Arrival in Lviv.

The train journey was entertaining. I was sat in a cabin bunk of 4, and my companions were 3 female generations of a family from Kherson returning after visiting one their daughters in Poland. We had great fun talking about families, pets and showing pictures on phones (communication done by google translate).

Crossing the border itself was interesting. Security guards and dogs on the train. Passports checked. But no questions asked for why we were entering the country.

Then at 00.30 we arrived at Lviv train station. After getting off the train we were a bit worried as we had missed curfew by 30 minutes, but thankfully we quickly found taxis and headed to our hotels. Check in was quick and efficient. The usual instructions, which floor, where was breakfast and directions and instructions for the air raid shelter!

4th instalment

School Vist 1

Early up, or does it just feel that way because as we have ended up 2 hours ahead and I feel like I have been deprived of 2 hours of sleep. Travelling for 19 hours is starting to catch up with my old bones.

So after a quick breakfast, which I have to say was a lovely spread, though a different combination of foods that I am used to seeing at breakfast.

We were soon on our way to Kindergarten 134. Pre-school aged 2 to 5. A lovely building which had 360 on roll! I have never seen a pre-school so big. Every room had 30 beds for the children to have their afternoon naps in. I so wish my classroom had been set up like that, no matter what age I taught.

It was interesting to see the school shelter. The converted basement, water pipes snaking through the space. We were told the youngest of the children at the Kindergarten have known nothing but war during their lives. The older children can identify and name different drones, missiles and aircraft by the sounds of the engines as they fly overhead.

We also had a moving meeting with three mothers who had moved west to Lviv as their homes are now under occupation. One mother’s husband has been held captive by the Russian’s since the fall of the Azovstal steel plant at Mariupol and the mother and her children had taken shelter in its tunnels until they could flee via the humanitarian corridors following the siege. The soldiers held captive from the Azovstal siege are some of the longest held and worst treated by the Russians and the first were only released recently in exchange for Russian cadets captured during the recent Kursk offensive. For one this was there second flight from the Russians. Before 2014 they had lived in Crimea, and after that region was annexed by Russia, like many others they were displaced and started new lives in the neighbouring regions hoping one day to return to their homes. Unfortunately, after Russia’s full invasion, they were displaced again. Made refugees twice within a decade in a European country. It was very moving to hear there stories of courage and resilience.

Their message to the those outside of Ukraine was, don’t forget us. Don’t appease Putin. If he gets something now, He will just come back for more later. If not Ukraine, it will be another neighbouring country, Georgia, Moldova etc. These people are so thankful of the help and support their country receives from other countries. They want all their people to come home one day to make their country great again. Their fear is that if lands are lost to Russia, those that have left will have nothing to return to.

It was difficult to say goodbye as we knew they had so many more stories to tell us. Messages of thanks they wanted to share to all the people who have donated, sponsored, sent clothes etc to their country and people. They know that we have joined them in banning the import of Russian products and that we have shared the costs of these policies and thank us for shouldering that burden with them to try to break Russia’s resolve.