"I Articulate the Voices of Children Who Can No Longer Speak": The Story of 17-Year-Old Valeriia Returned from Russian Deportation

Author:

Mariia Kucova

One August evening in 2023, 17-year-old Valeriia walked alone through the fields toward the territory under Ukrainian control. Behind her lay Russian occupation and deportation, but at that moment, the girl felt happy. She was free.

Valeriia became a guest on a new episode of the "Voices Podcast". She shared her experiences along with those of countless other children who could no longer testify about war crimes committed by the Russians.

In every interview I participate in, I articulate the voices of children who can no longer speak. They were taken to Russia — and they simply cannot speak anymore, or they died in the first few days of the invasion,
said the girl.

Beginning. Large-scale Invasion and Occupation

Valeriia was an orphan who, after her mother's death, was under the care of her grandmother. Her hometown, Nova Kakhovka, was occupied by Russians from the first day of the large-scale invasion. It took some time for the girl and her relatives to realize this: they saw military convoys but didn't know whose they were. All doubts disappeared when the Russian tricolor was hoisted over the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station.

Occupation is like a cage. The main thing is you can't say what you want,
Valeriia shared.

In a year, when Ukrainian forces approached, the Russians initiated what they termed an "evacuation" in the city. At first, it was voluntary, but soon it became mandatory.

Valeriia's documents were illegally transferred to a school that collaborated with the enemy. This is how the girl's data ended up on Russian lists. She, along with other children and teenagers, was taken "for a vacation" to Yevpatoriya in the occupied Crimea supposedly for two weeks.

They simply loaded us onto buses, flanked by Russian soldiers. The buses bore "Z" symbols,
Valeriia recalls.

Life in Russian Deportation

In Crimea, Ukrainian children were pressured to believe they were Russian, and that their native language was Russian. Every morning in the camp began with the Russian anthem, but Valeriia tried to avoid this ritual.

I came up with an excuse: I said I had an Internet connection only in the mornings,
the girl recounted.

Agitation work persisted relentlessly: representatives of the occupation administration and Russian universities would visit, speaking to the children about the "opportunities" in the aggressor country.

After two weeks passed, there were no plans to return the children. Only those with parents were allowed to leave. Eventually, Valeriia stayed in the camp for two months before her grandmother came for her.

Release

From Crimea, Valeriia and her grandmother didn't go to Nova Kakhovka, but to Henichesk, where there were no active hostilities. Valeriia needed to recover, but not just that. During her tenure in the occupied city, she enrolled online in a medical college in Odessa, just as she had dreamed.

Occupation and war didn't become any obstacle for me,
Valeriia stated.

She added that the support of strong people nearby weighed heavily. In particular, her grandmother, who "became a stimulus to keep going".

Then came the long journey to the territory under Ukrainian control. Valeriia contacted a driver herself and set off with two suitcases.

At the Russian checkpoint, Valeriia had an unpleasant incident — she was taken for "interrogation". The occupiers couldn't understand how a minor could cross the border alone. Valeriia was initially bewildered but quickly composed herself and told the Russians what they wanted to hear, and they let her go.

From the checkpoint to the Ukrainian territory, she had to walk. It was frightening because it was getting dark, but at the same time incredibly beautiful: endless fields, the sunset.

When Valeriia saw the Ukrainian military pixel uniform and heard Ukrainian language, she was overwhelmed with emotions.

I just stood there and cried. That's all,
the girl recalled.

Happy End?

Now Valeriia lives in Kyiv and studies remotely at a medical college. She started working with the psychologist of "Voices of Children" Nataliіa Sosnovenko, and can no longer imagine her life without this support.

Olha Tymchenko, the head of the communications department of the foundation, learned about Valeriia from Nataliya. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Olha felt ready to take a child under her care. During the first meeting with the girl, Olha realized that she wanted to become a guardian specifically for her.

Recently, Olha and Valeriia moved in together. They are still getting to know each other but already feel like family.

I like to give Lera a little bit of childhood. When we first met, she was very serious. Now, in some photos, she smiles so sincerely, and it warms my heart,
Olha shared.

Valeriia feels her support and enjoys living together.

Olha is my person, I just feel it more and more every day,
the girl noted.

After interacting with both of them, there is no doubt that they are good together. If Valeriia now has another support, Olha has another shade of meaning in her life.