Days without war: Ukrainian children enjoy time at summer camp – photo essay | Ukraine

On the final day of July, Russia launched an assault on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, the bloodiest one this 12 months: 300 drones and eight missiles killed 31 individuals. On the identical day, 700km (435 miles) away in a camp close to the town of Svalyava within the Carpathian mountains, 30 kids are roasting marshmallows. A lot of the kids stay in Kyiv, however for now, they’re on the Zefir summer time camp.

Through the camp’s 10 days, there are not any air raid alarms, and nobody goes to shelters even as soon as. It’s the longest interval with out an alarm or assault for a lot of of those kids since March 2022.

Many verify their telephones one further time this Thursday. Are their households OK? Their pals?

It’s the Ukrainian couple Tetiana and Alex Svatenkova who welcomed the youngsters to the summer time retreat a couple of week in the past. The camp takes place at a resort within the mountains, an hour from the Polish border.

The times are stuffed with role-playing, water fights, theatre and dance. The youngsters, aged between 9 and 16, come from most components of Ukraine. Nevertheless, most stay in Kyiv in central Ukraine, whereas others are from the japanese metropolis of Dnipro.

Most of them got here right here as a result of they needed to do one thing enjoyable throughout their summer time vacation. However they’re additionally right here for an additional purpose: to flee, even briefly, from the depth of the warfare.

Based on Tetiana, who holds a PhD in psychology, the camp supplies a much-needed respite for the youngsters.

The camp has existed since 2017, and again then, it was held in Kyiv. However when the warfare broke out, Tetiana and Alex needed to transfer it to a safer location, which is how the youngsters ended up right here within the mountains.

There’s a huge distinction among the many kids Tetiana hosted in her camp earlier than and after the warfare, she says. It’s particularly their social abilities which have modified. The fixed uncertainty has left its mark.

“Earlier than the warfare, the youngsters had been extra open to new experiences and relationships. They tried extra issues,” she says.

That’s why their work is now much more necessary, Tetiana believes. Along with her husband, she hosts about 500 kids yearly. There are already many various kinds of camp colleges in Ukraine, she explains.

However the couple determined to begin their very own camp. They needed to regulate the variety of kids in every group and guarantee there weren’t too many, so they can be current with all of them.

They by no means even thought of shutting down the camp after the warfare broke out.

“I can see that the youngsters are typically extra nervous. They don’t seem to be afraid of spiders; they’re afraid of the longer term. That’s why our sanctuary right here is extra necessary than ever.”

Tetiana is aware of that neither two individuals with PhDs in social pedagogy, which her husband holds, and psychology nor 10 days with out air raid alarms can resolve the issues the warfare creates within the kids’s lives.

However the time spent right here within the camp can nonetheless give the youngsters some confidence, she says.

Along with her husband and three staff leaders, they attempt to determine every baby’s particular person strengths after which place them in conditions that might push them in a constructive path. They organize every camp in another way, in keeping with the wants they observe within the kids.

“For instance, if somebody is nice at dancing, that particular person will assist organise the discos within the night. That form of self-confidence, we consider, they are going to take house with them.”

Precisely such a talented dancer is right here this week. Valeriia, 15, from Kyiv. She “loves the whole lot” about being on the camp, however her favorite exercise is clearly the disco with its loud music and actions.

“Generally when the instructors are drained, I can take over for them and lead the opposite kids within the strikes,” she says.

Every night ends with all 30 kids on the dancefloor. Tetiana rhythmically leads them by means of the identical strikes to songs that embrace the Kpop hit Soda Pop or Pitbull’s Timber. For greater than an hour, the youngsters dance in a circle till sweat glistens on their faces.

Time spent away from air raid sirens feels unusual, says Nika, 12, who lives in Kyiv.

“There are not any alarms right here. It’s very nice. However I’m actually anxious about my mother and my household whereas I’m right here. I’ve referred to as them every single day.”

Veronika, 15, from the japanese metropolis of Dnipro, additionally finds it good to take a break from the depth of the warfare. At house, she hears the alarm between three and 4 instances a day.

“Right here [at the camp], we’re so distant from Russia. There’s no hazard, no alarms,” she says. “We’ve so many actions right here that I can get distracted. At house, I’m continually desirous about the warfare as a result of the hazard is so shut with Russia proper subsequent to us.”

Veronika’s household moved to Poland when the warfare broke out however determined to return to Dnipro a 12 months later, the place they nonetheless stay. She is on the camp together with her youthful brother Max, 13, for the second 12 months in a row.

It was their mom who advised they go. Veronika is glad she did. She has made a number of pals right here, whom she’s blissful to see once more this 12 months.

She’s grow to be significantly good pals with Valeriia. Collectively, they’ve painted matching henna designs on their left arms and are carrying matching socks and footwear.

Because the couple began the camp in 2017, Tetiana has been measuring the youngsters’s social competencies. It’s one thing she introduced together with her from her work as a psychologist.

After the warfare, she observed that the youngsters have grow to be worse at regulating their feelings. A lot of them had been very younger when the warfare began. It has been proper in the midst of some very childhood and the youngsters could have misplaced some primary abilities. One consequence of that is the youngsters’s use of cell phones.

“Now they take a look at their telephones much more than earlier than,” she says.

Overuse and habit to telephones usually are not distinctive points for Ukrainian kids, however Tetiana believes it serves a selected perform for them. It represents a type of management, she says.

“After they’re holding it, I don’t assume they really feel as a lot at risk,” she says.

Telephones are all over the place on the camp, much more so on the day of the significantly lethal explosions in Kyiv. The youngsters scroll by means of one quick video after one other. One of many older boys within the group, Daniil from Kyiv, can be on his cellphone this Thursday morning.

With music from the band Deftones in his ears, he swings backwards and forwards on the swing in the back of the yard for half an hour earlier than the day’s actions formally start. For one in all Daniil’s good pals on the camp, Veronika, 15, from Dnipro, her cellphone can be the very first thing she grabs throughout an assault. She at all times checks the information instantly when she hears explosions again house.

“Just lately, I heard a really loud bang. My home windows shook. I believe I used to be in shock and instantly checked my cellphone to seek out out what occurred,” she says.

After a tearful farewell with the staff leaders, the youngsters head again to Kyiv collectively. Some get off in Lviv on the best way, others are heading farther east. Tetiana travels with the youngsters.

Two days later, she’s on the bus again to the camp with a brand new group of summer time camp kids.