Angelina: Music as a Weapon and a Voice of Hope
From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the lives of millions of Ukrainians turned into a continuous horror, uncertainty, and a struggle for survival. Angelina's story is not just a tale of war, but a testament to the indomitability of the spirit, the pain of separation, and the strength that is born in the darkest of times. Her journey—from a premonition of disaster in her native Kherson region to volunteering in Lviv and searching for a new life in Great Britain—reflects the fate of many who were forced to leave their homes but did not lose faith and hope.
A Premonition and the First Blow
Even before February 24, 2022, Angelina felt that something terrible was coming. She actively followed the news and understood that disaster was unavoidable. "In fact, before the first day of the war... I already knew something would happen," she recalls. On the eve of the invasion, while in Lviv, she begged her parents, who remained in the Kherson region with her 10-year-old sister, to come to her. "I have a bad feeling, please, come here to me," she pleaded. But her parents, like millions of others, did not believe in the possibility of a full-scale war. "No, no, everything's fine, don't worry," they reassured her.
Waking up at six in the morning to a message from her sister saying "the war has started," Angelina initially thought it was a joke. But the news dispelled any illusions. "I open the news and see that a full-scale invasion has begun, I was in shock," she shares. The first call was to her mother, who was tearfully trying to buy tickets to leave, but it was too late. The Antonivskyi Bridge, the only way out of the occupied part of the Kherson region, was already under enemy control.
"Our town was not far from Crimea... literally 40 minutes, and they had already started entering the town," Angelina says. Meanwhile, in the first few hours in Lviv, there was complete chaos. She grabbed her "emergency suitcase" with documents and essentials and went outside. "The chaos I saw on the streets, I will probably never forget in my life... everyone had glassy eyes, just looking at each other with such animal fear," she recalls. However, it was at this moment that the incredible unity of people was revealed. In the store, where everyone was trying to buy groceries, there was mutual assistance: "One person would pass some products to another... and you could feel this support and cohesion right in the air."
Life Under the Sound of Sirens and in Occupation
The scariest thing was not even the threat to her own life, but the fate of her relatives who were in the occupied territory. Communication with them was unstable and eventually disappeared completely. "It was very scary because I just couldn't sleep at night. I was thinking about how they were, whether they were alive," Angelina shares. When communication was lost for a whole month, it was the worst period of her life.
When her mother finally called her after a rather long time, the reality of the occupation turned out to be more terrifying than any imaginings. Searches and threats began. "My dad had to bury all the Ukrainian symbols we had at home in the ground so that, God forbid, they wouldn't find anything, because it could cost a life," Angelina says.
But after two and a half years of separation, a miracle happened: Angelina was finally reunited with her father and sister. It happened on Christmas and was like a scene from a movie. However, her sister's stories about life under occupation were shocking. The child had learned to distinguish the sounds of different weapons. But the deepest scar was left by an event from the first days of the invasion. "She told me that in the first days of the war there was a very loud roar. Mom and Dad went outside to see, and I was told to stay in the room," Angelina recounts her sister's words. "And she was so scared, she huddled in a corner, got under the table and said: 'I thought this was the end. That I would die today. I didn't know if Mom and Dad would come back'." This childhood experience of terror and loneliness made her "wise beyond her years."
A New Life in England: From Culture Shock to a Second Family
The realisation that the war would be long-term forced Angelina to seek refuge abroad. She chose Great Britain. "I remember the first day I landed... I was in a stupor and shock. Because I thought: 'Great, I know the language, I'm a teacher'. And then I hear a very strong accent and don't understand anything! Oh my god, what is this?" she laughs.
She was incredibly lucky with her sponsor family, who lived in the county of Surrey. "They truly became my second family," she says with warmth. They were traditional British people who respected all customs, and they involved Angelina in their lives as much as possible. "I saw how they celebrate everything, from Guy Fawkes Night to Christmas... On Christmas Eve, they took me to an ancient church, and I rang the bells for the whole village. It was an incredible experience, like in a movie."
The sponsors surrounded her with care that was felt in every little thing. "They hugged me like their own when I first arrived. I just walk into my new home, and they've bought me a bunch of goodies and a bouquet of sunflowers... It was so sweet, it brought me to tears." This support was not formal, but deeply human, which allowed Angelina to finally feel safe after many months of air raids.
Expanding Horizons: Photography and Her Own Voice
After moving to London, Angelina began to actively explore new opportunities for self-expression. Seeking new ways to see and capture the world, she found another creative passion. "I went to photography school because I've loved taking pictures since I was a teenager," she says. Photography became a tool for her to capture the moment, convey emotions, and take a new look at the reality that had become her temporary home. She began to travel a lot, exploring the beauty of Great Britain and photographing everything around her. Thus, she created a calendar with her own photos, which she distributed among friends and acquaintances.
But playing the piano and teaching hold an important place in her life, as it is part of her creative mission. All this time, a desire was growing within her not just to perform music, but to speak with her own voice. "My main idea is to perform with my own original music," Angelina shares. She writes musical pieces and songs in which she invests all her pain, experiences, and hope.
Now she has taken a decisive step towards realising this dream. "I've started taking lessons very seriously with a teacher because I'm writing songs and plan to release my own album," she says.
Interestingly, her first song, written back in 2019, was called "War". Back then, it was a metaphor for an internal struggle, but today this song is interpreted completely differently. It's no surprise that when she performs it, the audience cries. "When I see how strongly this song affects people emotionally... I understand that I want my music to be heard by as many people as possible. I think that by finding a reflection of their own stories in my lyrics and melodies, listeners will feel that they are not alone, and that gives hope."
This new vocal project for Angelina is not just a career step. It is a way to turn trauma into art, and a personal story into a universal message. "I feel internally that I am ready for this. I want to carry Ukrainian culture to the world in this way. The time has come." Her story is a hymn to the power of the spirit, which proves that even in the darkest times, creativity, love, and faith can become a weapon that gives hope and brings victory closer.
A New Life in England: From Culture Shock to Her Own Business
It was in Britain that Angelina realised that her main weapon is music. Her first charity concert, organised with the support of her sponsor, raised almost £6,000. Since then, she has played numerous concerts, raising a total of about one million hryvnias.
In parallel with her charitable activities, she began to build a new professional life. At first, she worked with children in local schools, and later, using her language skills, she became a translator in the public sector, helping Ukrainians with translation in medical institutions. It was this work that accidentally pushed her towards her dream—opening her own music studio. A chance meeting in a hospital led her to the ideal premises. "I walked into the room, and my first thought was: 'This is what I need. This is it'. Lots of light, and space," she recalls.
But the quoted rental price was unaffordable. However, after a week of deliberation, the owner of the premises met her halfway. Thus began her "adventure". "I had never had experience running my own business. I didn't understand how to find clients and create a development strategy," she admits. Finding an instrument was a separate challenge. "I couldn't find the right instrument in London, it's very funny. As a result, I had to go to another city, buy it, and go through 9 circles of hell with the delivery... First, they lost one box, then they left another box at the wrong address. Honestly, you could have filmed the whole thing. There were obstacles at every step, as if the universe was testing me to see if I really needed this." The first month was the hardest, but gradually, thanks to perseverance, the first students came. Angelina realised that her advantage was the strong Ukrainian music school, combined with modern international methodology. Today, her studio is successfully operating and developing, proving once again that anything in life is possible if you desire it strongly and put in maximum effort.
