the essential
In the Ivanchenko family, which resides in Encausse-les-Thermes (Haute-Garonne), there are Ohla, Hanna, Roman and Ivan. Arriving in France following the war in Ukraine, they found refuge in Comminges.
“At the beginning of 2022, I had just celebrated my 52nd birthday,” Ohla remembers. “I was living on the outskirts of kyiv at the time. With my husband Volodimir, we ran a travel agency. My daughter Hanna was an English teacher. We lived together: my husband, my daughter, her two sons Roman and Ivan, and me. » And too bad if, at the time, Hanna divorced, the family was happy.
On February 24, 2022, the first bombings of the Ukrainian capital by the Russian army were heard. Within the family, the decision is quickly made. Like hundreds of thousands of their peers, Ohla, Hanna and the two children will flee the war. “My husband Volodimir did not want to leave Ukraine, he was called to serve to defend our country,” says Ohla, moved. The two women and children will quickly reach Poland, the first stage of their journey in Europe. “I had a friend who lived in Beauchalot, in France, I called her. It was she who then came into contact with Jean-Luc Picard, the mayor of her village,” continues the grandmother. A call that bears fruit, because Jean-Luc Picard will in turn contact Marie-Laure Pellan, mayor of Encausse-les-Thermes, who will find a place to accommodate the little family.
Two years later
Two years and six months have passed. Ohla is now a leader and canteen at the village school. Hanna first became a pastry chef, then she worked in the hotel industry. Today, she makes Motanka dolls, true Ukrainian works of art, in fabric, used as amulets or protective talismans for the family. His collection has already been exhibited in Toulouse, then in Japan and the Czech Republic.
As for the two boys, they have grown up a lot since their arrival in Encausse-les-Thermes. Roman is in CP, Ivan in middle section. The two brothers have adapted to the Comminges way of life, they speak French without a hint of accent.
The family has integrated into French life and has many friends, most of them among the other parents of students at the school. Ohla remains dignified, discreet, the language barrier obliges. Even if she flourishes with the children at the school she adores and vice versa, she finds a certain melancholy upon leaving. “Since we left kyiv, I have only seen my husband once in thirty months. It was for Christmas last year. We call each other every day, but it's not the same. » The lack is perceptible.
“We are in Encausse,” admits Hanna. The people are nice. I don't know what I will do when the war is over. We'll see. I prefer to live day by day, without thinking about tomorrow. Roman asks again about our life in Ukraine. Ivan is too small, he has always lived here. In France, the culture is the same as here, there are not many differences, except for one thing: here, you know how to rest. In Ukraine, we hardly have time for this. »
The village's proximity to Spain gives Hanna the opportunity to visit this neighboring country. An adventurer at heart, the thirty-year-old explores France and its landscapes. Christmas time obliges, Hanna and Ohla have decorated their house for the end of the year. As for the children, they do their homework and play.
