I grew up in Vysots’k, a small village in northwestern Ukraine near the Belarusian border. After high school, I moved to Rivne and got a job selling Ukrainian sweets and cookies. That’s where I met Yvanna, my partner for the past 15 years. Eventually, I joined my younger brother in construction, building homes across the country. I loved creating something real with my hands and dreamed of starting my own company one day.

In 2020, Yvanna and I moved to Israel so I could take a better-paying job in construction. We lived in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv. The heat was nothing like I’d experienced, but I liked the people and the work. Then, in October of 2023, war broke out. Hamas was firing rockets into Israeli cities. One day, I heard a missile whistle overhead, then watched Israeli defence forces shoot it down. That’s when I realized anywhere could be a target. Even picking up groceries felt dangerous. We were terrified and decided to leave.

But returning to Ukraine wasn’t an option.

© Macleans