“I will never forget that morning”

Wiping away the tears, Oksana Barabash – a Ukrainian refugee living in Orkney – bravely shares her story in a bid to ensure others around the world never forget the true cost of war. 

Like so many innocent civilians caught up in the crossfire from the Russian invasion, Oksana’s journey is one of courage, sacrifice and remembrance. 

Although now safely settled in Orkney, Oksana is facing a new life without her beloved husband – Oleksandr – who paid the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life for his country. 

Oleksandr was part of a Ukrainian taskforce rescuing wounded soldiers and transporting them to hospital when they came under attack from a Russian missile. Oleksandr died from the shrapnel injuries he sustained on 25 January, 2023. He was 49 and a father of two daughters. 

Their loss is a story that will resonate with thousands of other Ukrainian families facing the same tragic outcome – and still, more than two years on, the fighting continues and the death toll rises. 

Oksana said: “It was really hard when Oleksandr stayed behind but I know in my heart that he was doing what he should and fighting for his country. I think I knew something really bad was going to happen the day Oleksandr died. I had woken crying and had a really bad feeling. One of Oleksandr’s close friends told me the news.” 

Despite the risks, Oksana returned to Ukraine to see her husband for one last time, to say goodbye and lay him to rest. 

“It was frightening going back but it was important that I get to see him and say goodbye. The city we lived in - Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest with a population of around 1.5 million – was like a ghost town. The streets were empty – there were no cars or people. It was eerily quiet.” 

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Oksana and her immediate family fled to Poland where her eldest daughter lived. 

“We woke really early to the sounds of explosions. It was difficult to know what was happening but as news spread, we knew we had to get out of our flat in the city. It wasn’t safe.” 

Oksana, Oleksandr, their 11-year-old daughter and Oksana’s mother took what they could and drove to a relative’s house nearby, however it soon became clear they would have to go further to get away from the barrage of missiles and gunfire. 

In the end, they travelled to Poland – with Oleksandr staying behind. 

While Oksana worried for the safety of her husband, she was finding it harder to make ends meet – despite her having had a career working in the Ukrainian banking sector. The decision was made to try and find a sponsor under the UK Government scheme and move to Britain. 

She joined a social media page set up for those interested in hosting Ukrainian refugees. It was here that she began chatting back and forth with a woman from Orkney and after some time, she was offered the sponsorship. Oksana, her mother and youngest daughter moved to Orkney in July 2022. 

“I looked up Orkney on the map and just thought ‘wow’!” Oksana said. 

She is working and volunteering in Kirkwall and attends the Language Café in the Youth Café to improve her English. Her daughter has settled in school and continues her studies online at a Ukrainian school. 

“We are very happy to have our home here and are thankful to everyone who has helped us at the Council and within the community. My daughter loves the quiet and feels safe here. I love the nature, living close to the sea and walking.” 

They find the weather and the Orcadian accent a little bit more challenging! 

As to what the future holds, Oksana said: “That’s really difficult to answer. I do not want to hope for too much, for I don’t want to be crushed if that doesn’t happen. For now, we just live in the moment.”