Vranje Embraced Us With Its Soul

Antonina arrived in Serbia on March 18, 2022, with her son Yura, seven at the time, merely enrolled in the first grade. From the raging war in the Lugansk region, they’ve been rescued by an unknown woman who drove them out of the city, just as Antonina, with her son in her arms, thought there was no escape.

Before leaving Severodonetsk, she worked as a real estate agent, her husband a driver. Looking back, they led a peaceful, ordinary life, until the war tore everything apart. 

The Asylum Center in Vranje has been their home for the past couple of years. 

"I am grateful to Serbia, to the people of Vranje, for accepting us. We are similar, the Slavic people, the Orthodox people, there was no big barrier," says Antonina. 

Life in Vranje is soothing, as it is not a big city, but it has everything they need. 

To Antonina, as a mother, the most important thing is that Yura attends classes regularly and that his classmates and teachers at "Radoje Domanović" Elementary School accepted him with arms wide open. The support of peers and the teaching staff was especially important to them in the first 3 months.

"That was remarkable, the way they embraced him, I don't think anything similar exists in any other country!" recalls Antonina with excitement and adds: 

"My child has a wonderful teacher, I think she is the kindest, the sweetest teacher in the world, both as a pedagogue and as a friend. Yura loves and respects her a lot, and I am carefree while he is in class, knowing he’s making friends and learning a lot."

Within two years, Antonina mastered Serbian. In addition to the free lessons at the language school, for which she received a certificate last December, she learned the most from talking to people, from the friends she made. 

Yet she was surprised when her son’s school invited them to participate in a play. 

"The invitation was a bit of a shock at first, and then we were concerned how we would act and sing without the accent," says Antonina. 

"But at the rehearsals, we were like a family, we got closer with other parents, children, teachers, sharing a feeling that we are creating something great together." 

Every year, “Radoje Domanovic” marks the School Day with a unique artistic and cultural manifestation. Ana Mikic, one of the teachers, is the author of this year’s inclusive play „RAD(e) i MIR (a)“. 

“Behind the scenes there was a huge amount of work, we invested our souls in it, says Antonina emotionally. 

“We felt that we adapted even more, that the people of Vranje embraced us with their soul!" 

During the rehearsals, when she heard one of the antiwar songs for the first time, Antonina would cry her heart out. 

"I truly wish for peace everywhere!”

Other Ukrainian mothers confirmed that participating in the play was a deeply moving experience. 

"We did not expect such beautiful dresses as a gift, we thought they were just costumes for the performance! At the Center for Asylum, we wear every-day clothes like jeans and tracksuits. These remarkable garments reminded us that we are still women, who still like to dress up," says Antonina on their behalf.

She also shared that all of them are grateful to the International Organization for Migration, the EU, UNHCR, UNICEF, to many civil society organizations, and especially the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia, who daily take part in their worries and anxieties and are supportive of their needs. 

"We don't have income here like in the EU, but we have a roof over our head, we have food, and we’ve been receiving various vouchers, gift cards, especially in the beginning”, explains Antonina.  

Her sincere message to all the parents and children of the world is that we must never give up on life:

"We have to live and survive everything, to be happy and healthy, even if only as a tribute to all the people who are gone, who perished... we have to live two lives, one for us and one for them!"