Katya - 'Expected the War. Still didn’t Believe It' by Julia Hall 2024

(Katya, Ukraine) (110 x 85cm)

Katya arrived in London in the Spring of 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine. She and her friend Valya, both aged 25 and from Urpin, were given accommodation by neighbouring families in London, through the Homes for Ukraine scheme. They had no expectations of their move here, their only thought was about how to leave and get to a safer place. Katya could speak some English, so she thought coming here would be easier than other countries, and she hopes to use the time to improve her language skills. There has been no time to be bored – there have been so many appointments and documents to fill out, and she does have some other friends who have also come to London. It is strange to now be living in a place they only knew through photos in their English grammar books at school, but sad that it’s because of the war.

Katya expected the war in Ukraine, but she still didn’t believe it when it finally happened. It had been building since the New Year, but the Ukrainian government kept saying that everything would be alright and not to worry. She absolutely never believed the war would come to her home town. The hardest thing for Katya is to read the news every day, and see photos from Ukraine. She feels bad because she is safe and the people still in her home country are not. They just wish the Russians would go away, but feel that just to end the war is not enough, people will still feel unsafe because the Russian mentality is hard to change.

This dress came with Katya from Ukraine, it is a part of home for her.