Since many of her friends were heading to college, she decided to do the same. She started college in the fall of 2011. She wanted to study pedagogy, as this field seemed really interesting. The college, Lugansk National University, was located in the city of Starobilsk, more than two hours from Marinka by bus. But when Lena took the entrance exams, she was not accepted into the pedagogy program. Instead, she was invited to attend the music college and was offered a scholarship.
The decision was easy in the end, Lena remarked, because studying in the pedagogical department would cost the family too much money, while studies in the music college were free for her. The administration suggested that she could start her first semester in the music department of the university, and then they would switch her to the pedagogical department under the same conditions as in her musical studies – a full scholarship. This plan sounded really good to Lena. After a semester, though, she had such close friendships with her fellow students that she did not want to switch departments, so she stayed in the music program of the university. Lena enjoyed her classes; she played piano, learned how to direct an orchestra, and sang in the choir.
Lena studied for three years at the music college, from 2011 to 2014. She did not have to work during her college days; she was able to concentrate on her studies completely. She did not live in a dormitory during these years, either, but lived at home and commuted to school. Every day, she took several buses, the first one leaving at 5am, to travel from her small town to the city of Starobilsk, where the college was located; then she traveled the same way back at night. This was very tiring, Lena admitted. When she arrived home in the evening, all she wanted to do was sleep, but, of course, she had to do homework. This arrangement was favored by her parents, who really did not want her to live in the university dorms. For several years, Lena and Vika would do this trek to school together, as Vika was also studying in Starobilsk.
During Lena’s third year at the music college, Vika moved to Kharkov to continue her studies in that city. This was a difficult year for Lena, because Vika didn’t come home too often anymore. Lena was able to visit her sister in Kharkov for a week of vacation; it was a special time, but it was not like before, when they enjoyed such closeness, living together, traveling together to university every day, and sharing life.
In addition to Vika’s moving to Kharkov, Lena’s brother Vova also moved away to his new school in Lugansk that specialized in sport education. Lena expressed great grief over this situation, as one moment the family was all together, and then, suddenly, she was the only one home. Vova thrived at the sports high school and won several trophies. After finishing this school, he was invited to attend a school in Kharkov that trained future athletes.
Lena had finished her third year of studies at the university by the summer of 2014. Leading up to this summer, there were signs of increased conflict all around them. Every day Lena would travel through the street blockades, where she would see security forces, army equipment, and weapons. Four or five times on the way to the college, they would be stopped and asked to present their passports and other travel documents. Lena said she did not pay too much attention to the situation. She thought it was the Ukrainian army controlling the roads.
Then, during the summer months the situation got worse. The roadblock controls were everywhere now, and the conflict moved ever closer to their home town. Lena, already on summer break, wanted to visit Vika in Kharkov for a week of vacation since Vika had not been able to get home in over two months. Vika still had to finish her exams, but afterwards, the sisters could travel home together and enjoy the summer in their village, living with Mom and Dad. Lena packed a small bag with summer clothes and headed by bus to Kharkov, while her parents and her brother stayed home.
She arrived at Vika’s dorm and settled in for the week. The next week, the parents called Lena and Vika and told them not to travel home, because the situation was getting too dangerous and unpredictable. The parents wanted their daughters to stay safely tucked away in Kharkov for the time being. The week passed and the parents called again, advising the girls not to come home. The sisters were running out of money; the situation became really difficult, Lena said. No one really knew what to do or what would happen next. Everyone was still expecting that the conflict would blow over, and everyone would be able to return home for the summer.
Lena made an emphatic point to her parents, telling them that they should be leaving the village, for if it was not safe for her and Vika, it was certainly not safe for them, either. Their parents’ decision to remain for now in the village, facing the danger, unsettled the girls and they were not able to sleep well at all, consumed with fear and worry for their loved ones.
Lena found a temporary job in Kharkov, because she really needed some money. Vika had worked part-time during her studies and had some small income from this job. The sisters were still thinking that soon they would be returning home. Lena was concerned how to finish her university studies; she had only so far completed the third year of her education. To receive a bachelor’s degree, she needed one more year in the music college.
Two months passed this way, the parents reiterating again and again for the sisters to stay in Kharkov and not return home. It was a very strange situation for Lena, living for two months without her parents, managing life by herself, earning money to live. The living conditions also became more difficult; Vika had a very small room in the dorm, and another friend from Pervomaisk arrived and needed shelter. Two other students slept in the dorm room as well; the facility was overrun with refugees. Mattresses were spread out on the floor, and people lived like sardines, stacked on top of each other.
Lena’s parents called, informing the girls that they were finally leaving their home town. They would be moving to Zaporizhzhia. Lena did not understand why her parents were resettling there. She thought, “I have a job; I will just stay with Vika.” Lena’s mom called at the beginning of September 2014, ordering Lena to get on the bus the next day and move to Zaporizhzhia. Lena was not happy about this directive from her parents. She wanted to stay in Kharkov, be with her sister. What was there in Zaporizhzhia for her?
Vika was allowed to stay in Kharkov to continue her studies and work her part-time job – for the time being. Lena reluctantly moved to Zaporizhzhia. Vova, her brother, had moved with his parents, too; but through an exchange program with American churches and organizations, Vova was able to go to the USA for two months as a refugee child affected by the conflict. This group of Ukrainian children was chaperoned by Anton, Ruslana’s husband-to-be.
In Zaporizhzhia, Lena began a temporary new life. Her parents found work making gravestones. She wondered how to continue her studies. Would it be possible to do the courses online? It turned out not to be a viable option, because the students could not return to the university to take their exams. Lena did not return to her studies that fall but looked for work to supplement the family income.
The cost of living was higher in Zaporizhzhia, and the family had many expenses, paying rent, buying food, needing clothes for the winter. Through some good friends, her mom found out that there was a job opening in the humanitarian aid center for refugees. The director initially invited Lena to help at the center as a volunteer, but the work eventually turned into a full-time job with pay for her. The pay was much smaller than Lena would have earned at a regular job, but she decided to stay and put all her efforts into the on-going humanitarian crisis.