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Ukrainian in Berlin: "You saved my life"

2022-04-10T14:09:57.787Z


When Putin's troops invade Ukraine, Maria Gardemann and Robert Dorft feel helpless. They decide to take in 19-year-old Kate from Kharkiv. How does living together work?


AreaRead the video transcript expand here

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes!"

"I also."

It looks familiar.

The Berlin couple prepares lunch with Kateryna Zhuravlova.

But Kate, as she wants to be called, lived until recently in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine.

The war caught her completely unprepared - now she lives with Maria Gardemann and Robert Dorft.

How does living with a complete stranger work?

When Putin's troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, the couple felt helpless in their home in Berlin's Kreuzberg district.

Robert Dorft, pensioner:


»We have become really lethargic.

I was on the couch for eight days and was just in the tunnel - live block, live block, news.

And you became quite passive and only let yourself be sprinkled on.

And the moment we set up the room, you went from being passive to being active and we were fine straight away.«

For the two pensioners it is quickly clear: they want to take someone with them.

Kate gets what used to be the family's nursery.

Robert Dorft, pensioner:


With Kate, it actually worked out right from the start.

So how she got in.

This also has something to do with our children – same age.

And we immediately had a feeling that a child we were familiar with would come in.

You feel a bit like a parent and the chemistry was very good right from the start.«

Reading the news is still difficult for all three.

Kate's hometown of Kharkiv is among the cities hardest hit by the Russian army's attacks.

Kateryna Zhuravlova, student:


»I do it (read the news) in the morning because if I do it at night I can't sleep.

And sometimes when I do it in the morning I can't have a normal day.

Because all the thoughts are there.

For example, a few days ago there were new pictures from Bucha.

I was throwing up all day.«

Maria Gardemann, pensioner:


"When you hear something like Butscha, also Mariupol, so this is included... tears often come to my eyes."

Robert Dorft, pensioner:


"We're still in the tunnel."

Finding each other wasn't that easy for the three of them.

Maria Gardemann initially approached churches in her area.

Although they accept Ukrainians at short notice, they do not offer placement services.

So she tried online mediation portals – without success there, too.

Finally it worked via a chat group at the messenger service Telegram.

Kate moved in with the family about two weeks ago and is slowly adjusting to the new room.

She hardly has anything from her home country.

When the war broke out, Kate was on a skiing holiday with her father in Austria.

The mother fled to them via Poland.

Kateryna Zhuravlova, student:


»Here is my wardrobe.

And these are vyshyvankas.

My parents made them.

My mother was lucky and was able to bring me some of the shirts.

This is my favorite

I appreciate it very much.

All other clothes are from volunteers.

Here are some hoodies, the jacket.

You know, when you don't have anything, it's hard to keep your style from life before.

And I think I was stylish.

And that's where I found this jacket.

It's totally vintage with those wood details.

It's nice."

Kate's parents are still in Austria.

The 19-year-old came to Berlin from Austria to start a new course here.

At the same time, she still attends online classes at her Ukrainian university.

Her host family goes to great lengths to ensure that Kate feels at home with them and can at least sometimes forget the horrors in her home country - and Maria Gardemann and Robert Dorft helped the young Ukrainian move in and took away their fainting.

Kateryna Zhuravlova, student:


»We always have lunch and dinner together, play together.

And they are very warm to me.

It doesn't bother me that I have to be alone.

I'm just suffering from the situation at home.

But here they help me a lot, they saved my life.

The whole world is helping Ukrainians right now and without this help it would be impossible for us to survive.

And now I can say I survived, I'm alive.

And that's the best thing I could dream of right now.«

Source: spiegel

All life articles on 2022-04-10

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