Here are 10 questions that help to highlight the experiences of migrants in Germany: the journey, the inner state and new perspectives.
1. Where are you from and when did you come to Germany?
My name is Galina, I am 34 years old. I come from Baryshivka, Kiev region. I have been living in Kiev since I was 15 years old, studying, working and building my life. In 2021, she defended her doctoral thesis in biology at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. For nine years she worked at the National Botanical Garden M.M. Hryshko, and for the past two years she has also been teaching at a construction college.and for two years she has also been teaching at a higher school of civil engineering.
She came to Germany on March 8, 2022 with her mother, two cousins and their children to visit my sister.
2. What was the main reason for your move? One word - WAR. After the explosion near my house, I had no choice but to flee
3. What was your trip to Germany like? What do you remember most?
The journey from Kiev to Düsseldorf took three days. There was chaos at the station in Kiev, thousands of people, panic. My mother and I managed to get into the vestibule of the train. We traveled for 12 hours to Lviv and spent the night on a cold railroad crossing, waiting for the train to Przemyśl. I remember volunteers with tea and sandwiches and a teenager who I helped not to faint from hunger. The hardest part was the border: 23 hours on a crowded train with nowhere to move. Volunteers brought water and food for the women and children in the field. It was like a miracle.
The next stops: Przemysl, Krakow, Berlin. We traveled without tickets, the main thing was to find a place for my mother. In Berlin, volunteers helped again: they fed us, warmed us up, gave us food for the journey and put us on a train to Düsseldorf. It was three days full of fear, cold and exhaustion. But they were also three days full of humanity, support and strength.
4. What was your first day in Germany like?
On March 8, 2022, my sister picked us up at the train station in Düsseldorf in the morning. We arrived at her house and after three days on the road, a hot shower and borscht for lunch seemed like paradise. But in the evening I felt sick - my body just couldn’t take the stress anymore. The city seemed familiar because I had visited it before, but in a strange way everything was new. In the first few weeks, I walked a lot - first thanks to the free transportation, then thanks to a 9-euro ticket. The walk along the Rhine was real therapy. I shed a lot of tears there… I had a lot of fears, but there was no time to be afraid. I dealt with them step by step.
5. What difficulties did you face in your new place of residence?
First of all, the language barrier. People say something, want something, and you don’t understand what’s going on. I was lucky with the accommodation: first I lived in a hotel for four months, then in an apartment for two months, and six months later I got my first one-room apartment. Six months after that, I got a two-room apartment. I had the biggest difficulties with work: lots of rejections or even silence. But as soon as I realized that I wanted to work, I found a job in less than 10 days. But that’s another story.
6. What helped you to adapt?
The support from my family, personal resources and the desire not to give up. I started an introductory German course in April and an integration course in May. I looked for a language café to practise the language. Walks with my camera, yoga and meditation helped me a lot. The YouTube channel YOGA with Maria was particularly helpful - I found exercises and lectures there that really helped me.
7. Do you feel like a part of German society?
Yes, especially after I started working and paying taxes, I felt like I was part of this system as well.
8. What has changed in your personality during your stay here?
I have become stronger and started to believe more in myself and my abilities. I’ve learned to live in the here and now - and not to put life off until “later” because there might not be a tomorrow. Professionally, I stay in my field. I started from scratch - now I work as a gardener in a large company called Gartenhof Küsters. Incidentally, the managing director is always open to new employees - anyone interested in gardening is very welcome!
9. What would you like to say to other migrants who are just starting out?
Remember that we are representatives of Ukraine abroad, like ministers of foreign affairs. Believe in yourself and your strength - it all depends on your attitude and desire. Everything is in your hands!
10. What are your relations with other migrants? What unites or divides you?
The relations are good, we support each other. For almost a year now, I’ve been involved with Plast in Dusseldorf - I’ve become a teacher of a girls’ group. If you don’t know what it is, be sure to find out!
It’s an incredibly interesting story about a strong woman. Thank you
