I live in Kyiv with my mother and a cat. We haven't left our home since the beginning of the war and all together we are waiting for my dad. He went to protect us last March. I see him very rarely - he has visited only a few times, but those moments were the happiest for me and my mom.

Before the war, I visited many workshops and used to have a lot of friends there. Most of them are abroad now. I miss them and the time we could see each other every day.

I love Harry Potter movies and books, playing the piano, and clay sculpting. However, I like drawing most: I often draw cats and Ukraine. It really makes me calm.
I have an emergency backpack with all the necessary stuff. When I hear the air raid sirens, I take this backpack first and go to the shelter. At these moments, I also think about my cat - it also needs to stay safe.

Hi, I'm Yehor! I'm from Kherson.
My parents and I were under
occupation for 6 months. I love painting and making crafts. I have lots of awards, but all the time we were under occupation, I had no desire to create as before.

Only after moving to Kyiv did I start drawing and creating crafts again. Most often, I draw my cat, as well as Ukraine and my home because I miss it so much. I always add a flag and a trident everywhere, and I write: I love my free Kherson.

A liberated Kherson was my biggest wish, and it came true on my mother's birthday. It was the best gift I had ever received.

My parents say it's still dangerous there and it's too early to come back. My biggest dream is that the war will end and we will come back home.

Hi, my name is Sofia
and I’m from Kharkiv. I haven’t been home for almost a year. Last spring, my mom and I moved to Kyiv. It had become very scary at home, and they had just stopped shooting here.

It can be dangerous and scary in Kyiv too, especially when missiles are flying, but still it's not like it was at home.

When I grow up, I want to become a designer – I really love creating and fantasizing. In Kharkiv, I used to go to art classes all the time. I continue visiting such activities in Kyiv; they remind me of my home, where there was a lot of laughter, friends, and joy.

I miss my home very much, all my family and friends. I dream about the end of the war and how we will all meet together in Kharkiv.