When you are a child, the world seems safe and predictable. You play, dream, and believe in goodness. But suddenly everything changes. Instead of familiar streets and the laughter of friends, there are strangers in military uniforms, new rules, and a silence that is difficult to perceive. Occupation is not just a word, it is a feeling of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty that changes childhood forever. 

Ten years of occupation is a story of loss and fear, but also of the courage that grows in the heart of a child. In this interview, you will read about the difficult path of 18-year-old Olha who left her home in Crimea in 2024 choosing to be free. She told us about that difficult time – about fragile dreams that survived among the ruins, about the path that leads to freedom and the difficulties in the controlled territory of Ukraine, because of which she had to turn to CrimeaSOS for legal help.   

“When I compare life before and after the occupation, I understand that there has never been such pressure and propaganda from the Ukrainian authorities”

Tell us about your life before the occupation of Crimea. 

I was eight years old when Crimea got occupied, so all my memories of peaceful life are a bright and very cheerful childhood… I remember when the Ukrainian coat of arms hung on the school walls… 

I have a very vivid story about what it was like before the occupation and after. First-graders in our school were not yet given grades, it was practiced only in second grade. And I remember meeting a second-grader boy at school and he told me he got a 12. I then told him that a year would pass, and I would also get 12. And the next year the peninsula was occupied by russia and I never got my 12.  

Childhood reminds me of the magical landscapes of Crimea, crowds of tourists, friends who came from other parts of Ukraine, family feasts. Then there were more colours in life, every moment felt freer, there was freedom.  

When I compare life before and after the occupation, I understand that there has never been such pressure and propaganda from the Ukrainian authorities: children were not “brainwashed”, there was more of a real childhood.

“The school’s coat of arms changed and for some reason russian money suddenly went into circulation”

You were eight years old at the time of the occupation. Do you remember the day russia came to the peninsula? What were you thinking about then? How did you react to this, as a child?  

I remember that day very well. I came to school, and we were told to go back home. Everyone was very scared. The lights in schools were turned off, everything was closing… I didn’t understand what was happening. Nobody told me anything. I understood that something was wrong, I felt certain changes, but I couldn’t understand the reasons. 

At first, the children were not allowed to leave the house and then the occupation was not felt. Later, when school days began again, I noticed that the school’s coat of arms had changed and for some reason russian money had suddenly started circulating. I remember it all vaguely, as if it were some kind of dream.

Did the teachers stay the same, or did the school staff change immediately?  

My teachers haven’t changed. At first, no one knew how to behave during the occupation, so for some time after the arrival of the russian federation, our school even had a Ukrainian language club. That is, both I and my classmates were still able to study Ukrainian as an additional subject at that time. Of course, it was eventually abolished. But I don’t remember the teachers expressing their political stance. Everyone was very afraid and didn’t want to draw attention to themselves.

“In school classrooms, everyone stood and listened to the russian anthem, then immediately to the occupation anthem of Crimea”

Activists in the occupied territories often report cases where teachers are forced to report on pro-Ukrainian children and their parents. Has this happened at your school?  

Yes. It was during the period when I was in school. The practice of denunciations became widespread after the full-scale invasion of the russian federation into the territory of Ukraine, because it was then that the occupiers began controlling everything much more.

After 2022, russian propaganda also gained scale. In particular, to instil in children a sense of love for the “motherland” in educational institutions.

When I was in ninth grade, classes started every day at 8:30 a.m. All students had to be at school by 8:20 a.m., otherwise they couldn’t come in because the school was closed. Then everyone in the classrooms stood and listened to the russian anthem, then immediately to the occupation anthem of Crimea. We had to learn these anthems by heart and write them on a piece of paper as a test. 

We were told what would happen if we spread fake news on social media, that there was a myriad of false information on the Internet, that no one needed to believe it, because the truth was one: russian military personnel were heroes, and everything else was pure disinformation.  

There were also denunciations, but everyone was afraid and almost never expressed their stance. However, I knew many teachers and students who had part of their family in Ukraine and everyone kept this fact as quiet as possible.   

“The occupiers tried to convince ukrainian children that they were russians”

Have you felt the influence of russian propaganda?

I felt it when the occupiers tried to convince Ukrainian children that they were russian. Almost all the children did not understand that they were Ukrainians who were being occupied. Due to the lack of information, age, lack of understanding of life without occupation, we felt both shame and sadness for what was happening in Ukraine, but we felt that we were also russians who was to blame for this. And this is a common belief – many children have such views, even though they are not russian, they simply don’t even know about it. Therefore, propaganda copes with this to some extent – to prove to children that they are not Ukrainians and have nothing to do with Ukraine.  

Children who have pro-russian families are more strongly influenced by propaganda. And they miss the Soviet Union, believing that russia is doing the right thing. 

“My peers don’t realize what life is like without occupation. They can only experience it when they leave”

And did you discuss what was happening among your friends, among your classmates? Maybe someone expressed their stance?  

Everyone was afraid, because there were both denunciations and interrogations. No one wanted to put themselves in danger. But there were also children who stubbornly stood their ground. 

I didn’t express my stance because I knew that I was planning to leave Crimea for the territory controlled by Ukraine, so I didn’t need to attract additional attention to myself, otherwise I wouldn’t leave.  

Also, many of my peers shared their plans that after graduating from college, they would also leave the occupation for the controlled territory of Ukraine and complete their documents here. Most of the children from my environment in Crimea want to leave, although they don’t even realize what life is like without the occupation.  

For example, only when I arrived in the territory controlled by Ukraine, did I realize how much life there is different from here, how much we were cut off from it. That is, it is possible to feel it only when a person leaves the occupation. 

“There is a great lack of information in the occupation about whether it is safe to leave, whether a person would be allowed to cross the borders, whether he/she is welcome in Ukraine”

Why did you decide to enter a Ukrainian higher education institution?  

Many children from Crimea are enrolling in russian educational institutions and there is an explanation for this. Firstly, my friends who went to study in the russian federation were minors. That is, this happens under the influence of the family, when a person not yet able to make important decisions on their own. 

Secondly, there is a great lack of information in the occupation about whether it is safe to leave, whether a person would be allowed to cross the borders, whether he/she is welcome in Ukraine. There is very little of this information. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to obtain this information. Under such conditions, the question arises: “How should a child understand that he or she has the opportunity to enter a Ukrainian educational institution?” 

However, I personally have encountered a small number of cases where friends went to study in russia. The majority of those who are afraid to travel to Ukraine choose to remain in occupied Crimea rather than travel to the territory of the aggressor country.  

“I felt like I was in a dome, in a cage, and had no future”

What was your life like during the occupation? What did you dream about most, what did you feel?  

I lived under occupation for 10 years. In that amount of time, russian propaganda started causing a disgust… I didn’t feel its influence on me, but it’s impossible to convey how annoying it was when at every step I was shoved in my face with St. George ribbons, “Z” symbols, and told about russia as an ideal and that russian military personnel were heroes.  

It was incredibly difficult to study according to russian programs. Education in the occupation was worse than in russia. They even sent us the worst textbooks used by russian schoolchildren. Our school subjects were “russian history”, “russian language”, “russian literature”… However, I felt like I was in a dome, in a cage, and had no future. I felt that the occupation was putting pressure on everything and my prospects were reduced to working either in a local store or in russian state institutions. But why would I need this? I was disloyal to the occupying power.  

I understood what occupation was, and I had been planning to leave the peninsula almost since childhood. I was unable to travel earlier, in particular due to my age and lack of funds.  

But the fact that because of the russians I had to leave my home, the place where I lived for 18 years, and leave it without the possibility of returning until there is Ukraine there – is very difficult. It’s even psychologically difficult to leave everything a person has behind. But I took this step for the sake of the future, for the sake of a normal life. 

“I understood where the truth was and where the lies were”

You said that you didn’t express your stance so as not to draw attention to yourself. How did you realize the scale of persecution for your pro-Ukrainian stance at such an early age?  

To be honest, I don’t know myself. From the very beginning, I had some unconscious understanding of what was happening. I understood where the truth was and where the lies were. I understood that my family in the territory controlled by Ukraine was systematically under russian shelling and that was the only truth. It was obvious to me, I believed my family, rather than the occupation authorities.

“I have a Ukrainian nature – to fight for freedom”

Tell us about the period when you finally decided to leave Crimea. What was it like?  

Leaving the occupation has been in my plans since childhood. I am very militant. I have a Ukrainian nature – to fight for freedom. I started preparing six months before leaving. That is, I had to leave as soon as I turned 18. I saved money for the trip, because it was very expensive. That is why many children from Crimea cannot go. 

I said goodbye to my friends. I didn’t say where I was going for safety reasons, because a person never knows who would set him/her up. And so, I turned 18, celebrated my birthday, packed my things, and left.

“Moldovan border guards treated me as if I were russian”

What were you thinking about when you crossed the border? Were there any difficulties at the borders?

I crossed the russian border without any problems. The border guards probably thought that some girl was going on vacation. I hid my birth certificate very well and they didn’t find it, so there were no questions. However, there is more attention to boys, especially 17-year-olds.

I was traveling through Moldova. The Moldovan border guards didn’t want to let me through, saying they wouldn’t let me into Ukraine with my birth certificate. They threatened me with deportation. I was very scared because some grown men wouldn’t let me through and were laughing at me. They treated me as if I were russian. They asked if I was from Moscow, to which I replied that I was from Crimea. Then they immediately fell silent. Then they told me: “Why do you need to go to Ukraine? It’s hard there now.” And I was a child who flew to Moldova and with teary eyes I didn’t know what to do. But they still let me through. 

At the Ukrainian border, apart from the usual check, I was not asked any questions and was let through. And so, I found myself in territory controlled by Ukraine.

“Despite the constant shelling, I feel safer than under occupation”

What did you feel when you finally crossed the border of Ukraine and met your family?

I can’t describe it… I went, and for the first time in 10 years I saw Ukrainian flags. I felt like I’ve returned home. I had such a sincere sense of shock with a pleasant feeling that I had finally arrived here. It was something incredible. I was so happy to see all this, and it was so unusual to be here. I met up with family I hadn’t seen in years. I managed to do it! 

And even despite the constant shelling, I feel safer than under occupation. It’s a hundred times better here, it’s heaven and earth. 

For a person who has lived almost entire life under occupation, this is simply an incredible experience. I saw how free people lived in a free country. I felt like a person, a personality, and I could finally express my views. I finally understood who I was and what my views were. Because a person doesn’t know that in the occupation. 

I feel freedom to the fullest: freedom of choice, the fact that the world is open to me, that YouTube and all sites work for me, I don’t need a VPN. I just feel like a normal person at the European level. Someone who also lives in a free country, where they have access to all the opportunities, just like everyone else. This is very important.

“The State Migration Service refused to issue me a passport”

What difficulties did you encounter in the territory controlled by Ukraine?

Our State Migration Service works very poorly. As soon as I moved from Crimea and applied for a passport with proof of identity, problems began. Two months passed, and the State Migration Service began to delay issuing my passport, allegedly due to some checks. That is, I was supposed to receive my passport at the beginning of 2025, but due to a delay on the part of the department, this did not happen.  

After three months of checks, in the spring, the State Migration Service refused to issue me a passport. I came and said that I would go to court. That same evening, I went to the website and saw that the documents were being checked again, meaning there was no longer a refusal. So, they were afraid of the court.  

I waited another month and was denied again. Then I turned to the NGO “CrimeaSOS” for legal assistance, and they provided me with a free lawyer, who is currently handling my case.  

So, we sued the migration service, since we already knew the reason for the refusal – my identity was not confirmed, since I was allegedly not in the registers. However, this is complete absurdity, because my identity was confirmed in the presence of witnesses and my lawyer found out that I was in the registers. So, they are simply delaying the process and not wanting to issue a passport for personal reasons, as if they were having fun.  

This is how the migration service treats a person who left the occupation, chose Ukraine and wants to study here, wants to be free.

The court is currently considering my case, but it will still take a lot of time, about half a year. I have been here without documents for many months, and I will not be able to work, receive free medical care, or have a bank card for another six months … 

Fortunately, I live with relatives. I simply cannot imagine how an IDP can survive without relatives who do not live in the occupied territory of Ukraine, especially an 18-year-old girl who cannot even get a job without a passport. The only thing I can do is enrol in a higher education institution. However, I don’t even know if I’ll have time, since I started dealing with this issue late.

By the way, now I need to take medical tests, but I can’t do it for free because I can’t sign a declaration with my family doctor. This means that I have to do it in private clinics. Where will I get the money for this? That is the question.

“Returning to the occupation is a nightmare for me”

Have you ever felt like leaving everything behind and just going back, given all the difficulties?

Of course not. First, I chose Ukraine, and I will never be able to return to Crimea as long as there is russian power there. I don’t want to and won’t do this, because I left for a free country, my country, which I sincerely love, even despite the behaviour of the migration service. Even if I had known before moving about the difficulties that would arise in Ukraine, I would have gone anyway.

My future is very important to me. I could never live among propaganda again. I can’t even imagine going back there. Returning to the occupation is a nightmare for me. I really want to see my home, my land – but only when it is Ukrainian again. It is impossible to imagine it otherwise. 

“Fear always stops everyone”

What would you recommend to young people who also want to leave the occupied territories?  

First, I recommend not being afraid to leave. Because fear always stops everyone. But what is more important, dreams and desires, or fear? In other words, what wins is what a person does.  

I believe that we need to understand that the future is here, in Ukraine, rather than in the occupation. It will be difficult to take this step, but there are organizations in our country that would support a person. In fact, every child is welcome here. And no matter how the migration service behaves, people still help each other, all problems will be solved.  

I recommend not to be afraid and to know one’s rights so that he/she can fully argue, for example, with border guards in Moldova or elsewhere.  

I didn’t issue a certificate myself, but I learned about it and am telling others – it’s important to know. This is a document called a “certificate of return to Ukraine.” It is much easier to cross the border with such a certificate. Yes, one can return without it, but it is more difficult, especially if there are problems with documents, for example, absence of a passport or birth certificate. 

As the migration service explained to me, ideally a person should contact the Ukrainian embassy in the country where they are located and obtain this certificate there. The embassy checks the person against databases and issues a document confirming who the person is and why he/she should be allowed into Ukraine. It is much easier to cross the border with this document – Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine will let the person through without any questions. 

Therefore, my advice: if possible, it is better to issue a certificate of return to Ukraine in advance. This will really make it easier to return home. 

“Getting a Ukrainian education under occupation is possible, but very dangerous”

Many young people leave the occupied territories with the intention of entering Ukrainian universities. This usually requires basic knowledges according to the Ukrainian curriculum. You spent 10 years under occupation, studied under the russian system — how do you prepare for admission in that case? Is there access to Ukrainian textbooks, online resources, or programs that help transition to the Ukrainian education system?

That’s the problem – it’s all extremely dangerous. Access to Ukrainian websites in the occupied territories is strictly controlled. It is very easy to track that someone is accessing Ukrainian resources. And after that, the FSB officers can just come. And, as a rule, it doesn’t end well. 

Therefore, it turns out that a child actually has no opportunity to receive a Ukrainian education: he/she cannot simply go to the site, because this could put both him/her and the entire family at risk. And if someone does take the risk, the chance of leaving the occupation is greatly reduced. 

This is a huge problem in education indeed. I am currently preparing for admission and realize that I will be studying alongside children who have studied for 10 years under the Ukrainian curriculum – Ukrainian language, history, and literature. And I’ve only been in free Ukraine for seven months. I started speaking Ukrainian here, but my grammar is still weak. I only know the history of Ukraine superficially – I also learned it in the last few months. Before that – no access at all. 

Theoretically, there are examples: I have heard about children who studied remotely in Ukrainian colleges, but these were isolated cases. And, to be honest, this is only possible where parents understand well how to bypass the blocking, how not to “det caught” so that the security forces don’t come to them the next day. It’s very risky. 

I can’t even recommend going this route – for safety reasons. I know of cases where people were reported and it ended badly. A child should not find themselves in such a situation. Although, of course, I really want children in the occupied territories to have access to Ukrainian education. And there are such initiatives, but it is always associated with risk. I personally spoke with the person who coordinates such underground schools. And even if everything is hidden, everything looks good up to a certain point, parents can be taken away, kept in basements, interrogated when it is “exposed”. 

Therefore, obtaining a Ukrainian education during the occupation is possible, but very dangerous. And one needs to be aware of what he/she is getting into. 

Another important problem is the lack of clear information. For example, I knew that I had to leave when I was 18, but I had no idea what to do with my education next. Only here, on the spot, did I start to understand it. But there is a lack of information here too. There is not even a simple scheme that the migration service could provide. 

It would be very good if the Administrative Service Centres or migration services had informational materials – for example, about the existence of NGOs such as CrimeaSOS or EastSOS. Because I only found out about them through friends. If it weren’t for them, I don’t know how I would have found these organizations at all. And the same situation applies to educational centres: what should a child who has just arrived do?

In my case, I arrived with a high school education and didn’t understand what to do next. The situation became clearer only when I was consulted by someone who helped IDPs with education. And what about those children who have just arrived and have no friends, support, or advice?

This is a serious issue, and it requires a systemic solution. 

“Denunciations are indifference to others disguised as “loyalty to the system””

You also mentioned denunciations in the occupied territories. Why do you think people do this? What do you think drives them?

When children do this… Well, I can’t say for sure, because I haven’t talked to such people and haven’t asked them directly. But, if we analyse their behaviour, it seems to me that when one child “complains” about another – for example, at the age of 6-7, when someone heard something and went “to tell” – it most often happens not out of malice, but because of misunderstanding. Just a little child who doesn’t realize the consequences of his/her actions. 

Likewise, a child who could say something – most likely, he/she simply repeated what he/she heard at home from parents. That is, it is not anger or betrayal – it is, rather, a consequence of the surrounding atmosphere. Children are essentially taught to report. They are told that it is normal, that it is “right,” just like in Soviet times. Propaganda has a strong impact on children’s psyches, and if this propaganda didn’t exist, I think children wouldn’t report each other. 

It’s a little different with adults. I think they don’t report out of a desire to intentionally harm someone. It is rarely pure anger or a desire to “destroy” someone. Most often, it happens for personal gain. Someone wants to increase their authority, to show: “I’m right,” “I’m loyal,” “I’m a good guy.” This could be an attempt to get a better position, some kind of promotion, or simply approval from others. 

So, in my opinion, this is a selfish behaviour. A person doesn’t think about what will happen to the person they reported. The person only cares about what he/she gets out of it. It’s just indifference to others, disguised as “loyalty to the system.” 

But this is my personal opinion.

“Yes, I am afraid. But my desires are always stronger than my fear”

You are truly an extremely strong and wise person. It is incredible how much courage you have – especially for an 18-year-old girl. It inspires sincere respect.

I guess I’ve been like that all my life. It’s just my nature – brave since childhood. 

You know, if it weren’t for my nature, I’m not sure I could have left.

Yes, I’m afraid. But my desires are always stronger than my fear. That’s what keeps me going.