A Ukrainian student’s experience studying in Scotland while the war at home is ongoing.

Sasha Diachenko, 20, is a Ukrainian student at the University of Glasgow. Born in Mykolaiv, he spent his childhood in the city before moving south to Odesa aged 10. When Sasha was 15, he moved to Poland to boarding school to continue his education, learning Polish in the process. His family remained in Ukraine. He then moved to Scotland to begin his undergraduate study in International Relations. I spoke with Sasha about his journey to Scotland, how the war has impacted his life and his perspectives on the ongoing invasion and its trajectory.

Was your move to Poland due to the political instability in Ukraine? 

Not directly. However, the uncertainty and instability of Ukraine made me look for education abroad. For some reason, it's quite a popular way of thinking. You must move and study abroad to earn money fairly and honestly. Ukraine’s instability influenced my perception of the future, that my country didn’t seem stable and peaceful. When I studied in Poland, I used to go back and forth to home every couple of months and I spent my whole second to last year of school, (11th grade in Poland) studying online at my Polish school in Odesa because it was covid. From there, it was my ambition to study abroad and from Poland to go Westwards.  

The last time I was in Ukraine was four days before the war started. I left Ukraine on 20 February 2022, on one of the last flights from Odesa. We Ukrainians didn't think that the war was going to start until around 22 February. I just went back to school because my winter break finished.  

Given that Ukraine has experienced conflict in the East for so long, did it feel unimaginable that the situation would escalate? 

It seemed irrational. Even from a Russian perspective. When you try to walk in Russia's shoes for a bit, Putin's shoes, even prior to the invasion. If you try to think what he could have been thinking when the majority of people found the invasion irrational. Even though control over Ukraine has been an objective of his politics for a long time, it seems irrational because the potential losses outweigh the benefits. It's very interesting  how your mind gradually comes to accept war as part of your country's life and identity. Start thinking of your country as the country who is at war and kind of adding this, like, war dimension to your imagination, to your perception of your country. It felt very weird in 2014, but by 2022, it became normal, you know? 

How do people react to you saying, “I'm from Ukraine.” Do you feel that people treat you differently? 

There is definitely this awkwardness, a feeling that people cannot really find proper words. It's hard for them to approach the subject in a way which would be comfortable. I work in a restaurant, and I have an accent so people often ask where I’m from. I say, I'm Ukrainian, and that's usually where the conversation stops. Or people say “Aww.” That reaction shows some kind of empathy or compassion, but at the same time, it's rare those conversations ever go beyond the war. People tend to speak only about war, not about culture or anything else. However, I still think its fortunate that the war is talked about. 

You’re studying a Central Eastern European Studies (CEES) module, how do you find this being Ukrainian? 

I debated doing CEES, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to study it for a long time because being taught about my country by people who I don’t align with ideologically was a thing that I was worried about. At the same time, it’s an exciting experience. It requires some humility and patience. Being taught certain topics, from a non-Ukrainian background, can be difficult but it's something every Ukrainian has to learn to do.  

Why do you think there might be a bit of compassion fatigue amongst Brits and Scots? 

It might be that people don’t feel that Western support and their support makes an impact. Populist leaders also tend to manipulate this issue, especially recently in Slovakia and Hungary. I also realise it’s linked to the cost-of-living  crisis, particularly in Ireland, the narrative about falling living standards is tied up with support from Ukraine. The fatigue is understandable, as the war has been going for almost three years now and required a lot of resources. However, I don’t think we’ve seen this fatigue in the UK as much as in other places. Support for Ukraine hasn’t become a dividing issue for the Tories and Labour, and I think that makes the UK an exception.  

How has the University’s support been? Has this been consistent? 

It’s hard for me to say what the support was like at the beginning of the war as I wasn’t here. The support is there, you can see the flags on buildings, advertisements of Ukrainian events and the Ukrainian society. The University has sent emails to make people aware of counselling services, but it is hard to say what else the University could do. In general, the UK government supports Ukrainian refugees to a great extent, we have access to the NHS, the welfare state, and free tuition in Scotland.  

Do you have any thoughts on the lack of support for other refugees? 

There is certainly a division and a privilege that is not felt by other refugees such as Palestinians, Syrians and people from the Middle East. It’s difficult to say why we receive this help, is it because we are White? Europeans? Is it due to support from the U.S. ? It’s very unfair. Myself and the Ukrainian Society of Glasgow believe that all refugees deserve equal compassion, help and attention.  

What do you think the US election of Donald Trump will mean for Ukraine? 

One-hundred percent of Ukraine’s taxes go towards the war effort; therefore, Ukraine is reliant on the U.S., the IMF and the World Bank. Trump’s victory brings bad news for ideological dynamics in the West. It signals the erosion of values that we came to accept, like liberal internationalism, interconnectivity and cooperation and the upholding of international  law. Trump may lead Ukraine to accept a peace deal they may not otherwise. If a peace deal is not a strong deal for Ukraine it may increase the likeliness of further conflict. Despite this, Trump’s election is a great opportunity for Europe to take on a new role. The US was once the role of human rights watchdog. Now, Europe may have to take on that role and detach from the U.S.  

What are your plans for after graduation? 

My visa, the Homes for Ukraine visa, will only cover me to finish my undergraduate studies here. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay in Scotland for a Masters degree and we Ukrainians don’t know what will happen to us after our visas expire. I’m afraid that after the war finishes, the UK government might kick us out. I don’t plan to return to Ukraine before the war ends and studying here is the chance of a lifetime for me. I’m treated as a home student, which is a great privilege for me. 

What would you say to Scots who want to continue to support Ukraine? 

Most encounters with Scots, in the context of my being from Ukraine, are super supportive. Some have been to Ukraine and tell me how nice a country it is. Scots have something I like, a straightforwardness, which allows them to say what they think. It makes me feel closer to Scottish people and it’s amazing. I would say to donate, but Scotland has also done so much for Ukraine and I don’t feel excluded. That makes asking for more almost silly.   

Finally, what gives you hope for Ukraine? 

The thing that gives me hope is the large population of Ukrainians going to Western Universities, studying, doing PhDs and even becoming Professors. Ukrainian scholarship in Glasgow and Edinburgh, really great institutions, gives us agency. It allows our perspective and our stories of ourselves to be heard, especially as it was minimised during Soviet times. It allows us to have a say in our future.

Published 27 November 2024