Monica Sandu '24
Co-Executive Editor
Of the seven million Ukrainians forced from their homes since the start of the war, over 1.7 million of them fled to Romania.[1] As of the end of August, 86,178 have chosen to stay.[2] Over 4,000 are unaccompanied children.[3] This summer, I had the opportunity to see for myself how Romania was adapting and how Ukrainians were adjusting to life across the border.
This is a difficult article to write. I can only speak as to what I’ve seen, recognizing that I cannot possibly capture the full reality. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to write this article in order to humanize those numbers above. Their stories deserve to be heard.
In Bucharest, messages of support for Ukraine were a constant backdrop to the rhythm of everyday life. Posters across town featured a QR code that linked to a government website with job hunting resources. Graffiti on the sides of walls featured the Romanian and Ukrainian flags together, with a heart between them. Nowhere were these messages more prominent than in the city center, where large signs across Bucharest’s famous landmark buildings proclaimed, “Solidarity” in Romanian and Ukrainian. Ukrainian refugees were even given free access to all public museums. Bucharest’s central train station, Gara de Nord, was a flurry of constant activity. Lines of tents were set up throughout the terminal, with signs in English and Ukrainian pointing to information stands, food, medical services, and even temporary lodging. Amidst the sea of travelers heading to and from vacation during the peak season, translators stood out in bright yellow vests, ready to assist anyone who needed it.
On a train from the mountains, my parents met two young women who were third-year marketing students at the University of Kyiv. They told us they had made lots of friends during their stay, and that they were trying to use their time in Romania to explore the country. Both were hopeful that they would be able to return and finish their degrees. In the city of Brasov, near central Romania, Ukrainian children sat at tables in the central courtyard of our hotel, where they were housed, and practiced their Romanian lessons. Tourists and refugees stayed under the same roof, swapping good mornings and thank yous around the breakfast buffet in a mix of languages.
While at the seaside, I saw many Ukrainian families with small children playing by the shore as the parents watched over them (or, occasionally, even joined in on the fun). For this moment, they were safe. They could sit on the sand, share an ice cream cone, and enjoy as normal a childhood summer as they could. Everyone I spoke with was extremely friendly. Their children laughed with pure delight as they ran from the oncoming waves or built sandcastles with other families, despite the language barrier.
During my time at the beach, I met a woman from Odessa. She said she was extremely grateful for the welcome she received and the hospitality of the locals. She had left Ukraine with her elderly mother and a group of her friends only a few days after the start of the conflict. “I did not tell my mother about the war,” she mentioned. “We all left quickly, but we told her we were taking her on vacation. My mother remembers the last war. I could not make her suffer again.” Her mother passed away one month later. She was interred in a local cemetery, unable to be returned to her home. However, in the face of such tragedy, there was also a small comfort. “It’s very similar to Odessa,” the woman remarked, looking out over the vast expanse of the Black Sea. “The waves, the coast, the view. It’s the same sea.”
Overall, what struck me most was the sense of optimism among everyone I met. Though their worries were never fully gone, Ukrainians were making the most of their time abroad, filled with the hope that soon, they will be home again.
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m7mn@virginia.edu
[1] All data and statistics in this article come from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ Situation Report, published Sept. 6, 2022: https://reliefweb.int/report/romania/regional-refugee-response-plan-ukraine-situation-inter-agency-operational-update-romania-august-2022.
[2] Out of the 86,178 total refugees, 59,056 so far have obtained temporary protection status, which grants access to jobs, education, and healthcare. Sixty-five percent of these protected refugees are women and girls.
[3] According to the UN: “Since the beginning of the humanitarian crisis, 4,218 unaccompanied children have been registered by the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection. Currently, 963 unaccompanied children remain in Romania together with a relative or a caregiver.” An additional 210 Ukrainian children are in the state protection system.