When asked how it felt to return to Ukraine, Kseniia, a refugee from Lviv, says, “You can’t imagine this moment until it actually happens.”
Some Ukrainian refugees are returning home for the first time this summer after fleeing the nation.
Many people are now spending brief periods of time at home, despite the danger, since they feel helpless and homesick.
Among those making trips home are Nataly, Kseniia, and Oksana, who currently reside in Berkshire.
When you meet your relatives, you just start crying, Kseniia, who visited Lviv in June, claims.
Because her hometown is near to the frontlines, she says she feels “like a guest” there.
Restaurants and stores are open, and many are going on vacation, but Kseniia warns that a red warning might come at any time and start shelling.
“I compare it to an abusive relationship….you leave it behind […], you remain stronger, but at the same time, you could happily live without this experience.”
She expresses the hope that in the future, people will travel to her nation not because of the conflict but rather because it is “really beautiful” and “has a lot to offer.”
For the first time since fleeing to England, Nataly, who resides in Newbury, Berkshire, is currently in Lviv.
Despite the fact that returning was “a difficult decision” for safety reasons, she is “just happy to be home” with her baby and brother.
We are always keeping up with the news, she explains.
“Once you consider what’s happening and how many people have died, you don’t feel balanced; you either feel really happy or quite sad.”
Despite the pleasant weather back in Ukraine, Nataly claims that morale is poor.
Even though there are many people around, she continues, “when you look into people’s eyes, you can see sadness and anxiety.”
Oksana returned to Ukraine in July after spending the previous month in Sandhurst, Berkshire.
They travelled far by train across Poland and across the border, but they were happy and pleased to see their father and husband again.