From the Ukrainian radio to the bakery

Created: 05/03/2022 10:17 am

 Working and thinking differently: Olena Shumakova (centre) with Angelika and Werner Nau.

© Metzler

Just sitting around and waiting to see what the future brings: that's not Olena Shumakova's thing.

After fleeing Ukraine, she found accommodation in the district and has already found a job.

Her friend also already has a job – both work in areas where people are urgently needed.

Grunertshofen – “Daughter, wake up, quick, the war is beginning!” Olena Shumakova shouted to her 14-year-old daughter Bogdana on the morning of February 24th.

The 46-year-old Ukrainian says that she only knew such words from movies.

In the middle of the bakery Werner Nau she describes her escape.

"Before that day, I didn't know what explosions sound like." There had been talk of war for a long time, but nobody really believed that this was possible in the 21st century.

For days, the women lived with their children in the car while struggling through endless traffic jams towards the Polish border.

© Private

Now, at least for a while, the work in the bakery distracts the Ukrainian from such gloomy thoughts.

"Here people smile, joke and always ask how I'm doing," says Olena Shumakova.

Her German could still be improved.

But with English it folds well.

Her employer Werner Nau agrees.

"She is a very reliable, nice and extremely clean worker," says the foreman of the Brucker bakers' guild, praising his new employee.

Olena and her daughter now live with Maria Hübel.

Her friend Alla and her sons found a place to stay with Rudolf and Martina Keckeis.

The Ukrainian works as an interpreter in the district office.

Bring to safety

Olena Shumakova is actually a radio editor.

On the day her escape began, she wanted to work in the editorial office of her radio station Roks in Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine.

Your daughter should go to school.

Instead, they and their block neighbors lugged blankets, water, tea, sandwiches, flashlights, and first-aid kits down to the basement.

As she sat there, Shumakova, her friend Alla and a neighbor decided to drive the children to safety in the Carpathian Mountains.

Progress was gradual.

After two hours they had only gone five kilometers.

In Kyiv they were stuck in traffic for nine hours.

helicopters circling

Russian helicopters circled overhead.

Alla steered, Olena watched the route and constantly listened to news.

Alla was in constant contact with the Schäfer family from Langwied near Grunertshofen.

You have known the Ukrainian since childhood.

The Schäfers persuaded Alla not only to take the children to safety.

The mothers should come with them to Bavaria.

And so the women changed their plan.

They drove towards the Polish border.

They waited three days for the conversion.

Wrapped in blankets, they kept walking around the parked cars to keep warm.

"At night we woke each other up to take turns stretching our legs." Everyone was exhausted and could understand the situation.

"When people brought us large containers of warm tea, I cried like a child." The second time the tears fell was when they were in Poland.

At a hotel in Kraków, they could finally shower, eat, and sleep in one bed once again.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular FFB newsletter.)

After five days they arrived in Landwied with Otti and Alfred Schäfer.

They took in Olena, her friend and the children.

"Alfred started teaching us German," says Shumakova.

But she was only able to take part in it for a short time, she quickly found work – in the bakery.

The 14-year-old daughter is now attending school.

"Maria and friends set up rooms for us, did some shopping and made our life a little more normal," says Olena Shumakova gratefully.

"She prepares great dishes, takes us for walks and excursions." The Ukrainian is already thinking about how she can return the favor one day.

Big gratitude

When the 46-year-old is not working in the bakery, she continues to work for her station.

She transfers part of her earnings to the accounts of the volunteers in Ukraine.

"I don't know how much longer I'll be here," she says.

"But I know that I will remember everyone here." Maybe later she will write a book about Bavaria and its people.

"I'm waiting for Ukraine's victory and for a return to my family, to my older daughter, to my father." At the moment she is constantly worried about her loved ones - especially her 23-year-old daughter.

She stayed in Ukraine with her boyfriend, who works in the kitchen of the Ukrainian army.

You can find more current news from the district of Fürstenfeldbruck at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.