News from home: “Odessa asks not to go to the beach so as not to be blown up”

Created: 04/01/2022, 21:14

Natalia Aleksieieva: "Can't the whole world unite and stop this horror?" © Marcus Schlaf/IMAGO (Montage)

She fled the Ukraine war from Odessa to Munich.

Since then, Natalia Aleksieieva has been telling about her new life in her column.

Fled from Ukraine: Natalia Aleksieieva gets bad news every day

I've been in Munich* for 25 days now.

Terrible news comes from home every day.

Everything my friends tell me is hard for me to imagine.

Two rockets flew over my friends heads the other day, one of which was shot down in front of their eyes and crashed into the sea.

What is it like seeing rockets with your own eyes, knowing that they cripple people, destroying buildings and having to understand that there is nothing you can do about it?

Just now, while I am writing this column, the news came that the Nikolaev Regional State Administration was under rocket fire, buildings were destroyed and there were casualties.

About the author Natalia Aleksieieva

Natalia Aleksieieva (27) fled from Odessa to Munich on March 7.

She has received a lot of help and is currently living with a host family.

Your goal is to be able to stand on your own two feet as quickly as possible.

In her column she reports about her new life in Bavaria - and about the news, the situation in her Ukrainian homeland.

She writes her texts in German.

Read the story of Natalia Aleksieieva's escape from the Ukraine war here*.

All information and articles on the situation of refugees in Ukraine in Bavaria can be found on our topic page*.

Natalia Aleksieieva regularly reports about her new life in Munich and news from her native Odessa.

© Marcus sleep

Ukraine war: "Can't the whole world unite and stop this horror?"

The headlines of local Telegram channels give a glimpse of the situation in the south of the country I come from: “In the Odessa region they tried to land saboteurs on speedboats.” “The Odessa mayor's office asks not to go to the beach walk so as not to be blown up.” Can't the whole world unite and stop this horror?

Official sources claim that Ukraine's losses from the war exceed $1 trillion.

After reading this, I thought that this amount was nothing compared to the terrible fates.

Life in the Ukraine war: "I try to help where I can"

In 25 days in Munich I submitted documents to the migration service and received a residence permit, got two jobs, opened a bank account, visited the sights of the city.

I have achieved all of this thanks to the great help of everyone here.

I try to help where I can.

The Telegram channel I created to help compatriots in Munich has more than 40 people.

There I share information on how to fill out documents or contact volunteers.

Refugees reports on the crisis center's aid initiative to help Ukrainians

I recently spoke to Sofia Obrashcheva, one of the main coordinators of the aid initiative of the Crisis Center for Helping Ukrainians of the non-profit organization GOROD in Munich.

The Russian-speaking inhabitants of the city have joined forces and organize the transport of people from the Polish and Romanian borders to Munich, help with the contact point, set up a distribution point for humanitarian aid, run an information point: "Our team has grown very quickly - we were ten, now our group has more than 2000 people willing to help,” says Sophia.

Ukrainian calls for help: "I really want peace in my homeland"

This help has become possible thanks to the big hearts of the people of Munich who bring donations to the center.

At the same time, it requires a lot of organization.

Every day I communicate with both Ukrainian refugees and Munich colleagues in the company where I got a job.

The former say: "We need housing, but we don't know where to turn." While I hear from work colleagues: "Many of us have the opportunity to temporarily provide housing for Ukrainians, but we still don't know how we should do it.”

I want everyone who can help with the apartment search and everyone who needs this help so much to find each other.

My heart overflows with gratitude towards the people of Munich.

And I really want peace in my homeland.

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