out what people needed from their hosts.” Since its first launch, Torbay Ukraine Host & Visitor Support has become a well-oiled machine that goes far beyond matchmaking. Now they provide assistance for every stage of the trip, from travel plans in Ukraine to life in Torbey.
When trying to navigate the UK visa application, Paul, Liz or David are on the phone giving instructions on how to complete the forms. Their conversations are often interrupted by air raid sirens.
“You talk to people regularly and they’re sorry, I have to go to the shelter now,” Liz said. “Sometimes you don’t hear from them for a few days and you start to wonder if they succeeded,” Paul said.
Once here, the group provides English lessons, support for emotional well-being through weekly meetings, and hands-on help with things like getting an NI number and registering with the job center.
But one of the most invaluable things the group has done to help is finding people’s jobs. Two weeks ago, about 200 people gathered at the Carlton Hotel, provided free of charge by CEO Jason Garside, for a job fair hosted by Paul, Liz and David, most of whom were from Ukraine.
Employers including Riverford, NHS, Woodlands and The Livermead Hotel attended and actively recruited. One thing that particularly struck employers was how over-qualified people were for the roles, but still their desire to apply.
Oleh Kosten is a Ukrainian who currently lives in Torbey and has managed to find a job. He is currently positioned at Nightingale Hospital in Exeter, where he provides general support. The role is a step down from his past …
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