Sofija (16) fled Ukraine alone – now she has her mother back

Created: 05/16/2022, 05:02

By: Magdalena Hoecherl

Strong bond between mother and daughter: Kateryna and Sofija Veremeienko have been through a lot in the past few weeks.

© mh

Sofija escaped from Ukraine.

Now she lives with her mother in Attenkirchen.

A story that shows that hope never dies.

Attenkirchen/Irpin

– The tablet on the desk, next to it a block and vocabulary book.

Headphones and Schiller's “Kabale und Liebe” lie on the glass bedside table next to the bed, and clothes lie on the armchair in the corner.

At first glance it looks like a typical teenager's room, but it doesn't quite fit the second: there's a large cupboard full of folders against the wall, and the desk is actually too dominant for the room.

Up until two months ago, Sandra and Jörn Maeding's office was here, on the upper floor of the Attenkirchner family home.

Now it's Sofia's kingdom.

The 16 square meters are not just a room for them: They stand for a new life - in peace and security.

When the war begins, Sofija is at home - her parents in Sri Lanka

Just a few weeks ago, Sofija went to school like all Ukrainian children in her hometown of Irpin, was a normal teenager and was looking forward to her 16th birthday.

But then everything turns out differently: when Russian troops invade Ukraine on February 24, suddenly nothing is the same as it used to be.

The petite girl with the brown hair can probably never forget this day.

Because Sofija isn't a fan of sun and sand, she doesn't feel like going on family vacations in Sri Lanka.

"I preferred to stay at home in Irpin with my grandparents." Her parents should have returned on February 27th.

But three days earlier the war begins - and with it the worst time of her life.

Warm welcome!

Sandra and Jörn Maeding with their dog "Kira" are happy to have Kateryna and Sofija with them.

© mh

Sofija hears explosions almost every day, some of which tear her out of her sleep.

"I spent a lot of time in the bathroom, it was the safest room in the apartment." Because there is no basement.

She and her grandparents try to distract themselves as best they can.

Sofija watches Netflix, loves cartoons like Southpark.

She keeps in touch with her friends via smartphone, some of whom have already fled to Poland or Moldova.

When she learns that the Russian military has arrived in the neighboring town of Bucha, Sofija gets very scared.

It's getting more and more dangerous.

Kateryna is afraid for her daughter

More than 6,000 kilometers away, Kateryna Veremeienko is worried sick.

Just a few days earlier, she and her husband Ruslan were enjoying their vacation in paradise: no to-do's, just relaxation and plenty of sun.

But when the 39-year-old checks her cell phone on February 24, the holidays are suddenly over.

"First of all, I couldn't believe that something like this could happen in our modern world.

Then I was in complete despair because I couldn't be with my daughter.

It drove me crazy.” Kateryna can't eat or sleep anymore.

She only watches the news, at the same time she keeps in touch with her loved ones.

“I talked to Sofija almost every hour.

My fear was huge.”

The father goes back to Ukraine

The couple wants to return home, but flights to Kyiv are no longer possible - too dangerous.

So they fly to Istanbul first and then decide to go on to Prague – “that way we were closer to Ukraine”.

Kateryna has a friend there who organizes an overnight stay.

Her husband Ruslan, who works as a surgeon in Kyiv, was certain from the start that he would return to Ukraine.

"I didn't want that for Sofija and me.

It was just too dangerous.” Because the situation is getting worse and worse, the parents realize: their daughter has to leave the country.

Kateryna organizes the trip from abroad.

"I was extremely nervous, it seemed very dangerous to me." But even Sofija says: "Staying was even more dangerous."

That was the worst day of my life.

Kateryna was very worried when Sofija had to set off alone

When Sofija sets off towards the Polish border to meet her parents a few days after the start of the war, mother Kateryna is more tense than ever.

"That was the worst day of my life.

I imagined all sorts of bad scenarios.” Tears well up in the eyes of the petite blonde woman sitting at the glass dining table in Attenkirchen.

Sofija is able to leave the country - after that bombs destroy the train tracks

In Irpin it is only two degrees that day, there is snow.

Sofija waits four hours with several other people on the platform, the crowd is huge.

As a girl, she is allowed to board the first train to Kyiv.

"The next one couldn't drive because the tracks were destroyed in the meantime." She hears the bombs hitting.

"I was very lucky," she says, smiling at her mom.

I couldn't drink or go to the toilet - for eight hours.

Sofija on her escape from Ukraine

From Kyiv, the plan is to continue to Lviv, near the Polish border.

In order to get there, she is supposed to meet a woman in the capital who will accompany her.

"But she didn't come - and I panicked." At the station, Sofija struck up a conversation with another woman who had the same goal.

She teams up with her.

"There were so many people on the train.

I sat on the floor so as not to have to stand all the time.

I couldn't drink or go to the bathroom - for eight hours."

Image of destruction: Numerous buildings in Irpin have now been destroyed.

Sofija's grandparents also fled from there and now live in Kyiv.

© Emilio Morenatti

It is 2 a.m. when she arrives in Lviv on March 3rd.

There she can finally hug her parents again.

But the joy of the family reunion is short-lived: Sofija has to say goodbye to her father again.

He goes back to the country from which his daughter is fleeing.

As a doctor, he can't help it: he wants to help.

Sofija's big dream: studying journalism in Munich

Sofija and her mother travel back to Prague, where they find accommodation with other refugees in a hall.

"There was a lot of noise, children were screaming, people were crying.

But we got everything we needed.

Food, toiletries, clothes.

People were so friendly and helpful.” Despite this, both feel that they cannot stay here.

Kateryna finally says: "Sofija, you have learned German.

Let's go to Germany!” The student has long dreamed of studying at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich after graduating.

Sofija studied German at school for five years and later took private lessons.

This is now benefiting her: mother and daughter buy a train ticket to Munich – without any contacts, but with a great desire to find accommodation there.

Voluntary helpers from Caritas take care of the refugees who arrive in the state capital.

They not only organize basic catering and corona tests, but also ensure that people find accommodation in the region.

So Sofija and her mom finally end up with the Maedings in Attenkirchen, who have previously contacted us and offered living space.

The girls registered in the morning and picked up their guests at noon

"It all came about relatively spontaneously," says Sandra Maeding.

She and her husband Jörn had two rooms available and therefore registered on Tuesday, March 8th in the morning.

“We picked up Kateryna and Sofija at noon.

And we're very happy to have them both here,” she says as she stands in the kitchen preparing dinner.

On this day there is asparagus, but Ukrainian dishes such as borscht are now also often on the menu.

"Kateryna cooks very well," enthuses Sandra Maeding.

Moment from another time: the "Mama" park in Irpin in October 2021. © Screenshot: instagram/beautifulirpin

Making herself useful in the kitchen comes naturally to Kateryna.

So she can at least give the Attenkirchner couple a little something back.

She repeatedly emphasizes how friendly and helpful the people here are.

"This is so great.

We can count ourselves lucky.”

Freising and Irpin are very similar

They especially liked Freising.

The cathedral city is reminiscent of its home town of Irpin because of its size and proximity to the (state) capital.

“It is beautiful with the cathedral and the small streets.

I'm so glad we're here," says Kateryna in English.

Unlike her daughter, she still speaks little German, but since her arrival she has been trying hard to learn the language as quickly as possible.

To do this, she attends a daily course in Freising.

"The teacher is fantastic," she says enthusiastically.

“I want to learn fast so I can work.” She is a registered nurse and has a business degree.

Before the war, she worked as a research assistant at a biobank company, where substances such as body fluids and tissue samples are managed in databases for research purposes.

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

Meanwhile, Sofija concentrates fully on the school, which she attends twice, so to speak.

Lessons still take place at her school in Irpin, via the Internet.

At the same time she goes to the 10e of the Camerloher-Gymnasium in Freising.

Two classes for refugee children were set up there.

But because Sofija already speaks German so well, she is in the regular class.

"Education is very important to me."

Colorful fountains: Before the war, such pictures - here the town hall - could be seen on the Instagram channel "beautifulirpin".

© Screenshot: instagram/beautifulirpin

Pictures from home make her sad

Often the mother and daughter cannot believe what has happened to them in the past few weeks.

"Sometimes it's as if we were dreaming." But as happy as the two are about being safe in Attenkirchen, the concern for their homeland is just as great.

"The worst thing for me is seeing the pictures from Irpin," says Kateryna.

On Instagram she follows the page "beautifulirpin" - beautiful Irpin.

The canal used to be filled with images of city buildings, parks with blooming flowers or Irpin in the Christmas spirit.

Now most of the photos look different: they are images of destruction, people in mourning and fear, weapons on the streets.

"It's unbelievable to see." The same applies to Butscha: "I'm still shocked at how terribly cruel people can be.

How far the Russians go killing peaceful people.”

The two are glad that Sofija's grandparents, Kateryna's parents, have now left Irpin and moved to Kyiv to live with an acquaintance.

In time, before the neighborhood was attacked as well.

Sofija calls her grandparents regularly.

“They say they are fine.

That it's quiet

Grandpa solves Sudoku, Grandma cooks and goes for walks.” Kateryna talks to her husband every day, at least once.

Her sister and her mother also call her every day.

Sofija's grandparents are from Russia

What Kateryna is struggling with: Her parents are from Russia and came to Ukraine in 1975.

“They have lived here for 47 years.

Everything was fine for 47 years.

And now someone has decided that the Russians in Ukraine need to be 'saved' - but from what?' She shakes her head.

"My grandfather could never understand why we don't learn Russian at school," says Sofija.

"I've always said that's not our official language.

We always argued a bit about that.

Now, of course, his opinion has changed.” Sofija doesn't know when she will see her grandparents and father again.

"We can't plan.

But we hope.”

How can I laugh knowing that girls from my school have been raped by Russian soldiers?

Sofija, who felt guilty after their arrival in Attenkirchen

Mainly because of this uncertainty, the emotional chaos is still huge.

But over the weeks in Attenkirchen, Sofija has calmed down.

“In the beginning I felt a lot of guilt.

I asked myself: How can I laugh when I know that girls from my school have been raped by Russian soldiers?” But over time she comes to understand: “These thoughts make no sense.

I have to move on and take my chance.

Learning, educating myself.” Sofija's big goal is to study journalism at the LMU in Munich.

"I want to return to Ukraine as a political journalist to tell the whole world the truth."

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

You can read all further information on the Ukraine war and its effects in Bavaria here on our Ukraine refugees topic page.