Independence through their eyes: what Ukraine’s freedom means to the older generation

Liubov, 64, from Zhytomyr 

“My independence is my small business. Throughout my life, I’ve worked at and managed different garment factories. My mother used to sew, now all my children and grandchildren do too. It’s our family business. I thought I’d lost everything when we had to relocate but then I applied for grant assistance and moved the business to the Lviv region. I’ve already purchased equipment, trained employees and even opened a shop. I’m now in contact with the mayor’s and the governor’s offices to straighten out some bureaucratic issues.” 

“Doing what I love, having my own income is a big part of independence for me. The war upended my life, and I was devastated at first but then I picked myself up and said: “I can rebuild everything!” I put faith in myself and my family.” 

“It’s not easy: The workshop is located near the Polish border, and I have to take public transport with transfers to get there. I’ve had two strokes, and my legs don’t work so well so it’s a real challenge. I am not planning to give up, though!” 

“My husband and I live in a former monastic cell. He has cancer and is bedridden. The space is damp, there is fungus on the walls. I have to take two flights of stairs to get to the bathroom. It’s far from easy but I try to cope with everything.” 

“Ukraine can be very successful because it has good, hardworking people. Although, it has yet to unlock their full potential. Many older people have great business ideas but don’t know how to implement them. Why not teach them how to do things? For example, I would love to take a marketing course because I feel that I lack knowledge in this area. Nowadays, people shop mostly online. I would love to learn how to sell online! Older people can also teach others. I hired ten people and taught them how to sew. Now they intern with me.” 

“My wish for Ukrainians and Ukraine is pretty much the same: To develop economically so we don’t rely on help so much. We have the resources; we just have to use them wisely. I am doing my part. I want to run an honest business and pay taxes that will be used for rebuilding the country. I believe in Ukraine, that’s why I stayed here and am not going anywhere.” 

© Ivanka Kate Yakovyna/ HelpAge International

Valentyna, 69, from Nova Kakhovka 

“I have actually grown more independent with age. I used to be so busy at work and then with household duties. Despite the war and displacement, I am freer in some ways now. I can bake a pie if I feel like it, or I can take a walk with my friends. I even do volunteer part-time work because this is what I choose to do, not because I have to.” 

“Slowly but surely, public opinion is also changing. When I was applying for a job, they didn’t mind my age. I was so surprised because I had been very anxious about it.” 

“You could definitely say that I’m an optimist, but I don’t gloss over the hardships either. I spent a month and a half under occupation. I took the long and dangerous evacuation road with two daughters and three grandchildren. I’m a diabetic and insulin dependent. I have problems with eyesight. I just choose to focus on how things improve: My family and I are now safe in the Lviv region. Insulin is available and its costs are covered by the state programme. I had surgery on both eyes. I receive humanitarian assistance. These things have improved my independence immensely.” 

“Today I’m wearing a Ukrainian Vyshyvanka (national costume) – in the past you could have been sent to jail for this! I have a reason to be optimistic about the future. I believe Ukraine will recover, like we recovered from the WWII. I believe we will prosper. We just need to stay strong!” 

© Ivanka Kate Yakovyna/ HelpAge International

Heorhiy, 86, from Odesa 

“I see personal and national independence as very similar: It’s having the right to choose and make decisions. It’s being able to you plan your own future. It’s living your life as you see fit.” 

“Of course, there are things that hinder this. Finances is certainly one of them. So is war. It has forced so many people to leave their homes – a decision no one would want to make. Despite all, I believe in what they call the “inner core” and that’s where a sense of independence is. I’ve spent years studying and introducing innovations in agriculture. I’ve seen that many people prefer the easier, well-worn path and resist change. But changes are constant and circumstances can often be unfavourable. You must seek ways to preserve your independence. That’s what I try to do. The war may have changed my place of residence but not my independence: I continue to make decisions. I remain the master of my fate.” 

“As the war drags on, I believe in doing your own little things that improve this reality. We went through horrific fear back in Odesa before deciding to relocate to the Lviv region. I now live in a dormitory with my wife and daughter. I could have sat back and complained about how bad things are. Instead, I picked up a shovel and a bucket and started planting my garden: I grow artichokes, figs, strawberries. I grow cucumbers, parsley, arugula on windowsills in our room. Artichokes are very good for diabetes, so I give them to other displaced people in the dormitory.” 

“I have many personal challenges. I had a heart attack three years ago and underwent a surgery. I need medications every day – just one of them costs over 1,000 UAH (19 GBP) a month and the combined pension of me and my wife is 12,000 UAH (224 GBP). Of course, it’s a challenge. But we do what we can to get by.” 

“Ukraine has colossal challenges too – the war, the struggling economy. But I believe it will eventually prosper and thrive. In the meantime, I’m making my own contribution to it: my little garden that is pleasing to the eye and is a source of health to people in my community. The manifestation of my personal independence.” 

© Ivanka Kate Yakovyna/ HelpAge International