Valeriia: The Girl from a City That Smells of the Sea
She truly loved the sea. Every weekend, her family would go to the beach. Her memories of Mariupol are filled with moments of happiness: putting on her swimsuit on hot summer days and running through the sprays of the colorful fountain in Freedom Square, laughing without a care in the world. In the evenings, she and her mother would return to watch the light show created by the square’s bird-shaped sculptures. There were exactly twenty-five of them, one for each region of Ukraine. For Liera, those evenings felt like magic. She and her mother had waited an entire year for Freedom Square to open.
She remembers ballroom dancing classes and performing on the stage of the Mariupol Drama Theater. The last play she saw there was Puss in Boots. The family still has photographs from that day. No one has told Liera what happened to the theater. In her mind, as in her memories, it still stands intact. Just like the city itself. Because it was in Mariupol that Liera first learned how to make friends, dream about the future, and feel that she truly belonged there.
They grabbed whatever clothes they could find and took only their documents. The family was convinced they would be back soon, or at least have the chance to return and pack the rest of their lives into suitcases. So, they left everything behind: the things they treasured most, their valuables, even Liera’s gold earrings.
They never saw any of it again. A few weeks later, neighbors told them their home had been looted.
In those first days of the war, Liera was frightened, confused, and overwhelmed. Everywhere they stopped, she cried and asked when they could go back to Mariupol. When her mother finally told her that Russians turned her school into ashes, Liera replied, “Let’s go there, fix it, and we’ll study there again. Then we’ll go back home.”
In her world, everything that had been broken could still be repaired.
During their evacuation, the family moved through several cities and villages across the Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi, and Lviv regions. Liera struggled with the constant uncertainty. The endless air raid alerts and stress eventually affected her health. But what weighed on her most was letting go of the past: she wanted to visit her school, her classroom again.
She was also heartbroken that none of the places they lived offered artistic gymnastics, the sport she loved so much. Everything changed after the family moved to Truskavets. There, Liera started taking acrobatics classes and returned to in-person learning at a new school.
Liera continues to adapt to a new city, new friends, and a new way of life. Another important source of support was Voices Camp, the psychological support camp run by the Voices of Children Foundation. She came back calmer, more emotionally balanced, and less anxious. There, she learned how to live with loss while also allowing herself to experience joy again. And yet, every now and then, she still asks her mother, “When are we going home?”
Because in her heart there is still a city that smells of the sea, a place where children can run through the spray of a colorful fountain and, in the evening, watch the sky fill with light and wonder.
In 2026, Liera became one of the participants in Thread: Transformation Rather than Brokenness, a photo project by the Voices of Children Foundation and photographer Marta Syrko. The exhibition features the stories and portraits of fifteen children who, despite everything they have lost, continue to find the strength to grow.
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If you or your child need support, please contact one of our centers across Ukraine or call our free psychological support helpline at 0 800 210 106.
Author: Kateryna Bessarabova