He found refuge in Jonava: the stories of three families, how the war drove him from home

At the Jonava District Social Services Center (SPC), we meet three foreigners who have been living with their families in this small town in central Lithuania for several years. And it says that you have already felt here.

Lithuanian roots were discovered

The blonde Olena Rohoza is the only one of them to boldly introduce herself by name. A woman of Lithuanian roots (her grandfather was Lithuanian on her mother’s side) came here more than five years ago with her youngest son. Later, the mother and eldest son were brought in and a man arrived.

“It just came to our knowledge then. We lived, we worked like everyone else, we weren’t going anywhere, but such a disaster happened. It seems like it’s far in the past, but as soon as you start talking, things go up again. But we survived it. We were forced to leave home in the occupied territories, the Donetsk region. Of course, we support our country Ukraine, we do not support the introduction of all these innovations: the “republics” of Donetsk and Lugansk.

A man of mine went out to war. And we had to break down because we turned in front of ourselves, our neighbors, even relatives, with some we even lost contact due to political differences. It happened because of threats. We are leaving for the free territory of Ukraine. There I heard that there is a program of this type: to get the compatriots out of the war zone. I was myself with the children and Mom, a man at war.

He was a patriot and he said that if he had to fight for Lithuania, he would also go fight for Lithuania, ”said Olena.

A man of mine went out to war. And we had to crack because we became in front of ourselves: neighbors, even relatives.

She was very interested in that Lithuanian program, her husband supported her idea, so after gathering the necessary documents, she found herself in Vilnius.

With 5 euros in your pocket

“I don’t know how I drove here, now I can’t even imagine how things were. There I left my mother with my oldest son and we arrived with the youngest. A man in the army, part of the family in Ukraine, and we traveled here. I had five euros in my pocket, I was going to a country where I had never been with so much money. But everything went very well, they welcomed us, put us on a bus and took us to the Rukla Refugee Center.

I heard that there have been all kinds of problems for others, it is that the bus is delayed, it is something else, there have been cases where families have arrived and no one is meeting. But it is the families with men that have money. What if they didn’t trust me when I only have those five euros? It would be stressful, ”says Olena with a smile that does not appear on her face.

He says he has never heard nasty comments from local Lithuanians. Maybe it’s because this blonde’s appearance is no different than the average Lithuanian, and her lack of language skills never set foot.

He was a patriot and said that if he had to fight for Lithuania, he would also go fight for Lithuania.

However, the Jonava-based family didn’t just have easy times here: Olen’s wartime husband was involved in an accident, during which he was seriously injured. At that time, a woman who was expecting a third baby remembers the difficulties, only her optimism and could not take it away.

“I was hoping that he would stand up, walk, although the doctors did not promise anything, because the porridge on the man’s legs was only bent, one was even going to be amputated. Unfortunately, it will not walk. But a person is like that, he gets used to everything, he rejoices with what he is.

It helped us a lot that we obtained social housing from the municipality, now I asked, maybe to change someone who would be on the ground floor, then it could be easier for the man to leave. He promised, ”says the woman.

Where do both the optimism and the belief that everything will be fine come from? Olena says that she cannot lower her hands because the children are watching her: “SPC had several classes and here I met Dalia, a psychologist like that.

Until then, I repeated to everyone that everything should be fine, and then she started saying the same thing to me. I could only extend it by hand, yeah yeah that’s exactly what I need. “

Olen’s children attend a Lithuanian school, the little one in a kindergarten. She has a job herself. And here a man has discovered talent in himself and is embroidering pictures with beads, which he sells successfully. “Everything is fine,” Olena said with a wide smile again.

A man in the army, part of the family in Ukraine, and we traveled here. He had five euros in his pocket.

We speak to her in Russian, although Olena has already learned Lithuanian, perhaps just a little complex which is not perfect yet.

The man was taken out of jail and blew up

And here is Raisa, who came from Chechnya (women still fear the relatives left in her homeland, so they ask not to publish her real name) she just wants to speak Lithuanian. And I have to admit that we speak our language perfectly.

“I came with a disabled man from Chechnya more than ten years ago. The man went blind in prison, fighting against Russia. That is why we came here, because of his problems. He has been registered until now, so he will never be able to return to his homeland. He is completely blind and very seriously ill.

My husband and I definitely wouldn’t have come here ourselves, I couldn’t. But our son-in-law helped, we walked through the forest in Belarus, we paid a lot of money. The brother got the man out of jail for a lot of money. Therefore, the search is carried out, because he had to sit for a long time.

I came with a disabled man from Chechnya more than ten years ago. The man went blind in prison, fighting against Russia.

First we were in Pabradė, where we received refugee status, a permanent residence permit. We then headed to Rukla, where we lived for more than two and a half years. There are such great staff! It helped us a lot. Then we moved to Jonava, without help we couldn’t have done it either. But here is the director of SPC, Valentina Demidenko, she is always approaching ”, is the story of Raisa and her husband who settle in Jonava in a few sentences.

Raisa laughs that she is now a resident of Jonava. And he says never listen to unpleasant comments: “There are many refugees who said they did not receive very nice attention. But you already know me or you just don’t pay attention to me because I’m local.

But when I go with other refugees, I see that people are looking at them, but not at me. You already know me. I don’t really feel like a stranger. “

V. Demidenkas Raisai does not skimp on praise: it is only necessary to marvel at the strength and ingenuity of this woman, because she often knows better the peculiarities of the social and health system, the subtleties of legal acts and the like better than the store. Lithuanians.

Raisa does not skimp on advice and also becomes a kind of mediator for compatriots who are also trying to settle in Lithuania. It is true that in recent years the number of Chechens in Lithuania has decreased, although at some point there were indeed many.

There are many refugees who said they did not get a lot of nice attention. But you know me, I’m local.

Bomb at her daughter’s school

Abdulrazzak, his wife and their two children came to Lithuania from Syria. The family decided to leave Damascus, devastated by the war, for security reasons; for example, a bomb was dropped on her daughter’s school, so she was glad there were no children there at the time. One of his brothers was killed, the other is in jail.

“We fled from Syria to Lebanon, then to Turkey, where we lived for almost two years. Then we arrived in Lithuania. While we were in Turkey, we applied for migration to the European Union. The Lithuanian state chose us and we arrived.

We have been in Lithuania for almost 3.5 years, ”says a man who currently works as a translator.

They arrived in Lithuania without knowing anything about it. “I knew the basketball team was very strong,” laughs the man, but admits:

“It just came to our knowledge then. We didn’t speak Lithuanian, but we had to find a job, a house. We lived in the Rukla Refugee Center for half a year. Then we rented an apartment in Jonava, now we live in social housing for about 10 months. ”.

The first year was very difficult. We did not speak Lithuanian, but we had to find a job and a house.

His first job was cutting in a textile factory. This is far from what Abdulrazzak was doing in Syria: singing on stage. In Lithuania, he also sings, both in Arabic and Lithuanian, but only for his pleasure and that of others occasionally.

In Lithuania, the Syrian does not hide his scathing remarks, which has no place here. Still, it feels safe and comfortable here. Va is only asking that his name not be published, because his parents and other relatives still live in Syria, who may be hurt by his son’s criticism of the regime, no matter how pronounced it is in Lithuania.

“I am very happy that my children can go to school and return safely. The important thing is peace, that is what we find in Lithuania “, smiles Abdulrazzak, who does not even intend to leave our country:” No, everything, I will live here, maybe I will die here, only God knows. I feel happy here, Lithuania is my second country. “

I am very happy that my children can return to school safely. The important thing is peace, that is what we find in Lithuania.

The way back does not see

Do you long for your home, your country? Raisa doesn’t hide by yearning and thinking about it on a daily basis, but she doesn’t even consider going to Chechnya for at least a short time. He’s still looking for a man, so she doesn’t know how that journey would end for her as well.

“If the search for a man had not been announced, we would not have lived here, because our country is there. We are with my husband only two, the man is disabled, blind, it is very difficult for me. If my brother were here, it would help, but we are only in two, “Raisa lamented and did not hide,” as long as the current president governs Chechnya, he has no hope of change.

If the man’s search had not been announced, we would not have lived here, after all, our country is there.

Abdulrazzak is also not considering going back: the political situation in Syria is not changing, so it would not be safe for him and his family there.

“I am hopeful, but I think it will be difficult,” the man said openly.

And here Olena just laughs: her loved ones are now in Lithuania, so what about her in Ukraine? Especially since he could not go to the Donetsk region, because the man was blacklisted as a warrior at the front. So Olena didn’t even risk going to her father’s funeral.

“I don’t want to go back, it’s a thing of the past. There are many good and bad memories, but everything I like the most is here with me. I do not want to live it again, I want to look to the future, well, bright and I hope it never happens in any country.

I’m very comfortable here, I like everything here and I don’t want to go anywhere not even to look. What if everything changes there? I do not want. Now we live here. Lithuania is not a stranger to me, it was not difficult for me to come here. There were problems, of course, but they are small things compared to what we went through there, ”says Olena.

And he adds that the most important thing is that when you wake up, you don’t have to listen if the artillery shield is flying by or is already in your house.