Two teenagers who fled the war-torn city of Kyiv in Ukraine to stay with their UK family have started their first day at school in the UK today.
Daniil Dushaiev, 15, and Kate Kozyrieva, 13, were very excited to be starting St Thomas More RC School, in Blaydon, Gateshead, after arriving in the UK earlier this month.
The teens are staying with Danil's sister, Slava Shumihin and her husband Oleg in their Rowlands Gill home after Slava, 36, flew out to Poland to bring her brother and cousin Kate to the UK.
Read more: Ukrainian teens settle in to new temporary home in Rowlands Gill
The pair - who have been following online lessons set by their Ukrainian schools since fleeing in March, say they are pleased to be going to school, although it's a very different experience to their schools back home. Wearing a uniform, travelling on a double-decker bus and playing cricket were Danil's highlights of the day, as well as getting to grips with the language and the school's house system. "It's like being in Harry Potter," he said.
"It was different that every lesson people around you change and that I could choose the lessons I liked as I am in KS4. I chose art, drama and business. In Ukraine, we had no school uniform, and had seven lessons of 45 minutes each. I think the uniform looks smart and I feel like I'm in a movie. It's cool! But the biggest difference is that everyone spoke English! I didn't understand all of the lessons, but the teachers helped us with some translation and tried to make the lessons as understandable as possible for us."
Kate can't wait to go back tomorrow and is raring to start leaning French for the first time. "I liked my day so much," she said. "It was all so friendly. One girl even took a photo of me! I loved my uniform. We don't have uniforms in Ukraine, but I think it would be nice to have such lovely school clothes. I had the chance to play guitar in my lunch hour, which I loved."
Joanne Cevantes, head of House at St Thomas More, said the school felt it was a privilege to support Danil and Kate while they stayed in the UK.
"It is very much the ethos of the school that Danil and Kate feel welcomed and can learn, progress and flourish," she said. "They are both wonderful young people and have settled very well into school life so far. They have been buddied up with others and they loved the facilities we have here.
"It's a very exciting opportunity for the school and we will support the family as much as we can."
Slava has lived in Rowlands Gill for two years with her 40-year-old husband Oleg. She told ChronicleLive how she travelled from the UK to collect her younger brother, and ended up with her young cousin into the bargain. And after a 22 day wait, while the children's UK visas were sorted out, the three finally boarded a flight to Newcastle Airport on March 31.
Slava and Daniil's mum, Anhela, who is staying in Ukraine as a volunteer in the Territorial Defence Force in capital Kyiv, put Daniil on an evacuation train to Lviv, where he was met by Slava. Kate was originally going to stay with her parents and older brother in their village outside Kyiv, but her parents were growing increasingly concerned about their daughter's safety and made the snap decision to evacuate her after the village next to theirs was bombed. She left wearing her mum's shoes, which are two sizes too big.
Slava and Oleg have previously spoken about the support they have received from their local community in Rowlands Gill and the wider North East area.
And although the couple have their hands full now, they are still trying to help their friends and relatives in Ukraine by finding homes for those who want to leave, although Slava says that most people want to stay in Ukraine. "I put out a message asking local people to consider opening their homes to Ukrainians, and I was overwhelmed with local support," she said. "I got nearly 20 offers from local people in Rowlands Gill and more than 15 from further afield, so huge, huge support from North East people.
