Refugees from Ukraine have been in the Voronezh region for more than a month already. Most of them were resettled centrally: to hotels and hostels. They are mostly residents of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. Children are on their summer vacation, adults are looking for job, and deputies arrange trips for them. Despite the extensive work of the volunteers, legal advice of lawyers and good accommodation in a peaceful town, the life of refugees is not so perfect.
Fear and Loathing
“You can't mess around in the bus, but singing songs is welcomed,” Irina Dmitrochenkova, a psychologist who works with refugee children, gives a short briefing before the trip to Voronezh State Nature Biosphere Reserve named after Peskov. Despite this, the bus is silent, except the sound of the motor winding. A mother of one of the children, Sveta, helps to defuse the situation:
“Children, it's my birthday today! Sing something for me”.
The other mother, Olga, joins up. She quietly begins to sing a famous song:
“May people run clumsily through puddles...”
Other parents join her. Children prefer music players.
“Sadly (my) birthday Is only once a year...”
“And in our case, probably twice...” mother Sveta adds.
Photo: Yekaterina Bogdanova
They went to Grafskoye thanks to Anna Tsaralunge, deputy of the regional Duma of the "United Russia": "Children who have settled in the city center have almost no place to walk. So we decided to bring them to the Voronezh preserve". Journalists of the local television were invited. However, adults sitting in the bus ask not to shoot them. Refugees are afraid to show their faces and name their real names. Almost all of them have relatives in Ukraine. A large family from Mariupol have eight kids. The oldest one is 28 years old, the youngest — 10. Four elders who have already managed to get their families remained in Ukraine. Parents and four younger went to Voronezh. Grandparents also stayed in Mariupol.
People who came to Russia in mid-June from the Lugansk and Donetsk regions were settled in the hotel of the sports complex "Yubileiny", at the request of the city administration. Nobody else was settled there: the hotel is full.
To the question: "And why Voronezh?" Refugees reply, "We just wanted to." Practically no one have relatives here, even acquainted people are rarity.
“We were leaving on the hop, took most necessary things and got into the car,” mother Sveta says. “While we were driving through the Rostov region, our final destination was Voronezh. We don't even remember what exactly happened in those days in Slovyansk. The human psyche is a complicated thing, you know…”
Refugees in "Yubileiny" are treated good, with understanding. Conditions are excellent: each family has a separate room, adults eat three times a day, children — five. Hotel administrator Natalia Kulneva, teacher by education, has become a good friend for children and their parents. It's her day off, but the kids asked "tyotya Natasha" to go with them. She is happy to talk about the features of each child:
“Anya and Manya, seven-years-old girls on the rear seat, are the live wires. They are always brewing mischief. The boys also like to mess up - those who seat near the passage. Teens are more quiet, but they are more vulnerable. Parents entrust the process of educating to me: I can even shout at them, if they behave badly. My motto is: Do what you must, come what will. I try to help them to pass through this tragedy. What is going on in the East of Ukraine... Especially the story about a boy crucified...”
“But it has long been proven that this is a fake of the first channel,” I replied.
“No!” Natalia confidently objects. “One family called relatives in Slavyansk, and they said that friends of friends of their neighbor saw with their own eyes. And it was a couple of days before the story was aired.”
“I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I'm sure that natsgvardiya could do such a thing — they are crazy!” a fifteen year old Yevgeniya joins the conversation.
Refugees or migrants?
Not only refugee children went to Grafskoye, but also few parents who either didn't find a job yet, or whose holiday fell on Thursday. Generally, a few managed to find a job yet. Moms Olya and Sveta found job in the food industry — by profession. They were promised to be paid like others: no more and no less. Others say that they can't find a job not because they don't want to — they are ready to do any work — but because of the psychological barriers and due to legal nuances of Russian reality.
It seems that many of them are really confused in these nuances, though Migration Service conducted field consultations in all points of refugee resettlement. The first challenge is a legal residence on the territory of the Russian Federation.
“If someone wanted to go back to Ukraine, he don't have to be registered,” Galina Ragozina, regional coordinator of the Forum of Migrants' Organizations explained. “But, according to statistics, these are about 20%. Otherwise, you must either obtain a temporary residence permit if there are relatives in the Voronezh region, or apply for temporary shelter, which will help to rapidly gain citizenship. But citizenship is also not a bargaining chip. So I would still recommend a third option — Institute of the residence permit.”
But the very few can have a refugee status: military, police, militias — those who do may face danger when returning home. In general, those who couldn't move, let's say, to Kiev or Zakarpatye for political reasons.
Fraudsters are already actively speculating on this topic. Many people complained that refugee status can be obtained by paying 20 thousand rubles to special people. But Galina Ragozina is sure that even acquaintances can hardly help in this case: all applications are considered by a special commission which can assign refugee status only on certain legislatively fixed bases.
There are also difficulties with employment. Officially Ukrainian citizens are free to obtain a work permit. There is only one problem: the number of quotas in companies are limited. But quotas are not limited for patents "with the aim of conducting labour activities of individuals to meet their personal and household needs". In other words, everyone who has attained the age of 18 years can theoretically become a nanny or housekeeper. But this is only in theory.
You are a person only if you have a document
Today one more bus arrived to Voronezh Reserve. It brought the refugees who have settled in a boarding school №1. They also don't complain about the conditions, but the main thing that pleases them — "there is water and electricity".
“Two buses brought 57 people,” says Vadim Bondarenko, assistant of the deputy Anna Tsaralungi of the All-Russia People's front. “About a quarter of them are adults: parents and guides.”
After watching a short film about the reserve we go to look at beavers. On the way we meet dogs: the mutts are not ordinary, they are more like little wolf cubs. Had to stop because the kids wanted to take a picture with them.
A fifteen-year old Masha came to Grafskoye without parents — they decided to stay at the hotel. She didn't forge friendship with other children. Natalia Kulneva said that Masha is a very difficult and vulnerable teenager. Adults complained that they always have problems with Masha: she runs forward or latens the whole group. So Masha asks me to take a picture: "Just don't post it anywhere, please, I'm scared..." We started up a conversation.
“Have you already met the locals?”
“Yes, I was walking through the city recently, passing by the basketball court. I met guys there. Very nice, friendly. We added each other on "VKontakte" and communicate now. However, one boy of thirteen trolls me online constantly. He writes: "Glory to Ukraine", although he understands how I hate natsgvardiyu.”
“Are you on "VKontakte"?”
“Yes, we all have accounts there. However, we were asked not to post photos from Russia, so as not to endanger the relatives who stayed in Ukraine”.
We noticed that we fell behind the group. I had to ask the staff for directions.
Masha is going to enter medical school. She wants to become a pharmacist. Universities and colleges of Voronezh promised certain benefits during entrance for refugees. But the problem is not that the Ukrainians will be taken to study or not — many institutions already allocated budget quota for refugees. Because of hostilities, many of them just didn't have time to pick up the documents. Just as Masha's family, who hastily left their native Sverdlovsk (the Lugansk region) in mid-June. Her parents brought their only daughter to Rostov first, and came back to take the stuff. They were coming back to Russia under fire.
Masha is not the only one whose further education is questionable. Alina from Mariupol had one year until graduation from medical school in Ukraine. But she can neither be transferred nor enter once again without documents: "The school refuses to send my documents by mail, they say that I need to go there and take it personally..." Of course, Alina is scared to return.
And Zhenya, after a year of studing in technical school, perhaps have no more documents: "I recently learned that a bomb was dropped on one of our buildings. It ain't necessary, of course, that my documents were there, but still." Zhenya is afraid to pass a State Final Examination, says that Ukrainian schools have lower level of education, her knowledge is not enough.
“Ukrainian education is just awful!” mother Sveta complains. “What do you know! To learn Russian as a foreign language, even though we all speak it. Of course, it will be very hard for our children to study, especially for seniors.”
“Have you ever thought to hold a referendum on federalization, to join Russia maybe and give your children an education in their native Russian language?” I ask.
“No...” mother Sveta says. “You know, we had stability, we were satisfied..."
"I understand why many people don't like us"
We had enough time to admire beavers, and now head for Tolshevsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky nunnery, which is in the list of "7 Wonders of the Voronezh region". Almost everyone went there.
“Finally, I can pray,” Masha says happily. “I couldn't get to go to church in the city.”
Women and girls tie kerchiefs and go inside. Only young mother Svetlana doesn't come in:
“I can't go in the temple of God wearing jeans — my consciences will not allow.”
Tyotya Natasha comes from a monastery with a candle in her hand.
“Where did you take it? We also want to,” everyone says.
“I took it there. Let's go to Zadonsk next weekend. It is a holy place not far from here, though it is in the nearby area.”
Everybody readily agree.
“The children finally stopped to remember the war, and the adults began to feel more confident,” psychologist Irina Dmitrochenkova looks at the enlightened faces of people coming out of the monastery. “I think it's time we put a play. Have you heard of the practice of social theater? I even have brought the script of the musical "The Snow Queen". Anya and Manya will be little robbers — this role suits them just perfectly.”
Final destination is a rope park "Ezhkiny dorozhki". It seems to have become the most interesting station not only for children but also for adults. Everyone could choose the appropriate level of difficulty: children, family, or extreme. Throwing stuff, older children ran to the instructors who helped to put on protective gear. Younger immediately climbed on the slides. Of course, Anya and Manya were the first on top.
Natalia Kulneva, also known as tyotya Natasha, stayed to sit on the bench. With tyotya Sveta ("I won't climb those ropes, don't even ask!") and psychologist Irina Dmitrochenkova they discussed where else they could go.
“Maybe we'll bring you back here next weekend?” Irina Dmitrochenkova asks happily. “We would take swimwear — would stay here all day.”
“You should go to Zadonsk, and other churches...” tyotya Natasha says remembering the holy places of Lipetsk.
“As for me, any place, as long as the children are having fun, and they are quite bored to sit in the hotel,” mother Sveta sums up.
Accompanying Vadim comes to the rope park: "The bus is waiting for us — gather children! You also have to go to the medical examination today".
Adults stand up and shout to the children that it's time to go home.
Disciplined Zhenya goes down one of the first.
“Actually I understand why people don't like us,” she said, removing protective helmet. “We arrived penniless. Give us shelter, clothing. And, in fact, we have fun at your expense,” Zhenya saddened.
Masha came to finish last: she constantly stuck somewhere. And finally decided to sop her feet in the pond and fell there. Adults, of course, began to grumble, and younger children asked to "swim like Masha".
Only Zhenya behaved herself. When we boarded the bus, she looked at me apologetically again and said, "When we held a referendum, we thought we would be independent, that they wouldn't touch us. That we'll join Russia just like Crimea did. But Putin doesn't need us... He doesn't want it because he doesn't want to become the instigator of the Third World War, doesn't he?.."
Zhenya switches on music and sits on the rear seat next to her eight year old sister Marina, shares an earpiece with her, and they fall asleep.
* All names have been changed.
Yekaterina Bogdanova, «7x7»
Original: http://7x7-journal.ru/item/44998
