Ushkanova Family
From: Lysychansk, Luhansk region
Family members: Natalia (63) and Zinaida (85, mother)

A Ray of Sunshine After Displacement

The Ushkanova family was forced to leave their home in Lysychansk on May 4, 2022, as Russian forces advanced through Luhansk region. Natalia and her 85-year-old mother Zinaida first fled to Dnipro, where they rented an apartment, before relocating to Kyiv and renting there as well. The constant moving and financial strain of paying rent placed tremendous pressure on the family.

“While scrolling through a Telegram channel, I noticed an announcement about housing available in a village for elderly people,” Natalia recalls. “To our great fortune, our application was approved.”

When asked about their original home, they share that it remains in occupied territory with no information available about its condition — a painful reality for many displaced from eastern Ukraine.

“Our stay in Miracle Village is like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day,” Natalia explains with emotion. “Here we’re on the ground, not in an apartment building. My mother goes out to the terrace every day to breathe fresh air. And most importantly — there’s silence, no explosions, no air raid sirens.”

Finding purpose in her new community, Natalia works with a volunteer group as the leader of the “Support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine” team, where they prepare materials for camouflage nets for Ukrainian soldiers. Despite their displacement and the uncertainty about their former home, mother and daughter have found safety, purpose, and a sense of peace in their new community.