Ukraine's Children Dream of Becoming Real-Life Superheroes
The war in Ukraine has changed the lives of children, but it hasn't stopped their dreams. In Kherson, 9-year-old Andrii is planning on a future rescuing children and animals from danger.
Since the fighting in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, most children have had just one wish: peace. Instead of summer holidays, they want to go back to school. Instead of traveling, they dream of returning home. And instead of toys, children simply want safety and a brighter future.
Many are finding inspiration in new heroes — not from comics or films, but from real life. They look up to doctors, psychologists, animal rights activists, policemen and teachers, those who save and support people amid the chaos and pain of war.
Among them is 9-year-old Andrii from Kherson, who lost his father in a car accident and now dreams of becoming a rescuer with the State Emergency Service (SES).
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Last summer, Andrii and his family were staying at their summer cottage in Ukraine’s Mykolaivska region when the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam collapsed, causing the reservoir to burst and the Dnipro River to overflow.
From the balcony of his house, the boy watched as muddy streams engulfed gardens, fields and buildings. To Andrii, it seemed as though the dark green water was swallowing everything alive around him. Suddenly, as rescuers from the State Emergency Service (SES) arrived to evacuate residents, he realized where his future lay.
"We were lucky,” recalls Andrii. “We live on such a high mountain and the water didn't reach there. But I saw it rise up to the roofs of the houses in the village. Every day, I sat on the balcony and watched the rescuers go out in boats and rafts and rescue people. They rescued children, men, women, animals. They were very brave. They were not afraid of the water.”
Emergency rescue workers are everyday heroes
Andrii could not believe his luck when he was introduced to Vladyslav Horetsky, the head of an SES rescue station in Kherson, who even presented him with an SES badge.
"Of course, you have to prepare for physical fitness tests and have theoretical knowledge,” Horetsky advised Andrii. “But keeping the goodness of a rescuer in you is the most important thing, because that is the basis of the profession. The desire to save and help is what really matters."
Keeping the goodness of a rescuer in you is the most important thing, because that is the basis of the profession. The desire to save and help is what really matters. — Vladyslav Horetsky, emergency service worker in Kherson, Ukraine
The SES has faced many challenges since the escalation of the war in Ukraine. But Horetsky and his colleagues are determined to help those in need.
"It has become much more difficult to work, especially during the repeated attacks, when SES workers get a call about the shelling and then there is another shelling,” says Horetsky. “And it's really hard to see how vulnerable children are in Ukraine. But I've never thought about changing my job. I'm 100 percent sure this is where I'm needed. During the war, I see even more sense in what we do.”
Recently, Andrii's father passed away in a car accident. Now, when the boy listens to his father's favorite music, he feels close to him. “I think my father is a hero,” he says.
"When my dad died, I became interested in his favorite music, and now I really want to get an electric guitar and learn to play it. I even started learning English to better understand Nirvana's lyrics.”
Andrii's father was a helicopter pilot. After his death, becoming an SES rescuer took on a new, deeper meaning for the boy.
Andrii had already begun his journey of helping and rescuing others, having become a pillar of strength for Yulia, his mother.
"She is the greatest mother,” says Andrii. “I love her very much. After the accident, I was very sad, very worried. Dad passed away, and she was in the hospital. When she was brought home, I immediately hugged her and brought our cat to lay beside her.”
As my mother recovered, I constantly supported her, reminding her of her beauty and strength, and assuring her that she would overcome everything. And she did.”
Like scores of children in Kherson, Andrii studies online due to the ongoing war. He is working hard to get good grades in English, math and physical education, since these are the subjects he will need when applying for his future profession.
"I have a lot of respect for the SES rescuers,” he says. “Without them, things would have been really bad. The rescuers clear rubble, put out fires, save people and animals. It is a tough job, very difficult. But I will do my best — study, train — to become like them.”
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This story first appeared on unicef.org
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