Crimea. Memories of an Occupied Homeland
26/02/26, 03:00
Almost every Ukrainian has their own connection to Crimea. Some spent summer holidays there with their families, some received medical treatment in its sanatoriums, and others hiked through its local mountains.
Today, on the Day of Resistance to the Occupation, you will hear one such life story.
My life has always been intertwined with the rhythm of waves, for I was born in the south of Ukraine, where the sea is an inseparable part of the horizon. That endless blue expanse gifted me, from childhood, a sense of freedom. Yet the true fullness of the world revealed itself where water meets the majesty of mountains. Crimea became precisely such a place of strength for me — a unique space where the sea breeze mingles with the scent of pine forests on the slopes.
In my childhood, my parents and I often traveled to the peninsula, discovering its quiet bays and ancient cities that breathe the history of many centuries. School excursions turned Crimea into a place of shared discoveries with friends, and during my university years, its mountain paths became a true test of endurance in multi-day hikes.
It was among these landscapes that the most important milestones of my becoming took place. In Crimea, I first felt the power of love, and it was there that I met the man who became my husband. Our family grew, and we continued the cherished tradition, bringing our own children to our small house on Crimean land. We had our little patch of garden, where fruit ripened under the warm sun, and evenings were filled with the chirping of cicadas and conversations on the veranda. It was our own corner of paradise, where each summer became a treasury of family warmth.
Yet the events of February 2014 abruptly altered the course of our lives. The russian occupation of the peninsula marked the beginning of a long period of estrangement, when Ukrainians were effectively denied access to their own land, forced to leave behind their home, their blooming garden, and their familiar way of life.
This act of aggression, now entering its twelfth year, became the prelude to the full-scale invasion of February 24, 2022. Many families found themselves in a reality where the only remaining connection to their native home was memory — memories of joyful summer days and the warmth of their own household. And yet memory carefully preserves our past, transforming it into a source of inner strength and identity.
Contemporary research into Ukrainian history and culture emphasizes that our bond with the land forms the foundation of our resilience. Today, we feel not only sorrow for the lost home, but also a profound determination to act in the name of justice. Within our society lives an unshakable faith and a will to resist, turning pain into a creative and active force. Each day of trial only strengthens our resolve on the path toward the restoration of truth.
The support of the international community and the solidarity of nations that care have become the vital pillar that fortifies our strength in striving to return, to restore, and to allow our native land to flourish once more.
Together with the friends of Ukraine, we carry the will to change the future and to bring life back to every corner of the Crimean coast. We believe that the united efforts of the free world will help our family hearth by the sea shine again.
