Marina Kirichenko
Oleksandra (Sandra) Smokova još je jedna Ukrajinka u Varaždinu. Sandra predaje engleski i španjolski, aktivno uči hrvatski jezik, piše terapeutske dječje bajke i vodi besplatne satove joge za sunarodnjake. Kao i kod mnogih, njezin je dolazak u Hrvatsku bio slučajan. Ipak, čini se da su Sandra i njezina obitelj uspjeli iskreno zavoljeti svoj novi život.
O evakuaciji u Hrvatsku
Sandra: Prvih dana rata otišli smo iz Odese u najbližu zemlju [južno od Ukrajine] — Moldaviju, a od tamo smo stigli do Rumunjske. I tu su nas naši prijatelji, koji su već bili u Zagrebu, pozvali k sebi. Tako smo se našli u Hrvatskoj.
Ova evakuacija teško je pala mladoj ženi koja je morala sama automobilom odvesti svoju kćer i majku dalje od rata.
Sandra: Moje vozačko iskustvo bilo je stvarno ograničeno, i bilo je vrlo strašno krenuti sama na tako dug put. Bila sam jako nervozna putem. [Od Odese do Varaždina ima više od tisuću i pol kilometara]. Srećom, stigli smo bez incidenata. U Zagrebu smo pokušali naći smještaj, ali bezuspješno. I onda smo vidjeli oglas: Varaždinci su pozivali Ukrajince k sebi.
Dvije godine Sandra je s obitelji živjela u kući obitelji koja im je na sve načine pomagala, i s papirima i u svakodnevnom životu. Mala kći brzo se navikla na nove ljude i doživljavala ih je gotovo kao rodbinu.
O prilagodbi u Varaždinu
Sandra: U početku su nam puno pomogli domaćini smještaja. Na tome smo im beskrajno zahvalni. A zatim su tu bili i Crveni križ, kao i doseljenici iz Ukrajine poput nas. Posebno mi je drago i veselo zbog novog prijateljstva. Upoznala sam Petru i CTK, Centar tradicijske kulture. Oduvijek sam voljela pjevati, ali ne profesionalno. Bavila sam se suvremenim plesom. I tu — takva slučajnost. Jako mi se sviđa hrvatski folklor, kao i naš, ukrajinski. Čini mi se da smo mi, naši narodi, u mnogočemu slični. Sandra se sprijateljila i sa svojom učiteljicom hrvatskog jezika, Danielom, koja tečno govori ukrajinski [o njoj ćemo govoriti u sljedećem članku].
O poslu i stvaralaštvu
Osim toga, Sandra je trenerica Hatha joge s desetogodišnjim iskustvom. Satove joge provodi volonterski online, uz potporu javne organizacije Svoja.
Sandra: S vremenom bih voljela voditi grupne i individualne sate offline, ovdje u Varaždinu. No, za sada su to samo planovi.
Sljedeće godine vjerojatno će donijeti određenu sigurnost u statusu Ukrajinaca koji bježe od rata u Europi. U međuvremenu, Sandra s obitelji ulaže sve napore za harmoničnu integraciju u Hrvatskoj. A u slobodno vrijeme piše terapeutske bajke za djecu, koje talentirano ilustrira njezina kći Margarita, marljiva učenica trećeg razreda. Neke od bajki objavljene su u dječjem časopisu “Mavka” Ukrajinske zajednice Republike Hrvatske.
Redakcija želi Oleksandri i njezinoj obitelji uspjeh na tom putu.
Searching for Balance Far from Home
Oleksandra (Sandra) Smokova is another Ukrainian in Varaždin. Sandra teaches English and Spanish, actively studies the Croatian language, writes therapeutic children’s fairy tales, and conducts free yoga classes for her compatriots. Like many, her arrival in Croatia was unplanned. However, it seems Sandra and her family have genuinely managed to fall in love with their new life.
About the Evacuation to Croatia
Sandra: In the first days of the war, we left Odesa for the nearest country [south of Ukraine] — Moldova, and from there, we reached Romania. And that’s where our friends, who were already in Zagreb, invited us to join them. That’s how we ended up in Croatia.
This evacuation was difficult for the young woman, who had to drive her daughter and mother away from the war by car on her own.
Sandra: My driving experience was truly limited, and setting off on a long journey alone was very scary. I was pretty nervous on the road. [It’s over a thousand and a half kilometers from Odesa to Varaždin]. Luckily, we arrived safely. In Zagreb, we tried to find housing, but to no avail. And then we saw an announcement: Varaždin residents were inviting Ukrainians to stay with them.
For two years, Sandra and her family lived in the home of a family that helped them in every way, both with paperwork and daily life. The small daughter quickly got used to the new people and treated them almost like family.
About Adaptation in Varaždin
Sandra: At first, our hosts helped us immensely. We are endlessly grateful to them for that. And then there was the Red Cross, and other displaced people from Ukraine like us. I feel especially happy about a new friendship. I met Petra and the CTK, the Center for Traditional Culture. I have always loved to sing, though not professionally. I used to do contemporary dance. And here — such a coincidence. I really like Croatian folklore, just like our Ukrainian folklore. It seems to me that our nations are very similar in many ways. Sandra also became friends with her Croatian language teacher, Daniela, who speaks Ukrainian fluently [we will tell you about her in the next article].
About Work and Creativity
In addition, Sandra is a Hatha Yoga instructor with ten years of experience. She conducts yoga classes on a voluntary basis online, supported by the public organization Svoja.
Sandra: Eventually, I would like to run group and individual classes offline, here in Varaždin. But for now, those are just plans.
The coming years will likely bring some clarity to the status of Ukrainians seeking refuge from the war in Europe. In the meantime, Sandra and her family are making every effort towards harmonious integration in Croatia. In her free time, Sandra writes therapeutic fairy tales for children, which her daughter Margarita, a diligent third-grader, talentedly illustrates. Some of the fairy tales are published in the children’s magazine “Mavka” of the Ukrainian Community of the Republic of Croatia.
The editorial team wishes Oleksandra and her family success on this journey.
Ivana Novak
