Yuliia Ivanova
My “Place of Power” is my new home.
My Place of Power is my boyfriend’s House in Lancashire. This is a large, beautiful and cosy Victorian stone house, with a magnificent garden that is hidden among the foliage and flowers in the picturesque Ribble Valley. This house is the abode of family warmth, comfort and hospitality.
Birdsong usually wakes me up in the morning, and in the evenings, I fall asleep to the crackle of crickets and the sound of wet leaves. On cold evenings we usually sit by the fireplace and enjoy each other’s company, and on warm days we have a barbecue. This house is so cosy and filled with a pleasant atmosphere that I feel safe, which I now need so much. There was a long and difficult path to me “Place of Power” …
“The war has begun”- it was my first message sent to my boyfriend on the morning of February 24, 2022. Our relationship has been at a distance for 3 years because I leaved in Ukraine and my boyfriend leaved in Britain and we were in touch and in correspondence every day to be closer to each other. And that morning we realized that we can’t lose each other! And that life is given to us alone, and no matter what, we have to live it together! It is difficult for me to describe in words those experiences and emotions, that fear of losing each other. My boyfriend Giuseppe kept repeating to me “take care of yourself and leave as soon as possible.”
“Leave the city” I said that I could not leave my mother, my relatives, that I could not leave everything and just leave, because this is my life. Giuseppe said that he would find every opportunity and way to take me and my mother to him in Britain as soon as possible. On the same day we left my hometown Dnipro, me, my mother and my friend. Ahead of us was 5 days of a tedious and terrible journey, under the roar of explosions, in the stream of fleeing people and cars, without sleep and a clear understanding of what is happening to us and what will happen tomorrow, but with one desire - to get to the nearest border as soon as possible. During those terrible days, he was my hope and support, he tried to help me in every possible way, advised me how to stay safe, accompanied my movement by mobile phone and calmed me with words of love. He told me that we would certainly be together, because it could not be otherwise. He told me that he could not lose me, because he just found me and I am the best person in his life. It gave me strength and faith!
Before the war I visited Giuseppe in his house a several times in Britain. I was impressed by the incredibly green nature, picturesque landscapes, ancient stone architecture, friendly and welcoming
British people. For me, it was a completely different country and a different atmosphere, but I immediately felt comfortable and peaceful. Giuseppe showed me local landscapes, old castles with a rich history, we tasted British cuisine together and he inspired me to love football more strongly.
We celebrated the New Year on the central square of Kyiv near the oldest Saint Sophia Cathedral, enjoyed the sea surf on the Black Sea coast in Odessa and walked along the old streets of authentic Lviv. I showed Giuseppe my hometown of the Dnipro, with its wide channel of the Dnieper River, introduced my friends and my family. I showed him the environment in which I grew up and in which I lived. I wanted to tell as much as possible about my background and give him the opportunity to love what was important and close to me.
It was the love and incredible support of my boyfriend that helped and continue to help me survive the horror that is now happening in my homeland. Thanks to the efforts of Giuseppe and the UK government, I was in the arms of my beloved, my mother and I were safe on March 29, 2022. It pains me to remember that time and that unrelenting fear that haunted me for several more months. I recall my first impressions of how deep and large-scale support for Ukraine is in Britain. I have never seen so many caring people next to me, ready to help and support not only me, but my entire country. Yellow-blue color was permeated all around. I heard and continue to hear an incredible amount of words of sympathy and support. I still have tears in my eyes from the sheer power of kindness of the British people! Giuseppe surrounded me with incredible care and tried to distract me from the news from Ukraine, he swirled me in a series of bright events so that my fear would leave me as soon as possible. He gave me the opportunity to gain strength again and I felt the resource to help my Motherland. Together we attend rallies in support of Ukraine, participate in charitable projects and events, do what we can to unite and support the Ukrainians who are now in Britain.
Currently we are living together in the lovely my boyfriend’s house in Wilpshire, Lancashire which became my new home. The war pushed us to a new level of relationship and sharpened our feelings for each other. The war made us appreciate every minute of life with greater force. Our love united us and gave us strength and faith, faith in our joint future and in our common victory!
Today, looking back, I understand how grateful I am to fate that I ended up here, in Lancashire. Every person I met in this picturesque corner of England made me feel at home. Each of these people with sincerity and great support reacted to me and my experiences and requests for help. The friendly atmosphere and favorable conditions created for the Ukrainian community in Lancashire contributed to my acquaintance with my like-minded people and compatriots who currently live in Preston and Manchester.
What will be next? I do not know for sure. I don’t know if Britain will be my new home for years to come, but I want my lover Giuseppe, my new home would be my Place of Power for the rest of my life!