Milana is 11 years old. The war took away her home in Sievierodonetsk and forced her family onto a path of displacement, moving through Lviv to Vinnytsia. Behind these relocations are fear, loss, and childhood questions without easy answers. At the same time, Milana has retained her sensitivity, attentiveness, and ability to speak honestly about her experience. Her story is the voice of a child who has lived through war and continues to search for a sense of safety, home, and hope in a new reality.
🎥 Video Story
🟦 1. WHO IS MILANA
Milana is an 11-year-old girl from Siverskodonetsk.
She is calm, intelligent, and remarkably attentive to detail — both in her drawings and in how she sees the world.
Despite her young age, she has experienced evacuation under shelling, the loss of her home, and the challenge of rebuilding her life in a new city.
Her inner world is gentle yet strong — filled with empathy, creativity, and love for animals and art.
💬 “I dream of going home and for the war to end.” — Milana
🟩 2. BEFORE THE WAR
Before the full-scale invasion, Milana lived in Siverskodonetsk, went to school, and attended an art studio.
She loved drawing — especially cats and imaginary creatures.
💬 “She started drawing when she was three,” her mother says.
“She could draw cats from angles even I couldn’t imagine. Her vision has always been special.”
Milana was cheerful and creative — always singing, sketching, inventing stories.
💬 “Art saved her even back then. She was like a little bell — bright and full of light.” — mother
🟥 3. EVACUATION
When fighting reached Sievierodonetsk, the family lost access to gas, water, and electricity.
They had no car and searched desperately for a way to escape.
💬 “We moved five times — nowhere in particular. Then we found a taxi, under shelling.
If not for that, I don’t know what would’ve happened.” — Milana
After a long, exhausting journey, they reached Lviv, where kind strangers offered them shelter. Later, they moved to Vinnytsia.
🟧 4. NEW LIFE IN VINNYTSIA
Milana and her mother have now lived in Vinnytsia for three years.
Adapting wasn’t easy — a new city, no familiar faces.
💬 “We’re grateful just to have a place to live. It’s small, but it’s home.”
Milana continues to study online with her relocated school from Siverskodonetsk.
💬 “Some of her teachers even taught me when I was a student,” says her mom.
🟦 5. STUDYING AND ACHIEVEMENT
💬 “My grades are mostly 9s and 10s. I’m best at English.”
Milana excels at school, particularly in English and math.
💬 “I can understand movies in English. I got 12 out of 12 on my last test.”
Even when the power goes out, she finds a way to stay connected:
💬 “I plug the router into a power bank. I don’t want to miss class.”
🟪 6. ART — HER LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL
Milana continues her art studies through her relocated art school, now based in Dnipro.
She paints with pencils, watercolors, gouache, and is now learning to work with acrylics.
💬 “I draw still lifes, people, animals, and characters — sometimes just for myself.”
Art has become her safe space — her quiet way of processing emotions.
💬 “When I draw, I think less about the war.”
🟨 7. SOCIAL ANXIETY AND GROWING UP
After evacuation, Milana became more withdrawn.
She speaks openly about her fear of social interaction — her social anxiety.
💬 “When mom says, ‘Go play with the other kids,’ I get scared.
They look at me, and I feel like I’m not like everyone else.”
Her mother explains it gently:
💬 “It’s just her way of coping with change. She feels everything very deeply — and that’s her strength.”
🟦 8. ART AND DREAMS
Milana dreams of becoming a designer — combining art, English, and technology.
💬 “At first, I wanted to be a vet. Now I want to be a designer — I’m not sure what kind yet.”
She keeps creating — joining online art exhibitions and imagining her first illustrated collection.
🟪 9. GRATITUDE AND KINDNESS
Milana remembers the people who helped them along the way.
💬 “In Lviv, people fed us, gave us shelter, warmth. We still stay in touch.”
Her gratitude is quiet but sincere.
💬 “I’ve grown up. I know now that kindness is the most important thing.”
🟨 10. HEROES AND FAITH
💬 “My heroes are the soldiers who protect Ukraine.
They’re brave — because of them, we can live.”
Milana dreams that every child in Ukraine will once again feel safe.
💬 “Peace is when people do good and don’t hurt each other.
When they help one another.”
🟦 11. THE FUTURE AND RETURNING HOME
💬 “I miss home. I miss my grandmothers. I want to go back.”
There’s been no contact with her relatives for a long time, but Milana continues to hope.
💬 “I just want everyone to be safe and alive.”
🕊️ 12. MILANA’S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
💬 “I want everyone to be kind and to help each other.
Don’t be afraid to be good.”
🟧 13. PHOTO GALLERY
The survey was conducted by the NGO “Network of Civil Society Organizations Supporting Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” with the support of the Askold and Dir Foundation, administered by ISAR Ednannia, within the project “Strong Civil Society of Ukraine as a Driver of Reforms and Democracy,” funded by Norway and Sweden. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the NGO “Network of Civil Society Organizations Supporting Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” and does not necessarily reflect the views of the governments of Norway or Sweden, or of ISAR Ednannia.
