Two Bulgarian women, Olga Kolot, principal of the Todor Minkov Bulgarian Sunday School in the town of Mykolaiv, and Valentina Kaschi, a Bulgarian language teacher at the Vasil Aprilov Sunday School in Odesa, shared their perspective of life before and during the war in Ukraine at the 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Odesa. This year's forum, organized by BTA, took place from June 18 to 21 in three Ukrainian cities - Odesa, Bolhrad and Izmail.
In Ukraine, daily life unfolds amid frequent air raid sirens and power outages. In Odesa, monuments and museums are sealed off. Kolot spoke about resilience amidst conflict: "People have adapted to the war. Lives cannot be put on pause. Even amid the sound of sirens, we strive to carry on."
Life before the war
Kaschi reflected on life before the war: "Life was peaceful and tranquil. Nobody believed such a thing could happen in Europe."
Kolot, who has lived between Bulgaria and Ukraine since the war began, said: "We organized a very active Bulgarian Sunday school and worked tirelessly to maintain the Bulgarian spirit. In the town and district of Mykolaiv, home to over 121 nationalities, we supported each other through various folklore events, festivals and concerts. It was wonderful."
Life after the war
After the war began, life changed. Fear and survival became part of daily life, Kaschi said. "One cannot truly become accustomed to war; we've learned to cope because life must go on." She grappled with the decision to leave Ukraine but stayed for her family's sake.
"The very first words of the aggressor [Russian President Vladimir Putin, editor’s note] were followed by explosions in Mykolaiv. I could see the explosions clearly from my window," Olga Kolot added. She described evacuating people to Bulgaria and the helpfulness of volunteers: "I encouraged everyone to come to Bulgaria. Both Bulgaria and Ukraine are like home countries to me."
Learning to live with war
"We don't have a bomb shelter at the school in Mykolaiv, and my top priority is to create one," Kolot said. "Victory is certain; the real questions are when and at what cost," she concluded.
"We have been having frequent power outages lately. In Odesa, we have no power for three or four hours a day," Valentina Kaschi said. "It's not the worst thing, and we've adapted to it. We light candles, and many people have purchased generators." She added: "The most terrifying part is the bombing and the loss of lives - innocent children, women and men."
"We dream of only one thing: for this war to end quickly and for Ukraine to emerge victorious. I wish that no one in the world would ever have to know what war is. I never imagined it could happen here. As Bulgarians and citizens of Ukraine, we are enduring this terrible time. I believe and hope that the global community will take action to stop this war as soon as possible. In Odesa, we live in hope that the war will be over," Kaschi said.
This article was written with the assistance of BTA's Odesa correspondent Svetlana Dragneva.
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