‘We have it good here, we try to cherish it’

REEUWIJK - Despite the circumstances, Sergii and Alyona Khmelov appear cheerful. They reside in the temporary homes for Ukrainian asylum seekers at Reeuwijkse Poort. They are grateful for the shelter and the work they can do, although thoughts of the war are never far away. Nevertheless, they remain hopeful. “We are here now, and it’s the safest option for our children.”

by Key Tengeler

Lees hier de Nederlandse versie.

With a few English words, Sergii invites me to sit at the table in the cafeteria of their temporary home. Alyona is more fluent in English and translates the conversation. They are friendly and open, but as soon as the war is mentioned, they grow quieter. Their eyes fixate on the tabletop for a few moments before they lift their gaze and begin to speak.

In the first few months of the war, Sergii and Alyona didn’t know what to do. They lived in Odessa, a port city on the Black Sea, not far from the place where the Russian invasion started in the southeast of Ukraine. Every day, the air raid siren sounded, and bombs fell. Electricity frequently went out, roads were riddled with potholes, and water became contaminated. Should they stay or flee? And if they fled, where should they go? “Then my old teacher came to us,” Alyona recounts. “He was 78 and had fled from Mykolajiv, one of the first cities to be attacked. We helped him get abroad, and then Sergii said: ‘Go, with the children. I’ll come after you later.’” Alyona fled with her daughter (15) to Romania. “I don’t know how, but people bought us a plane ticket to the Netherlands.”

The family thought they would only be apart for a few months, but the war persisted. Sergii even grew accustomed to the air raid alarm. He shrugs. “Life just went on. I was only scared when I saw the rockets.”

However, his health deteriorated – he needed surgery on his stomach – and the family wanted to be together again. Sergii managed to cross the border to Moldova by car and from there came to the Netherlands, where he was reunited with his family earlier this year.

‘Prima’ work

After staying with a host family in Gouda, Alyona and Sergii moved to Reeuwijkse Poort with their daughter. Alyona worked in accounting and continued to do so from home until it became impossible. “Now I work with children here and give online music lessons to children who are still in Odessa.” Sergii found a job through the Reeuwijk employment agency Groene Hart Service. He enjoys working with his hands and fixing things. This is highly appreciated in the Netherlands, he notes. “In Ukraine, we’re used to it. Here, you just buy a new appliance if something breaks. Even expensive appliances like a washing machine!”

In Ukraine, he worked as an electrician with refrigerators, and now he does the same. He lights up when he talks about it. “I work in a team with colleagues from various countries: Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, etc.” In the cafeteria, they communicate with gestures, and one of them steps in with English when needed. “But in the end, we understand everything,” Sergii assures. And he delivers good work, he says. “Prima,” he says in Dutch, and he proudly smiles. “That’s an easy word for me,” he adds in Ukrainian.

Free time

The family tries to make the best of it. Their 25-year-old daughter also came to the Netherlands; she is in Amersfoort. Together, they go out on weekends: taking walks along the Reeuwijkse Plassen or going to the sea. “It reminds us of home. Odessa is also by the sea, but the water there is much warmer!” Alyona smiles sadly as the war comes to mind again. “But that water is polluted due to the intense fighting in Cherson.”

One of their favorite outings is visiting a historical museum. They have a museum card, and if possible, Sergii would go to a museum every week. “He never did that in Ukraine!” Alyona laughs. They find museums that show how life used to be, like the Streekmuseum, particularly interesting. On Open Monumentendag and the Classic Car Cruise Night, Sergii was amazed by what he saw. “Such a small country, such a big history!”

Daring to dream?

Alyona and Sergii are grateful that their family is safe, but of course, they constantly think of their parents and friends who are still in Ukraine. Every time they call them, they fear for them. “We ask why they don’t flee, but they don’t want to. Ukraine is their home. It’s the only thing they know.”

Sergii dreams of bringing the whole family back together, but Alyona is hesitant to even hope for it. “A month ago, I saw images of a bomb that hit near our house. I immediately called everyone to make sure they were okay. In the background, I heard the incessant crying of children.”

So, they prefer to think as little as possible about the war. It only leaves them feeling powerless. Instead, they try to live in the present as much as possible. “We have to, for our mental well-being. Fortunately, there is a lot of positivity around us. We have it good here, we try to cherish it.”